Walks on Fuerteventura - Ajuy and Pena Horadada

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Walks on Fuerteventura - Ajuy and Pena Horadada

This walk at Ajuy will take you away from the usual tourist trail along the cliff top and present you with the amazing sight of the Pena Horadada - a huge arch carved into a rock in the sea. Along the walk, you will see some stunning coastal scenery.

Start the walk on the beach at Ajuy where you can park. as you face the sea, to the right is the start of the cliff top walk. A path has been caved into the cliff face and for the first part of this walk, this is very much a tourist trail - expect to be joined by many other people.

Mirador at Ajuy

Reaching the top of the cliff walk, you will be greeted by a striking view of cliffs across a blue sea. Further down along this coastline lies the wreck of the American Star but sadly out of view. About 12-15 minutes along the cliff top will bring you to a viewing platform or "mirador".

Steps down from it lead to a huge cave below but if wet, these steps can be tricky.

The interesting part begins when you head back. Veer to the left to the upper cliff tops. The first thing that will strike you is a number of hearts made of stone laid out on the ground.

A faint footpath leads you back along the cliff tops overlooking the mirador where you were earlier and by now, you will have truly left the tourists behind! Apart from this site and a couple of tourists books, this is unknown territory for the average holidaymaker - few have probably seen the Pena Horadada and the miles of wire mesh fencing stretching across the plain puts most people off going further!

However, there is a makeshift gate in his endless fence - it is near the cliffs and someone has kindly tied a piece of sack cloth to it to identify it.

Approaching the gate comes your first scramble down the side of a dried river bed. Coming up the other side, you may notice some pipes jutting out of the ground. These go down into a sea cave below but part of the cliff has caved in so it is probably best to avoid a closer look!

Pena Horadada

Going through the gate and looking back at the mirador, you will see another spectacular stretch of coastline.

Head straight across the plain past a stone circular outcrop and soon you will see the Pena Horadada. This monolith resembles the Arc de Triomphe but standing alone in the sea.

A gentle slope will take you down to the shore in front of the Pena Horadada.

Tips: Wear trainers not sandals for this walk. Allow about 90 minutes.

Walks on Fuerteventura