Caleta de Famara and La Graciosa, Lanzarote – Canary Islands
22 December 2006 dans Kite Surfing Canary Islands
Caleta de Famara and La Graciosa, Lanzarote – Canary Islands We flew out to Famara with Excel Airways. The flight was smooth no worries. Arrived in Arrecife airport to pick up our Hire Car which was a brand new C3 with only a few hundred miles on the clock. We squeezed our gear in and with a complete lack of rear vision and the exhaust dragging we rolled out to Famara on the North Coast of Lanzarote. I would recommend that everyone takes it slow and reads the map as the seemingly straight forward drive to Caleta de Famara was only 30kms. It took us 1.5hrs. It was dark and the signs are so small and not lit so it’s easy to miss them. The signs even stop as you go through to towns so a little common sense is needed.
Famara is like a dusty old Mexican Village from a western movie. Dusty un-surfaced roads and white washed houses gives the place great character and atmosphere. Jamie from Costa Nor Oeste met us at the Supermercado on the outskirts of town. Jamie cruised up in his surfers wagon and a joint hanging out of his mouth. I knew right there this was going to be a great trip. The apartment was above their school in the centre of Famara. It was clean and tidy. We went for a walk around town which doesn’t take long and you really feel like your NOT on holiday but on an adventure. A few pissed surfers and feral dogs roaming the streets give it that blue juice meets Big Wednesday vibe. In the morning we could take stock and really evaluate the place. We woke up to the shutters banging and the sound of 20knots of pure bliss. Famara beach is big…. Probably 3kms long so you have to drive up to a car park in the north of the bay in front on El Risco. Risco are the huge mountains that dominate the scenery and make the lunar landscape more appealing to the eye. Kiteboarding is officially banned in Famara but nobody cares and there the same guys out everyday (all locals). The local surfers are quite moody and have been known to set tourists cars on fire at the better breaks of Saint Juan and La Santa. Jaime and Santi (The owners) are surfers from way back and know the local score. The local kiters were good guys too. It’s a local crew that welcome you into the family. A couple were also surfers who shaped locally and were exclusively kite surf nomads. One guy came from Switzerland, another from France. There are no centre facilities on the beach so you have to be prepared to make friend and respect the locals or you could get into trouble.
The winds are so good here. Everyday from the North / Northeast and progressively getting stronger each day. The wind can be a little gusty from the North East because of El Risco but the bay is so big that it doesn’t matter. The main season is from May to September for the Northerly Trade winds ‘Sotavento’ and the waves were clean sets from 3ft to 10ft when a big swell comes through. There are quite a few German Nudists on Famara beach and lots of surfers as the break is the most friendly on the island so surf lessons go on too. If you have the time then go over to La Graciosa island just offshore from Famara as the beaches are empty and a few Italian kiters have made it their home!
Famara offers good local food at good prices and with over ten different restaurants you can pick and choose each night. There are a few watering holes but most end up in the main square drinking into the night of if a beach party is on then role with it. For getting into the waves I cannot recommend Famara enough! Its awesome and the winds were great all week (I went in Middle May 2005). After driving around and checking out the rest of the island and the touristy south west coast with all the German and English louts I was glad we stayed in Famara. Playa Blanca has some great restaurants and Costa Teguise has some good nightlife but It’s very sterile.
A great trip… and having been to Fuerte and flag beach i would choose Lanzarote and Famara any day!