Lanzarote’s 10 Best Sights
Modern Art, a Live Volcano, Miles of Beach in Spain’s Canary Islands
Jul 5, 2007
Must-see sights for travelers to this sunny island include sea caves, craft markets, a wine trail, cactus gardens and edgy architectural designs by artist Cesar Manrique.
- Timanfaya National Park tops the list of natural attractions, with a still-active volcano heating the stones underfoot and a moon-like landscape of lava flows
- Charco de los Clicos, a green lagoon inside a cliff-backed cove that was once the crater of a volcano, is best seen when the afternoon sun brings out the many colors of its surrounding cliffs. Hunt for peridots on the beach. Above, restaurants in the little village of El Golfo overlook the sea.
- La Geria Wine Region, where world-class Malmsey and table wines are produced, is unlike any other vineyard landscape. For here the Malvasia grape vines grow not in long rows, but widely spaced, each in its own depression in the black earth and half enclosed by a semi-circular wall of rough black lava.
- Taro de Tahiche, close to the capital of Arrecife, is the beautiful and very livable home artist Cesar Manrique designed for himself. It is built below ground level in a partly collapsed lava tube, with dramatic sky-lit rooms and art exhibition space.
- Beaches at Playa Blanca are part of Monumento Natural de los Ajaches, and there is plenty of choice. Playa Mujeres, a wide beach of golden sand, has walking trails along the headlands for views along the coast. Drive or arrive by boat from Playa Blanca at Playa Papagayo, nearly hidden under tall jagged cliffs. Nearby Puerto Muelas (also known as La Caleta), is popular for topless bathing.
- Jardin de Cactus (Cactus Garden) in Guatiza makes stunning use of a former gravel pit, surrounding it with walls of lava stone, overlooked by an historic windmill. Nearly 10,000 cacti -- tiny delicate plants to giant thorny pincushions – mix with big rough chunks of black lava and pools of colorful fish. The terrace café offers a view of the entire garden.
- Palacio Spinola, built in the mid-1700s, was for many years the home of the island’s governor . The graceful colonial building preserves its original appearance, with large rooms, fine woodwork and a chapel. A good time to tour is on Sunday, when Teguise is filled with market stalls and costumed musicians play at 11 am on the plaza outside. No need to take a tour – local buses run all day from the resort towns.
- Jameos del Aqua, a huge lava tube in the Malpais de Corona that has collapsed to expose part of a cave with a pool in it, is another of Cesar Manrique’s works. Here he has transformed the gigantic bubble in the black lava into a semi-underground restaurant with a natural pool and an auditorium.
- Los Hervideros, a lava tube formed by lava and gasses trapped beneath the surface, enters the sea, forming deep sea caves and blow-holes in the coarse black rocks. Heavy surf pounds this shore, constantly breaking and wearing the stone into more caves and blowholes.
- Craft Market in Haria. Palms and gardens set this northern town apart, as do the artists and craftsmen who choose to live and work here. By far the best crafts market on the island is here on Saturday mornings. All the vendors are local craftspeople or food producers, some of whom also exhibit at the Artisania.
The copyright of the article Lanzarote’s 10 Best Sights in Spain Travel is owned by Barbara Rogers. Permission to republish Lanzarote’s 10 Best Sights in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
