Calderón Hondo Volcano Hike in Fuerteventura

The Calderón Hondo volcano hike from Lajares was one of the walks we did while staying in Corralejo. Our route was roughly 5 km and took us around two hours with stops. The highlight was looking into the crater and taking in the volcanic landscape of northern Fuerteventura. Here’s where we started, how long it took and what we’d recommend before heading up.

We’ll walk you through everything you need for this hike, from what to pack in your day bag to the best times of day to avoid the worst of the heat. We’ll also share a few tips for getting great photos of the views from the top. It’s a brilliant little adventure in one of Fuerteventura’s most striking spots!

How to Get to the Start of the Calderón Hondo Hike

To start the Calderón Hondo hike from Lajares, take Calle Majanicho north out of the village. At the end of the street, a stony path heads towards Montaña Colorada and Calderón Hondo. If you’re following the SL-FV 2, the full trail starts at the football pitch in Lajares, about a kilometre earlier. Below, you’ll find our starting point on Google Maps and photos of the signs to help you recognise it.

The Walk to Calderón Hondo

The Calderón Hondo is one of Fuerteventura’s best-known volcanoes and is close to Corralejo, where we stayed during the first part of our trip. From the top, there are wonderful views of the Bayuyo volcanic chain, whose eruptions extended the island northwards.

The hike starts in the village of Lajares and the starting point is clearly marked on Google Maps as "Start of hiking Lajares". It’s an easy walk, but like many places on the island there’s no shade along the way (sunscreen and a hat are essentials).

The route is about 5 km long and takes roughly an hour and a half although we took a little longer, around two hours, because we got distracted by a surprise at the top. More on that in a moment!

Our first steps follow a path clearly marked out with stones (see the photo below), leading into the malpaís lava field, a stretch of sharp volcanic rock that time has barely worn down. Sticking to the path helps protect this landscape. Ahead, Montaña Colorada rises beside Calderón Hondo, two volcanic formations whose eruptions around 50,000 years ago extended Fuerteventura northwards by 110 km².

The path gradually climbs as it curves around the volcano. The landscapes are so surreal they feel like another world: barren, but absolutely stunning. The final stretch is a little steeper, though it’s still a fairly easy walk.

At the top, the crater is so huge you can barely fit it into a photo. But that wasn’t our only surprise: there were loads of squirrels running around. They’re adorable, and some seem almost tame, though we read that they’re an invasive species on the island. You’ll see signs asking people not to feed them, but sadly plenty of visitors ignore them.

Here are a few photos of our little friends, the squirrels, who clearly come over because people feed them—please don’t! We just spent a while watching them play together. It’s surprisingly hypnotic when you don’t see them often. Be a bit careful around them, though, because they bite.

After reaching the top and walking around the crater, we can say the hike was absolutely worth it for us. We don’t know if it’s one of the most impressive volcanoes in the Canaries, but if you haven’t seen many, we think you’ll really enjoy it. We certainly did.

Once we started heading down, we still felt like exploring, so we decided to return via Montaña Colorada. This mountain sits right beside the volcano, with lovely views over Lajares. As you can see in the photos, the landscape looks like Mars. We loved it.

We’d only suggest coming down via Montaña Colorada if you’re fairly fit or enjoy a bit of adventure. There isn’t much of a path and the loose ground can be slippery, so this part isn’t for everyone.

Map of the Calderón Hondo Hike

Here’s a Wikiloc track you can use as a guide for the Calderón Hondo volcano hike. We often use these tracks to find our way and they’re really handy, even if we end up changing the route a little.

What to Bring and When to Go

There’s no shade on this walk, so bring enough water for the whole hike, a hat, sunscreen and shoes with good grip. Go at a cooler time of day, leaving enough daylight for the walk back; if it’s very hot or windy, we’d pick another day. You can enjoy the crater from the viewpoint without walking all the way around the rim.

What to Do After the Hike

If you are staying in the north, you can spend the morning at the volcano and then head back for a meal in Corralejo. To plan the rest of your trip, see our 7-day Fuerteventura itinerary and our comparison of Corralejo and Costa Calma as places to stay.

If you want to read other articles ideal for your trip that complement Calderón Hondo Volcano Hike in Fuerteventura you can visit our posts about Fuerteventura.