GR131 Canary Islands, Day 8: Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026
The most beautiful day of the trip so far!
We camped in our tent near a shelter just outside of Pájara. The night was clear and starry. The weather forecast held true: less wind and no rain.

Inger woke up around 7:00 AM. We ate breakfast at dawn, and by 8:00 AM—just 10 minutes after sunrise—we were already hiking. The temperature was 12°C (54°F).

The route stayed level for the first kilometer (0.6 miles). Then the climbing began, making for a gorgeous hike in the morning light when the sun is low, casting long shadows and vibrant colors across the landscape.

Eventually, we reached a mountain ridge that we followed up and down—though mostly up—for several kilometers. We finally entered the kind of rugged mountain terrain we’ve been missing so far on this trip.

It wasn’t exactly calm, far from it, but we were glad we weren’t up there yesterday! The wind mostly hit us diagonally from behind, allowing us to really enjoy the view.

After about 7 km (4.3 miles), the trail turned down from the mountains toward the small village of Cardón. There were no shops or cafes there, but they did have one of those classic town signs with large letters.

​We ate lunch on the outskirts of the village and resumed our hike immediately. More clouds had appeared in the sky, but fortunately, no rain. The sunscreen, which has sat mostly untouched since we started a week ago, finally made an appearance.

The route continued to undulate through typical Fuerteventura scenery. In this area, we could see the trail had recently been maintained; the red and white markers were fresh, and we could see rake marks on the ground. A little later, we ran into three women performing this maintenance. We thanked them as best we could in Spanish.

There aren’t many other hikers on this route. We see a few day-hikers, but as we approached La Pared, we met a hiker with a large pack. It turned out to be Oliver from the Czech Republic. He was hiking the GR131 across Fuerteventura. There’s something special about meeting fellow long-distance hikers; you stop to chat, exchange experiences, and you’re immediately on the same wavelength.

Today’s goal was the village of La Pared. We arrived after 24 km (15 miles), and we had actually booked a stay at the town’s only hotel, Bakour Fuerteventura. This is a seaside resort with many gated buildings, pools, and more. It must be slightly off-season because even though we booked a standard room with half-pension, we were upgraded to an apartment. We paid a total of €96, which also included two drink vouchers for the pool bar. We arrived exactly as check-in opened at 3:00 PM—perfect timing.

After showering, washing our clothes, and relaxing by the pool, we were ready for dinner by sunset.

​Dinner was a buffet, which is exactly what hikers like us dream of. We could eat our fill, and we certainly did! After dinner, we met four English women who were also hiking the GR131 across Fuerteventura; they had done the Lanzarote section last year.

​Full and satisfied, we went straight to bed after dinner. We hope for many more days like this.

​Today’s stats: 24 km (15 miles) and 725 meters (2,378 feet) of elevation gain.