The small village of Femes is home to the Balcón de Femes – the name deriving from the panoramic view it gives you down towards Lanzarote´s southern most resort of Playa Blanca.
Balcony Scene
Femes is very tucked away, as a result of the steep road which climbs up to the highland from the coast. So it retains plenty of character and unspoilt Canarian charm.
Restaurants in Femes
The village of Femes boasts a couple of good restaurants. The one which most first time visitors tend to head for is the Restaurant Balcón de Femes. You can´t really miss it as it is located just to the left of the main lookout point down towards Playa Blanca.
It can certainly lay claim to the best views, given that the terrace looks right out over the drop to the southern end of the island. So it is an ideal location for enjoying a drink at sundown and appreciating the view. Or equally for taking a meal indoors gazing out of the panoramic windows on a windier day.
Just around the corner is the more picturesque Casa Emiliano - which has a lovely garden and makes for a great spot to have lunch on a hot summers day – as as the air temperature is always slightly cooler given the altitude in Femes.
Buildings of Interest
The house just to the right of the Balcón actually dates back some three hundred odd years and used to be an outpost of the Jesuit church.
The property was carefully converted into a house, retaining many of the original features and some Manrique-style additions – volcanic rocks intruding into the bathroom, stone planters in the courtyard and ultra thick whitewashed walls.
The village is also home to a pretty church, often a venue for local weddings.
Casitas de Femes
At the other end of the valley as you head out of Femes back towards the main road running from Puerto del Carmen to Yaiza is the hamlet of Casitas de Femes – the little houses.
One of these little houses has been transformed into a veritable beachcomber’s dwelling, with all sorts of oddities displayed around the place. Including a helicopter, which could be a convenient means of getting around when you live at this height - except it is for display purposes only.
There are one or two holiday rental properties up here, providing an idyllic retreat for the world weary, whilst still being relatively close to a number of Lanzarote´s main attractions such as Timanfaya National Park.
Local Walks
In between Femes and the Casitas de Femes a stretch of land is still being cultivated by the locals. There are several walks to be had up here – one of which will take you down the Atalaya, as this group of mountains are called, towards Playa Quemada.
This walk starts near the Balcón, behind Casa Emilia and goes up to the crest of the hill and then down the other side. It’s a considerable trek to sea level down either the Barranco de la Casia or de los Dises.
On the other side of the Femes valley, another village lies hidden in these mountains. La Degollada is really off the beaten track.
You can access it via a road which runs out the back of Yaiza, past the race track and keep going until you reach the hamlet of Degollada. The numerous fields surrounding all of the houses here indicate that this is still very much an agricultural village.
If you decide to continue on your journey towards Playa Blanca, at the bottom of the descent from the Balcón, there is another tiny hamlet called Maciot, a collection of only fifteen houses.
The road through Maciot runs on to Las Breñas, a much bigger village, about half way down the motorway to Playa Blanca.
How to Get There
If you are approaching Femes from Puerto del Carmen, you need to take the LZ-4 out of the old town until you reach the LZ-2 Arrecife to Playa Blanca road.
This road has recently been widened and has two new petrol stations on either side of the carriageway just before you reach the roundabout where you take the turning off to your left for Femes.
If approaching from Playa Blanca you will need to take the road out of the town which also takes you to the beaches of Papagayo. At the roundabout, take the turning for Femes and it is then a straight drive up towards Femes. You will have a steep climb up to Femes once you reach the mountains.