Overview
Isla Graciosa is the smallest inhabited island of the archipelago, sitting inside the Parque Nacional de los Islotes del Norte. Several heavy reefs are dotted around the island, throwing both lefts and rights over uneven reef. This is a hard-core place: the reefs are sharp, shallow and urchin-infested, so entry and exit are a real hassle. Playa de las Conchas is the only long beach, a 1.5-hour walk to the north-western shore, but it is more of a tourist beach and the surf there is poor.
When It Works
The reefs draw swell from west through north to northeast, with west (W) swell the best match. They are usable from 1.2 m / 4 ft to 4.6 m / 15 ft, so you need a decent-sized swell running to get anything going.
Wind and Tide
Look for northeast (NE) offshore wind. The reefs can work through most of the tide, with a rising tide generally the better call.
Local Tips
These waves are strictly for experts. The locals, both from the island and arriving by the boatload from Lanzarote, are not very welcoming, so expect severe hassles and remember how isolated Graciosa is.
Access
Getting here means catching the ferry from Orzola across the 2 km El Rio straits, and no cars are allowed on the island. There are no roads, only dirt and sand tracks, so your options are the 4x4 taxi service, hiking in, or renting a mountain bike at the harbour in Caleta del Sebo. That small town serves the island's 700 permanent residents with a couple of simple pensiónes, bar-restaurants, supermarkets, a bank ATM, a post office and an internet café. Free camping on the beach is doable, though locals may throw stones at tourists.
