I like to walk in Lanzarote and wanted to do an Arrecife walk from Arrecife though Playa Honda to the airport runway where the path connects in Matagorda to a previous walk along the strip in Puerto del Carmen. Instead of walking this time I decided to take my bike and cycle the route parking at the Parque Temático on the sea front by the Cabildo in Arrecife.
The distance table for Lanzarote shows that the airport to Arrecife is 7km, this promenade is a lovely way to explore this area and there are loads of tapas bars and restaurants to stop at for refreshment! On a bike this didn’t take long at all – about 30 minutes each way I took it very easy and stopped to take photographs.
I started out from the car park along the wide promenade, the pink brick section is for cycling, I liked the shaded seating area along this front, to the left is a view to the Gran Hotel and to the right you can see as far as the Femés mountains.
The Arrecife promenade continues until the sailing club at Playa el Cable, there the posh bricked style of pavement ends and its a rough but level path that continues around Playa La Concha.
The promenade widens and smoothes out again when the Avenida Playa Honda starts, all along this route were other cyclists, walkers and joggers. Here you can find the popular Restaurante Emmax and a selection of tapas bars. Look for the two houses built on the beach that are known as Casa Juan el Curita.
You need to leave the promenade for the central section in Playa Honda – it’s clearly marked, and just follow the “red route,” which takes you on the road system just back from the promenade. Or you can dismount and walk your bike through this 1700 metre section, as we did. It has been closed to cyclists for the safety of children, walkers and diners.
The massive beach of Playa Honda stretches along the coastline, there are signs marking areas for swimming and closer to the airport areas for windsurfing. Again there is a choice of bars and restaurants with lovely terraces such as the Marilyn Lounge Bar and Erik next door.
Crossing over a wooden bridge the promenade changed to tarmac with lanes for walking and cycling clearly marked, it was quite busy with walkers in this section around the Lanzarote airport runway. I was quite tempted to take time out in one of the zocos on the beach but continued to the end of the runway – here you need to be aware of sand that has blown off the beach, the track was covered in places and my bike actually stopped dead in one place.
I stopped to watch a Binter and Ryanair plane take off from Lanzarote and was quite amused to see a parking area for bicycles here. There were some workmen to be seen from the runway resurfacing project around the perimeter fences.
Once I reached the start of Matagorda, I turned around and returned back the way I had come from. The cycle ride was easy, going back was marginally harder as you are heading into the wind towards Arrecife but still manageable what ever your level of fitness.
I’m definitely going to walk this section as cycling I didn’t feel like I’d earned the right to stop and take a break at one of the tempting bar / restaurants!
This route is the last section of the Lanzarote Mountain Bike trail number 6.
If you prefer to walk this route one way, then take one of the Lanzarote buses back to your resort, the bus stop is the Intercambio station situated on the sea front next to the Cabildo in Arrecife.
More information about Lanzarote Airport.
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