Strait of El Río

El Río (Spanish: Estrecho del Río) is the name given to the sea strait that separates La Graciosa from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.[1] Río, in Spanish, means 'river'. At its narrowest point, the strait is just over 1.1 kilometres (0.68 mi; 0.59 nmi) wide.

El Río
La Graciosa seen from Lanzarote across the strait of El Río
El Río
Location	Between Lanzarote and La Graciosa
Coordinates	29°13′19″N 13°30′02″W
Type	Strait
Etymology	the river
Ocean/sea sources	Atlantic Ocean
Basin countries	Spain
Designation	Part of the marine reserve established around La Graciosa and the islets north of Lanzarote
Min. width	1.1 km (0.68 mi; 0.59 nmi)
Settlements	Caleta de Sebo

El Río is part of the marine reserve established around La Graciosa and the islets north of Lanzarote.[2]

Points of Interest

Caleta de Sebo is located on the strait's northwestern shore. It is the larger one of only two settlements on the island of La Graciosa.

Overlooking the strait from the southeastern shore are the cliffs of Famara, on the island of Lanzarote.

One of local artist César Manrique's creations, Mirador del Río, consists of a viewpoint located at a height of 400 metres (1,300 ft) on the cliffs of Famara. The viewpoint overlooks onto La Graciosa and the rest of the Chinijo Archipelago across the strait of El Río, after which the viewpoint is named.[3]

The Salinas del Río are located at the feet of the cliffs of Famara along the shore of El Río. Believed to be the oldest salt evaporation ponds in the Canary Islands, the salt pans fell out of use in the second half of the twentieth century. They are, as of 2018, under restoration.[4]

• 
  Caleta de Sebo
• 
  Cliffs of Famara
• 
  Mirador del Río
• 
  Salinas del Río

Ferries

The only way to get to the island of La Graciosa is by ferry from Lanzarote. Ferries depart Lanzarote from the port of Órzola and head into the strait of El Río to reach the port of Caleta de Sebo on La Graciosa.

As of July 2019, two ferry companies operate this service, both based on La Graciosa: Líneas Romero and Biosfera Express.[5][6] Travel time is about 25 minutes.[5]

Open Water Swimming

The Travesía a nado "El Río" is an annual open water swimming event that crosses the strait. The start line is Playa de Bajo Risco on Lanzarote and the finish line is the dock at Caleta de Sebo on La Graciosa, covering a distance of 2,600 metres (8,500 ft). The event first took place in September 1993 and has been organised every year since then, in either September or October depending on the tides.[7]

References

1. El Río can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering " -381178 " in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
2. "Orden de 19 de mayo de 1995 por la que se establece una reserva marina en el entorno de la Isla Graciosa y de los islotes del norte de Lanzarote" [Order of 19 May 1995 by which a marine reserve is established around Graciosa island and the islets north of Lanzarote] (in Spanish). BOE. 1995-06-02. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
3. "Mirador del Río". Centres for Arts, Culture and Tourism of Lanzarote. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
4. "Arranca la restauración de las Salinas del Río, "las más antiguas de Canarias"" [The restoration of the Salinas del Río, the oldest of the Canary Islands, begins] (in Spanish). Diario de Lanzarote. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
5. "Schedule and routes". Líneas Romero. Retrieved 2019-07-30.
6. "Biosfera Express". Retrieved 2019-07-30.
7. "Travesía a nado 'EL RÍO' (Lanzarote-La Graciosa)" ['EL RÍO' swim crossing (Lanzarote-La Graciosa)] (in Spanish). Cabildo de Lanzarote. 2018-10-14. Retrieved 2019-07-30.