The two guesthouses that invented tourism on La Graciosa, honoured on World Tourism Day

Before La Graciosa was a destination, somebody had to give a bed to whoever stepped off the ferry. That somebody was the guesthouses Enriqueta and Girasol, in Caleta del Sebo. They have now received the Distinguidos del Turismo 2026 award, in the Business category, given by SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote.

The prize was presented in Puerto del Carmen, as part of the Premios Isla de Lanzarote, to mark World Tourism Day.

What they actually did

They laid the foundations of accommodation in Caleta del Sebo when there was nothing there: two families who opened their own front door, and out of whom the small island's whole sector grew. Several generations have passed, and both guesthouses are still going.

What the council says

Teguise's mayor, Olivia Duque, says the award recognises 'the commitment, the effort and the hospitality of those who welcomed the first visitors to La Graciosa and laid the pillars of a way of doing tourism that is authentic, close and connected to who we are'. Seeing that effort recognised, she adds, 'is a pride shared by the whole municipality'.

The councillor for tourism, Rita Hernández, puts it more bluntly: 'You cannot talk about La Graciosa without naming the Enriqueta and Girasol guesthouses.'