GR 131 weather: warnings stage by stage, month by month

GR 131, Órzola to Orchilla, on El Hierro, in 30 stages. Warnings 2019–2025; updated 26 October 2026.

The GR 131 crosses the Canary Islands from east to west, island by island, from Órzola on Lanzarote to the Orchilla lighthouse on El Hierro, by way of Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma. Its warnings are mostly wind and heat, and by warnings it's calmer than the Camino Francés. This is what the official warnings say, stage by stage and month by month.

It's many stages across seven islands; the boat crossings between them don't count as stages. For each stage we count the warning days in the zones it crosses, and add them up month by month. Many of its zones, such as Lanzarote, Fuerteventura or eastern La Palma, are below the median Spanish zone for warning days.

June and May are the calmest months; July and August, the busiest, with heat and wind. In winter and autumn, airborne dust (the calima) is also among the top reasons for a warning. On every island the yellow threshold is 34 °C for heat and 70 km/h for gusts.

Most of the red days of the last eight years have been in summer, for heat, such as 15 to 17 August 2021 or 11 to 13 August 2023, with wind and dust. There have been some outside summer too, such as 15 and 16 December 2024 for wind or 24 March 2026 for rain, storms and wind.

The GR 131's warning zones

AEMET doesn't warn by village but by zone. The GR 131 crosses 12 warning zones, each with its own thresholds and warnings: on the same day one section can have a warning and the next none.

Walking the whole route, month by month

How many warning days you'd get, on average, walking one stage a day from Órzola to Orchilla, on El Hierro in each month. Tap a month to see it stage by stage.

Stage-days with a warning, average 2019–2025, over 30 stages; the colour is the day's highest level in the stage's zones.

Stage by stage, month by month

Share of days with some warning in each stage's zones, 2019–2025. The darker, the more warnings.

The GR 131 section by section

Lanzarote: Órzola – Playa Blanca

From Órzola to Playa Blanca, by way of Haría, Teguise and Yaiza. Few warnings: wind, heat and dust, with July and February as the busiest months.

Most common: wind, heat and dust. Most warnings in July and February; fewest in June and May.

Fuerteventura: Corralejo – Morro Jable

From Corralejo to Morro Jable, by way of Betancuria and Pájara, this is the calmest section of the GR 131. Heat is the top reason for a warning, followed by wind; July and August are the busiest months.

Most common: heat, wind and dust. Most warnings in July and August; fewest in May and November.

Gran Canaria: Puerto de las Nieves – Maspalomas

From Puerto de las Nieves to Maspalomas, by way of Artenara and Cruz de Tejeda, this is the island with the most warnings on the route. The east, south and west of Gran Canaria is the zone with the most heat warnings on the whole GR 131, and the summits get the occasional snow warning.

Most common: heat, wind and dust. Most warnings in August and July; fewest in June and December.

Tenerife: La Esperanza – Arona

From La Esperanza to Arona, climbing by El Portillo and Las Cañadas del Teide. Wind is the top reason for a warning, followed by heat; the Las Cañadas stages, in the north Tenerife zone, have the most snow warnings on the route, though they are still rare.

Most common: wind, heat and rain. Most warnings in August and July; fewest in June and September.

La Gomera: San Sebastián de La Gomera – Vallehermoso

From San Sebastián de La Gomera to Vallehermoso, by way of Garajonay and Chipude. La Gomera is the zone with the most wind warnings on the whole GR 131; July and August are the busiest months and June the calmest.

Most common: wind, heat and rain. Most warnings in July and August; fewest in June and September.

La Palma: Puerto de Tazacorte – Faro de Fuencaliente

From Puerto de Tazacorte to the Fuencaliente lighthouse, by way of the Roque de los Muchachos and the El Pilar refuge. The La Palma summits get plenty of wind warnings, while the east of the island is the zone with the fewest warning days on the route.

Most common: wind, rain and heat. Most warnings in July and August; fewest in June and May.

El Hierro: Valverde – Faro de Orchilla

From Valverde to the Orchilla lighthouse, by way of San Andrés and Malpaso, the end of the GR 131. Wind is the top reason for a warning, and El Hierro is among the zones with the most wind warnings on the route; July and August are the busiest months.

Most common: wind, heat and rain. Most warnings in July and August; fewest in June and May.

The worst days on the GR 131

The days since 2018 with orange or red on the most stages at once.

• red27 August 2020: red warning on 30 of 30 stages, for heat · the episode
• red15 August 2021: red warning on 30 of 30 stages, for heat and dust · the episode
• red16 August 2021: red warning on 30 of 30 stages, for wind, heat and dust · the episode
• red17 August 2021: red warning on 30 of 30 stages, for wind and heat · the episode
• red11 August 2023: red warning on 30 of 30 stages, for wind, heat and dust · the episode
• red12 August 2023: red warning on 30 of 30 stages, for wind, heat and dust · the episode
• red9 August 2025: red warning on 30 of 30 stages, for heat · the episode
• red10 August 2025: red warning on 30 of 30 stages, for heat and dust · the episode

When a warning is issued on the GR 131

Thresholds change from zone to zone. These are the yellow ones in the GR 131's zones:

Yellow thresholds from AEMET's warning plan. Orange and red need more. Storms have no numeric threshold.

Tips for the GR 131

• Check AEMET's forecast the evening before each stage, and the zone's warnings on the Climaviso map.
• In July and August, set off early and carry plenty of water: heat is the top reason for a warning in high summer.
• With a wind warning, keep off the summits and exposed ridges, especially on La Gomera, El Hierro and the La Palma summits.
• With an airborne-dust warning, consider shortening the stage: it's one of the most common warnings in winter and autumn.
• A warning covers the whole zone: it doesn't mean it will happen on your stage, but it does mean you should keep an eye out.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best month to walk the GR 131?

By warnings, June: on average, 1.5 warning days if you walk the 30 stages that month. Then May and September. The month with the most warnings is August, with 7.3 days.

Which section of the GR 131 gets the most rain warnings?

La Palma: on average, a rain warning on 4% of days, mostly in March, November and December.

Does the GR 131 get hot enough for warnings in summer?

In July and August, the section with the most heat warnings is Gran Canaria: a heat warning on 37% of days, on average.

Can it snow on the GR 131?

Yes, above all on the mountain sections: snow warnings bunch up in the Norte de Tenerife and Cumbres de La Palma zones, in January, February and March. There, yellow needs 2 cm in 24 hours.

What should I do if there's a warning on my stage?

A yellow warning calls for attention, not cancelling: check the forecast, set off early and, if it's for storms, finish the stage before the afternoon. With snow or strong wind on a col, wait or take the low variant. With orange or red, follow Civil Protection's and the mountain huts' advice, and don't go up.

This is not a forecast: it counts the warnings AEMET issued on those dates in past years. A warning is a forecast that a threshold will be crossed in the zone, not damage.

The GR 131, month by month

• The GR 131 in January
• The GR 131 in February
• The GR 131 in March
• The GR 131 in April
• The GR 131 in May
• The GR 131 in June
• The GR 131 in July
• The GR 131 in August
• The GR 131 in September
• The GR 131 in October
• The GR 131 in November
• The GR 131 in December