The vegetation along the route is mainly composed of four types of formations:
- The coastal halophilic belt, which is found in the areas directly impacted by the sea spray.
- The formations associated with the dune and sand fields of the jable
- Scrub formations in stony areas
- The vegetation of the Famara Massif
The halophilic belt that we can see in the area of Famara beach and in La Graciosa is formed by plants that can withstand salinity; thus we find “chaparro” (Convolvulus caput-medusae), “sea thyme”(Frankenia spp.), “sea lettuce” (Astydamia latifolia), “sea grape” (Tetraena fontanesii) and the different species of “salados” belonging to the Schizogyne genus, endemic to the Canary Islands.
The vegetation that occupies the sandy enclaves is capable of surviving in mobile soils, as there are plants capable of surviving on the surface. We find, among others, species such as the dune rocker (Traganum moquinii), which is able to fix the dunes.
The thickets of stony areas are known on the island as “malezas” (weeds), which occur in saline soils in ancient malpais where vegetation is scarce, with species such as gorse(Launaea arborescens), black matabrusco (Salsola divaricata) and the common matamoro (Suaeda vera).
The area of greatest botanical interest is the Famara Massif, a hot spot of biodiversity, with an enormous density of endemic species. Its cliffs, which is the area most closely linked to this route, are exceptional refuges of endemic plants, on the walls of the massif alone there are 14 plants exclusive to this area.
Lanzarote’s greatest faunal richness, apart from its invertebrates, is its birdlife. The route passes through several areas of enormous interest for steppe birds, such as the endemic houbara bustard, the ortega or the corridor, among others. They can be difficult to observe, especially the houbara bustard, as they’ camouflage exceptionally well in the brownish tones predominant in the landscape.
The best areas for bird watching are in the first section of the route from Costa Teguise to Teseguite, as most of the route is away from roads and in areas with little human presence. In this area, we can find the stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus insularum), loggerhead shrike (Launius meridionalis koenegi), Berthelot’s pipet (Anthus berthelotii) and the spectacled warbler (Sylvia conspicillata). Also on the Majuelo road, in the intermediate stretches along the Jable in the area of Las Laderas, you’ll find the cream-coloured courser (Cursorius cursor), the Houbara bustard (Clamydotis undulata) and the Great bustard or the Mediterranean Short-toed Lark (Alaudala rufescens polatzeki).
In the coastal areas, it is possible to see birds such as sandpipers and black plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus), as well as seabirds such as shearwaters, terns and gulls. Some raptors such as kestrels are best found on cliff walls.
