Do you want an ideal place to surf? We present you everything you need to know about the town of La Caleta de Famara, an incredible place on the island of Lanzarote.
If you want to surf in Famara, don’t think about it for a minute, come and learn with an expert team that loves surfing and has been teaching people from all over the world for more than 25 years. Are you up for it? then do not hesitate and join our surf school in Famara.
Let’s get to know a little more about the place where we surf:
The history of La Caleta de Famara
Let’s start talking about history. We are talking about a place near the imposing cliff of Famara, where we will see that the small fishing village of La Caleta de Famara is the dream of every tourist who wants a great tourist place, being a coastal destination on the Canary Island of Lanzarote. We should know that sometimes it is only known as La Caleta, where we will find this town in the municipality of Teguise, in the north of the island.
For that, we must go back to the beginning of the 20th century. In that instance, it served as a refuge for the poorest families of the municipality, since they could live from fishing. At the time when the decade of the 70s began, there was still no electricity or running water in this village, although the first tourists were already arriving, due to the impressive waters of the place.
In other words, in terms of history, the Franciscans who had arrived with Juan Bethencourt in 1402 decided to found an oratory in this area. In this area they built the hermitage of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, and remained there for about 30 years, living on alms, agriculture and fishing.
Later, in the writings of Fernando Torriani we see that Famara appeared as a place where there were several wells with clean water. Later, in the inventory carried out in 1560, the water wells of Chafariz and the springs of Famara were registered. Around 1783, we also learned that La Caleta was known to be a source for extracting fish.
In that place you could find some dry stone warehouses, being the places where an inventory of the boats that were used in the fishing periods was made. By the year 1850 there is evidence that the inhabitants of this area were few, but existing: in La Poceta ten inhabitants, in La Famara there were six and La Caleta was uninhabited.
About 15 years later, around 1865, Don Gregorio Tavío, a native of Soo, built a storehouse with stone and mud in Caleta de Famara, a place where people had been fishing for many years. It was the first construction of the place, because, until then, there were only small dry stone warehouses.
After a while, families from La Graciosa began to arrive to La Caleta and the beach started to become fashionable in summer. This is when the visits from the neighbors of Teguise start to arrive. The lime that was produced in the coves of Famara began to be used for the construction of houses and to build the chapel of the Sacred Heart of Mary.
By 1909 a large number of visitors had already gathered. The reasons? The one for the patron saint’s festivities. At that time, La Caleta already had three buildings, twenty-four warehouses and twenty-five inhabitants. This is why it gradually became a favorite destination for the island’s wealthiest families, who built their homes here as a seasonal vacation home.
We see that, at present, La Caleta still maintains the charm of the small seaside towns, having an extremely beautiful beach, with sandy streets and classic restaurants specializing in seafood and fish. It is also well known for its spectacular sunsets, which will allow you to enjoy dreamlike landscapes.
It is a combination of the majesty and tranquility of the cliff and the village, which was enjoyed for years by the Lanzarote artist César Manrique. For him this place was unique and a source of inspiration.. At the same time, La Caleta also allowed a multitude of family pictures of practically all the families of the island. It is considered a place of gathering, enjoyment and a symbol of the island that to this day is still seen as a seafaring place.
At the same time, every year, at the end of August, Caleta de Famara welcomes many people to celebrate the festivities of its patron saint. It is a unique event of its kind, where religious, sporting and recreational events are combined, as well as the desire to have fun and end the summer in a unique place: Caleta de Famara.
The charm of Famara beach
Obviously, we have to talk about Famara beach. It is about six kilometers long and has an average width of 100 meters. In this case, we refer to the beach of Famara, which is not so advisable for bathing, as it integrates a strong swell and intense currents.
However, what we are interested in here is to be able to practice sports. For that, you should know that it has become a real paradise for professional surfers and kitesurfers. It is a tourist destination where surfers from all over the world flock, who have renamed this beach as the “Hawaii of Europe”. In October, the ASP Pro 6-star championship “La Santa” takes place.
If you plan to swim it is not advisable, although it is also true that you can take advantage to take long walks along the shore, especially when the tide goes out and the wet surface becomes larger. It is a luxury to sit in it at sunset, where you will enjoy breathtaking sunsets.
What to see and do in La Caleta de Famara
At this point, a description of La Caleta de Famara is in order. It is a small town on the island of Lanzarote, which is located in a privileged enclave of great beauty in the Natural Park of Chinijo. The beach, which attracts a multitude of surfing and kitesurfing enthusiasts, is the main tourist attraction.
At the same time, we are talking about a fishing village on the northwest coast of the island of Lanzarote. It has about 1,000 inhabitants, being part of the municipality of Teguise, which is why you will find the tranquility you were looking for.
Caleta de Famara is also part of the municipality of Teguise. You will find it near villages such as Charco del Palo, Teseguite, el Mojón, Los Valles, Villa de Teguise, Guatiza, Los Ancones, Costa Teguise, las Caletas, Nazaret, Tahiche, Mogaza, Tomaren, Tao, Tiagua, Muñique, Soo, Caleta de Caballo and La Graciosa.
One of the main characteristics evaluated by its tourists is that, when you set foot in this beautiful town, you will hardly see any paved streets. On the other hand, everything is maintained by keeping its sandy alleys, as well as picturesque houses painted in white with blue or green woodwork.
Thus, the first thing you will notice is that Caleta de Famara breathes tranquility. One of the keys is silence, which can almost be touched, because stress and worries disappear with a breath of wind and serenity invades the soul. For this reason, it is a good escape from your obligations.
At the same time, the sunset is a great spectacle, because the sun is slowly falling, illuminating and staining with force the rocky walls of reddish and orange tones of the Risco de Famara. All this, while the islets of the Chinijo Archipelago are disappearing into the darkness.
In gastronomic terms, Caleta de Famara is a fishing village, which is why the traveler will be able to taste a delicious fresh fish prepared in the purest traditional style, all while having a landscape to contemplate the immensity of the ocean. You can even eat and then take long regenerating walks. Thus, you will be able to observe the islets of the Chinijo Archipelago or the beautiful coloration in orange and reddish tones that can be seen on the cliff of Famara at sunset. You will be surrounded by the serene beauty of the Chinijo Natural Park.
Obviously, however, you’ll want to know more about surfing. If you have never touched a board, no problem: there are some schools in town where you can learn. Famara beach is huge, so there is plenty of space for surfers, including children playing in the sand, adults playing a game of soccer and people of all ages strolling along the shore.
Specific locations
The first thing we know is that we have a beautiful beach with a tongue of white sand. Considered one of the most beautiful of the whole island, we are talking about a beach that extends from the steep cliffs of Risco de Famara. As we mentioned, one of its main characteristics is the strong waves and currents, which make it unsuitable for swimming, although it is suitable for the practice of fun sports such as surfing, kite-surfing or even hang gliding.
As for the cliff of Famara, we see that it is the highest peak of the entire island of Lanzarote, called Peñas del Chache, which has 671 meters of altitude. With a volcanic origin, we see that it has a length of 23 kilometers, which extend to reach the Atlantic Ocean forming a great cliff.
Those who have a great adventurous spirit and want to enter this mountainous relief to the north, will see that, at the end of this cliff, they will be rewarded with an enormous view of the island of La Graciosa and the Natural Park of the Chinijo Archipelago. This is the location of the Mirador del Río, the work of the artist César Manrique.
At the same time, this cliff is home to a Special Protection Area for Birds, so children will have a great time with binoculars when spotting the different species of birds in the area. It is a well-kept area, but also beautiful to enjoy with the family, for example.
How to get to Caleta de Famara
Assuming you decided to travel by plane to Lanzarote, you will probably want to visit Caleta de Famara after all the information we have been able to give you. Therefore, there are different options for you to reach its beaches and enjoy all the above mentioned features.
Arriving by car to Famara
If you want to get to know the island, we advise you to rent a car, as public transportation will limit your movement. To get to Caleta de Famara you can rent a car in Lanzarote, because it is very cheap and you have the possibility to pick up and return your car at the airport.
This can be done from 15€/day all inclusive: all risk insurance, no mileage limit, no penalty for late pick up or drop off, among other options. The problem with some companies is that they give you a super cheap price through the web, but then they want to charge you extras. Therefore, check the promotions carefully.
The option of arriving by bus to Famara is given from 5€. In case you want to do it, you will have to take a bus from the airport to Arrecife and another one from Arrecife to Caleta de Famara. Transport schedules can be checked from this web page to learn more about the possibilities.
Finally, you can also take a cab to Famara from 30€. This is the quickest and easiest option, since it will cost approximately 30 euros, although it may end up being a little more if you arrive at night or on a public holiday. Therefore, it is the alternative in case you do not want to rent or use public transportation.
You already know everything you need to know about Caleta de Famara. Now, it is time for you to visit the enormous beaches of the place, its imposing landscapes and the absolute tranquility that emanates from the place, besides being a tourist destination for surfers par excellence. We hope you have a great time!
