La Graciosa Power Outage Forces Businesses to Close During Peak Summer Season
Visitors and residents in La Graciosa experienced major disruption on Sunday after a significant power outage left the island without electricity for much of the day, forcing many bars, restaurants, supermarkets and other businesses to remain closed during one of the busiest periods of the summer.
The electrical fault affected the island from the early hours of the morning and continued for more than 12 hours before power was eventually restored.
What caused the power cut?
According to information released by the Lanzarote Emergency and Security Consortium, the outage was caused by a fault affecting infrastructure that supplies electricity to La Graciosa from Lanzarote. Repair work focused on a power line located beneath the Risco de Famara, with technicians working throughout the day to restore the service.
Engineers began repair operations during the late morning, but progress was slowed by logistical difficulties transporting equipment and personnel, delaying the restoration of electricity until mid-afternoon.
Businesses forced to close
Without electricity, many of La Graciosa’s hospitality businesses were unable to operate.
Restaurants, cafés, bars and supermarkets were among those affected, with refrigeration systems failing and some businesses reporting losses of chilled and frozen food. As a result, many establishments were unable to welcome customers during one of the island’s busiest weekends of the year.
For tourists arriving on day trips from Lanzarote, the disruption meant fewer places to eat, drink or buy supplies.
Water supply also affected
The electrical failure had a knock-on effect on essential services, including parts of the island’s water supply.
With temperatures reaching around 28°C, the situation became increasingly challenging for both residents and visitors. The lack of electricity meant some supermarkets were also unable to open, making it difficult for people to purchase bottled water while the outage continued.
A difficult week for infrastructure
The incident follows another recent electrical fault that temporarily disrupted several desalination plants serving Lanzarote and La Graciosa, highlighting the importance of resilient infrastructure during the busy tourist season. Although water production was restored following that earlier incident, officials have acknowledged ongoing work to strengthen storage capacity and improve the resilience of the island’s utilities.
Advice for visitors
If you’re planning to visit La Graciosa over the coming days, ferry services continue to operate normally. However, it’s always worth checking for the latest travel updates before departing from Órzola, particularly if any further infrastructure issues are reported.
Despite Sunday’s disruption, the island remains one of Lanzarote’s most popular day-trip destinations, famous for its unspoilt beaches, relaxed atmosphere and traditional fishing village of Caleta de Sebo.
The latest
Electricity has now been restored, and businesses are expected to resume normal trading. While the outage caused considerable inconvenience for residents, business owners and holidaymakers alike, emergency services and utility engineers worked throughout the day to reconnect the island’s power supply as quickly as possible.
