The GR131 is a 540 km (335 miles) long-distance trekking route that traverses all seven of the Canary Islands. Across these seven islands, the landscape, climate, and nature vary dramatically—from sandy deserts and volcanic lava fields to lush, green forests. We began our trek at the northern tip of Lanzarote on January 13, 2026, and …
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GR131 Canary Islands, Day 1: Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 We’re back on the trail!We’ve swapped the Norwegian winter—where temperatures have plummeted into the double digits below zero across the country—for the warmer south. Our destination this time: the Canary Islands.The archipelago consists of seven main islands, with Gran Canaria perhaps being the most famous. While …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 1: Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 2 – Wednesday, Jan 14, 2026 No rain was forecasted after yesterday afternoon, but as we lay in the tent last night, we could hear rain showers throughout the entire night. The last one hit right as we were eating breakfast, which meant we had to pack down a soaking wet …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 2 – Wednesday, Jan 14, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 3 – Thursday, Jan 15, 2026We spent the night in an apartment on the outskirts of San Bartolomé and walked a short distance along road LZ-35 until we reached the GR131. The route wound around the Montaña de Guatisea volcano before ascending into a valley surrounding the Montaña Blanca volcano. At …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 3 – Thursday, Jan 15, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 4 – Friday, Jan 16, 2026We spent the night in a nice, modern apartment in the town of Yaiza, which has a population of just under 1,000. By 9:00 AM, we were on the trail for our final stage here on Lanzarote. The route started along the road out of town …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 4 – Friday, Jan 16, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 5: Saturday, Jan 17, 2026Yesterday afternoon, we took the ferry from Lanzarote to Corralejo on Fuerteventura. Our plan is to spend six days crossing this island. The small towns we pass through have very limited lodging, so we are relying on tenting—even though it’s technically not permitted. The trick is to …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 5: Saturday, Jan 17, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 6: Sunday, Jan 18, 2026After we pitched the tent last night, the wind fortunately died down. However, it picked up again during the night and became incredibly powerful. The wind direction had shifted slightly, and I was glad the stakes had a solid grip in the ground. This is actually the …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 6: Sunday, Jan 18, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 7: Monday, January 19, 2026 We spent the night in a great apartment in the village of Betancuria. Tucked away in an inland valley, this village actually served as the island’s capital from 1405 to 1834. Back then, it was safer to have the capital inland rather than on the coast, …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 7: Monday, January 19, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 8: Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026The 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, …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 8: Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 9 – Wednesday, Jan 21, 2026We traded our usual cereal and yogurt for a feast this morning. The hotel served a massive breakfast buffet, and I honestly haven’t eaten that much for breakfast since our cruise last fall. We spent a full hour lingering in the dining hall before heading back …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 9 – Wednesday, Jan 21, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 10 – Thursday, Jan 22, 2026 We finished our trek across Fuerteventura yesterday. Early this morning, while it was still dark, we headed down to the harbor in Morro Jable and boarded the Fred. Olsen ferry. The ferry pulled away from the pier just as the sun was cresting the horizon, …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 10 – Thursday, Jan 22, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 12, Saturday, January 24, 2026 Finally, we’re ready to start the hike across Gran Canaria. I’ve been looking forward to this section; proper mountain terrain and hopefully not too much wind. The forecast looks promising. It has been raining in the mountains here for the past few days, but no precipitation …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 12, Saturday, January 24, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 13: Sunday, Jan 25, 2026Last night was crystal clear, and the forecast predicted 4 {C} (39F). That turned out to be spot on; I measured 3.5C (38F) at 6:00 AM. Fortunately, the fog stayed away. We were camped in a fairly exposed spot, and the massive temperature drop during the night …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 13: Sunday, Jan 25, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 14: Monday, Jan 26, 2026We wild camped at 1,700 m (5,577 ft) under the canopy of a pine tree. Luckily, we dodged the dreaded condensation—dry as a bone inside and out—despite the morning mercury dipping to a crisp 2°C (35.6°F). The forest canopy must have held some heat, because the moment …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 14: Monday, Jan 26, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 15 – Tuesday, Jan 27, 2026We pitched our tent at a recreation area, bracing for another bone-chilling night, but the mountains had other plans. To our surprise, it was a balmy 10°C (50°F) at sunrise. With only 10 km (6.2 miles) left of our Gran Canaria (GC) traverse, the ocean made …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 15 – Tuesday, Jan 27, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 16: Wednesday, Jan 28, 2026First day on Tenerife.We had pre-ordered a taxi for 7:30 AM to drive us the roughly 10 km (6.2 miles) to La Esperanza, the northern starting point of the GR131 on Tenerife. It was going to be a very long trek today, so we wanted an early …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 17: Thursday, Jan 29, 2026I woke up at 5:00 AM to catch up on the writing I was too exhausted to finish last night. We had promised the security guard who visited us yesterday that we would be out of the area before sunrise, around 8:00 AM. By 7:00 AM—nearly an …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 17: Thursday, Jan 29, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 18 – Friday, Jan 30, 2026 I spent the night in my tent just outside Teide National Park. My Garmin watch greeted me with a «Good morning» and—for the first time on this trip—suggested a rest day. I checked the data from yesterday’s trek. Sure enough, I had pushed way too …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 18 – Friday, Jan 30, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 20 – Sunday, Feb 1, 2026 I finished the hike across Tenerife on Friday, two days ago. My body was exhausted, and for once, a rest day yesterday felt both well-earned and necessary. This morning at 7:19 AM, we took the bus from Playa San Juan, where we were staying, to …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 20 – Sunday, Feb 1, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 21: Monday, Feb 2, 2026Round two on La Gomera.We decided to «slackpack» yesterday and headed back to San Sebastián to crash at a hotel. The room was nothing special, but man, the breakfast at the café next door was a total win. There’s nothing like starting a long trek with a …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 21: Monday, Feb 2, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands: Day 22 – Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026We spent a cozy night at Tamahuche Hotel Rural in Vallehermoso. We only had a measly 3 km (1.9 miles) left of the GR131 here on La Gomera, but we intentionally saved those final steps for today. After rolling into town just thirty minutes before sunset …
GR131 Canary Islands: Day 22 – Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands: Day 23, Wednesday, February 4, 2026Pension La Cubana, where we stayed overnight, is an old 19th-century building in the heart of Santa Cruz de La Palma. It has three floors, but unlike the buildings in San Sebastián, the structures here are much taller, making it seem small by comparison. We ate breakfast …
GR131 Canary Islands: Day 23, Wednesday, February 4, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 24 – Thursday, Feb 5, 2026We had a long, restful night in the tent about 300 meters (985 feet) above Los Canarios. I could hear the wind howling through the tops of the trees in the pine forest. We didn’t get a particularly early start. We watched the sunrise through the …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 24 – Thursday, Feb 5, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands: Day 25 – Friday, Feb 6, 2026We woke up well-rested after a great night’s sleep at the Hotel Parador de La Palma. It was definitely a step up from our previous accommodations on this trek. At 8:00 AM, we headed to the lobby to order a taxi. «It’ll be here within ten …
GR131 Canary Islands: Day 25 – Friday, Feb 6, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 26: Saturday, Feb 7, 2026As expected, it was a cold night—after all, we are at 2,300 meters (approx. 7,545 feet) above sea level. The temperature dropped below freezing even before it got dark. My thermometer was sitting on top of a pot in the vestibule, and it was likely a bit …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 26: Saturday, Feb 7, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 27–30 | Sunday–Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026We finished our trek across La Palma on Saturday. Finding accommodation for under €300 in the Los Llanos area (where the trail ended) proved difficult, so we opted for Hostel Vagamundo. We ended up with a bunk bed in a six-person dorm. Inger was a bit …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 27–30 | Sunday–Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands: Day 31 – Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026The forecast for today looked promising, calling for clear blue skies. However, when I got up briefly during the night, the area was shrouded in fog—and it was still there when we woke up. It was thick, too; I couldn’t even see the houses at the …
GR131 Canary Islands: Day 31 – Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026Read More »
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 32: Thursday, Feb 12, 2026 The final day on the GR131.Our campsite sat just above 1,200 m (3,937 ft), and we expected a chilly—though not freezing—night. Despite the clear skies, the temperature never dropped below 13°C (55°F). It was actually one of the warmest nights in the tent on this entire …
GR131 Canary Islands, Day 32: Thursday, Feb 12, 2026Read More »