Amazing Canaries: What to see on the island of Lanzarote

Why Lanzarote?

My husband and I live in France. We try to go somewhere a couple of times a year. And this winter we were drawn to the exotic, so we decided to fly to the Canaries. Both me and my husband wanted to go there for a long time, but the prices, frankly speaking, bite. But this time we found a great 5-star hotel for half the price. There was no doubt - we booked accommodation and took tickets!

For the flight and hotel (7 nights) we paid €500 for two people. It took us 3,5 hours to fly to Lanzarote from Toulouse.

It was mid-December, the weather at this time on the island is great (16-17 degrees, but in that climate it feels like 22-25 somewhere). Perfect timing really. And the discounts are really really good. On the same New Year's Eve there were already just exorbitant prices, so we were lucky.

Where to live in Lanzarote?

We stayed at Melia Salinas (Costa Teguise), a 10-minute walk from the ocean. We arrived from the airport at night, and dinner was waiting for us at the hotel. We liked everything about the hotel: the staff was polite, it was beautiful, comfortable and quiet. By the way, this hotel is not allowed with small children. There is a restriction on age up to 7 or 10 years old, I think.

There is an outdoor pool and a heated Jacuzzi on the hotel grounds. It is certainly a blessing to relax overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. You are completely in your thoughts, marveling at the beauty of the world without anyone distracting you. The hotel was half empty.

The cuisine in the hotel was also a pleasant surprise. Every day there was a gastronomic program of different countries. If it was Japanese cuisine, everything was themed accordingly, even the dishes were in Japanese style. Food was included in the price of our package, wine had to be ordered separately. If you don't drink a bottle during the evening, the waiters bring it the next day. Back in the hotel restaurant I discovered different kinds of salt, tried black, pink, blue. I remember we were immediately googling why this salt is like that and that salt is like that. Our favorite was pink, Himalayan salt. We buy it online now. It's cleaner, and it has a different flavor. And now, actually, about the trip.

How to get around the island of Lanzarote?

The best option is to rent a car. That's what we did. We drove around for 6 days for 100 euros. There are rental points at every turn. It is better, of course, to order a car in advance online, choosing the nearest point to the hotel. Gasoline is quite inexpensive in the Canaries, and you can drive around the whole island.

What to see in Lanzarote?

For me everything on the island was a wonder, I photographed every tree. I advise you to see the following places with your own eyes.

Timanfaya

Everyone knows that the island is called "the land of fire-breathing mountains", and in Timanfaya National Park, you can understand why exactly. The fact is that there are about 220 dormant volcanoes. It is a huge enclosed territory with extraordinary alien landscapes. The land is covered with sand and rocks, which can easily cut yourself. Obviously, you're not allowed to go there on your own.

You come to the entrance, then get on a bus (they leave every 10-20 minutes) and you are taken all over the territory.

The price to enter Tamanfaya is 10 euros (kids are free), and the price already includes a half-hour tour. There were three languages on our bus: Spanish, English, and German. Of course, you can always google the facts, but this is a sight you won't see anywhere else. You ride and it feels like you're on Mars. You also feel a deep respect for what the locals have done. But, of course, the fact that literally at a depth of several meters, right under your feet, the volcano does not sleep, and the temperature under the ground reaches 600 ° C!

Not visiting Tamanfaya in Lanzarote is like not seeing the tower in Paris. The park is quite easy to find. You can go by car on the highway LZ-67, connecting the town of Tinajo and the village of Yaiza. There are many signs to the location on the island. The park is open daily from 9:00 to 17:45.

El Diablo

At this establishment within Timanfaya Park, you can make sure that the volcano is very much awake. Chicken legs, fish, potatoes and other dishes are baked there directly on the fire from the vent of an active volcano. Very impressive.

Cactus Park

О! This place is certainly a godsend! You may not like cacti at all, but rest assured, you will love them there. There are 1400 species of prickly plants in the park, the greenery contrasts with the blue sky and the blackness of the volcano and creates an impressive picture. The gigantic size of the cacti, their cohabitation, their diversity are amazing. Nowhere else will you see such beauty in such sizes.

It is convenient to look at cacti. The main part of plants is planted on platforms in the form of an amphitheater. So, you can walk on the upper floors, admiring the lower ones. The landscape design of the park was done by César Manrique, whose work shows a boundless respect for nature.

The park is not difficult to find, it is located in the north of Lanzarote, in the village of Guatiza. We went in the morning to get ahead of the tourists on buses. While the guys were having breakfast at the hotel, we were already admiring the cacti. Going early is better not only to take photos without tourists, but also because the heat rises by lunchtime. Yes, it was winter, but even at this time it is really hot there. Be sure to wear a hat, sunglasses, and be careful of the needle-hairs.

I crouched down near one of the cacti to take a photo, and then I could barely pull out the prickles. It is absolutely useless to shake them off, you have to pull them out. These hairs fall off cacti like leaves off trees. But you don't see them, you feel them.

By the way, at Lanzarote airport they sell cacti for every taste and color. There they are properly packaged and authorized for transportation.

Cesar Manrique Foundation

César Manrique is a painter, sculptor and architect who transformed Lanzarote. Manrique built this extraordinary house according to a principle he has always followed in his other works: "architecture without an architect". This manor house is made in lava, there is a very harmonious combination of landscape details and man-made elements.

It's hard not to be surprised when you see a tree growing in the middle of a room, lava flowing in a window, or a room in a cave. César Manrique has sunk beneath volcanic rock, built over it and in it. It is something unreal and insanely beautiful! I would stay to live there! It's light and airy, with lots of space. How do we build? Everything should be closed off as much as possible. They have a completely different philosophy.

After Manrique's death, the house became a museum. There are organized excursions, exhibitions, in particular showing works by Picasso, with whom the architect was well acquainted. Address: Calle Jorge Luis Borges, 10, 35507 Tahiche.

Papagayo

Papagayo is one of the most popular beaches on the island, but the road to it is certainly not a fountain. We decided to take it as a quest and reached our destination with a good mood (entrance to the beach cost 3 euros). An amazing beauty was waiting for us at the finish line.

Virtually deserted beach, clear-clear water and beautiful scenery. The black rock here looks like a huge whale. You can look at the waves for ages, you can feel the strength and power of the ocean. Among the disadvantages is the strong wind. But this is not a hindrance for resourceful tourists.

We met a family. So, they made sand barriers near the ocean and sunbathed, enjoyed the ocean and the air. They didn't even go anywhere else. And it's not the first time the guys have been there. They say they come just to breathe. And I know what they mean. I didn't see any changing rooms on the beach. But many tourists don't need them here. This is a favorite place for fans of natural recreation.

Towns

Lanzarote has very colorful small towns. You look at them and they are all so white, walking through them is like being on a holiday somewhere. I think the people who live there are very happy. Everything is so clean, laconic, in the folk style. Many of these cities, of course, are made for tourists, but they are still unparalleled. This architecture, these flowers... You walk around and just enjoy, take pictures, but no camera can capture this beauty.

Some of the local's houses look like swallow's nests. It seems impossible, but a lot of people live on just such peaks. We even laughed that everyone has their own mountain there. We've seen completely walled off mountains.

And they have amazing smokehouses. All different, all different styles.

Aloe

Aloe vera is the green gold of the Canary Islands. We were at the aloe cream factory in Punta Mujeres. Quite a curious place to stop by for about 40 minutes, hear the history of aloe, buy a cream, oil or other cosmetic as a souvenir. You can also see whole aloe plantations here. I was interested. In our country it does not blossom like that - it lives in a vase, and you breathe on it so that nothing happens, but here it grows quickly, easily, with a spread.

Mirador Del Rio

This is a gorgeous observation deck on top of a mountain in Lanzalote, overlooking the ocean and the other small island of Graciosa. It's very windy up there (be sure to bring a jacket), but unrealistically beautiful. Not for a second does not leave the feeling of flying. Entrance €4.50. There is a cafe with good coffee, you can buy a bun and a souvenir.

Vineyards

Absolutely amazing phenomenon - vineyards in the valley of La Jería. Just imagine, in Lanzarote the land is small cobblestones, volcanic rock of different sizes, broken already, in some places, like volcanic dust. And in this land people grow grapes. They construct wells with bigger stones to protect them from heat and wind, take care of them and make wine.

There are several wineries in the La Jeria Valley where you can taste the local Malvasia. Just behind San Bartolomé is El Grifo. This is the Wine Museum, which is housed in the oldest wine cellar in the Canary Islands dating back to 1775. Incredible!!! (Open every day from 10:30 to 18:00).

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