What to see in Lanzarote



The National Park of Timanfaya is the clearest exponent of the volcanic origins of the island. Its reds, ocres and blacks form a lunar landscape that will not leave visitors indifferent. The volcanic eruptions produced in 1730 (which lasted six years) and those in 1824 created new craters, they entombed whole villages and buried the most fertile terrain on the island. Following the road towards the park, one arrives at the Islote de Hilario , where one can see the tourist attraction of the artificial geysers, provoked by pouring cold water into a magma chamber that is located at a depth of three kilometres. In El Islote, one finds the restaurant, El Diablo, famously created by the international artist, Cesar Manrique, where one can taste typical Canarian food cooked on a natural oven.Amongst the options for the tourist, one can choose between visiting the park on camel-back; covering a 14 kilometre bus tour, during which one reaches some of the most famous places in the park and can listen to the narration by the priest of Yaiza about the volcanic eruptions; or taking on foot one of the two guided routes - the Tremesana route or the Litoral route. These last are for groups of up to a maximum of 7, and have to be previously arranged either by telephone or by visiting the administration offices (Address: C/ Laguneta, 64. Telephone: 928 84 02 38/ 928 84 23 40) .

Landscapes of extraordinary natural beauty: La Laguna de los Ciclos, situated in the centre of the crater of La Montaña de El Golfo, Los Hervideros and Las Salinas del Janubio.
El Golfo is one of the few and rare examples of hydro-volcanism - volcanic activity that occurs near the coast. In its interior, in the centre of the crater, has emerged La Laguna de los Ciclos, a lake of the most intense green - a colour that is produced by the concentration of the algae, Ruppia Maritima.La Laguna de los ciclos
Los Hervideros is the name by which the coast is known at the point where the waves violently strike the pathways formed by the lava floes. When the sea is choppy, it strikes against the holes in the lava and shoots up to the surface, as if it were boiling.
Las Salinas del Janubio is a place of scientific interest where not only the fauna is protected, but also the traditional method of extracting salt from the seawater. Before the eruptions of 1730-1736, it was the best natural harbour on Lanzarote, but the eruptions created a sand bar that closed this point forming a lake called La Caleta de Janubio.

La Geria is the name used for the agricultural zone whose principal characteristic is the way in which the vines are cultivated, a consequence of the farmer's fight to retain water of the night's dew.
The protected zone of La Geria comprises the centre of the island, in which are found the townships of Tinajo, Yaiza, Tias, San Bartolome and Teguise. Its declaration as protected area had as its objective the preservation of the traditional agricultural landscape.
The technique consists in cleaning the land, putting down fertile soil, covering it with volcanic ashes and building around it walls to protect the vines from the strong winds. The night's dew forms on the surface and is absorbed and retained by the porous volcanic rock. During the day, the surface is all that is exposed to the sun, the rays do not penetrate the soil.
Of special note are Las Calderas de Guardilama, Montaña Chupadero, Montaña Blanca and Guatisea, amongst others.

In the geographical centre of the island, the Monumento al Campesino emerges from the land, a sculpture formed by fifteen metres of water tanks - from old fishing boats - soldered together and painted white; a work carried out by Jesus Soto and Cesar Manrique.
El Monumento al Campesino, or El Monumento a La Fecundidad, is found in a landscape of unequalled beauty, La Geria, where one can see a unique form of cultivation by which the farmer tries to retain a little of the rainwater that falls.
La Casa Museo, an old restored country house, reproduces a rural architecture: central patio, aljibe, balconies, oven, wine press, ceramics workshop, hilados, crafts and carpentry - everything in an immaculate white.
Apart from visiting the workshops and seeing the domestic objects that reflect the life of the old islanders, one can enjoy typical dishes in the restaurant beside the Casa Museo.

El Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo MIAC El Castillo de San José was raised due to the need to defend the island from pirate attacks. Today it holds the International Museum of Contemporary Art, created in 1975 by Cesar Manrique, with the purpose of bringing to the island the most characteristic works of modern art.The castle is a fortress that was built in the C18 by order of Carlos III. The work took place between 1774 and 1779 and involved a high number of islanders.Cesar Manrique was in charge of the renovations, which respected the internal structure of the building, adding only the café-restaurant to the original structure.On 8th December 1976, the castle opened as the International Museum of Contemporary Art, attracting a great deal of attention as the most ambitious art exhibition in Spain as 180 internationally recognised artists attended the event.

El Mirador del Río From the windows of its domes, one can contemplate the views that are offered to the visitor at this height: the Atlantic Ocean and the Chinijo archipelago - La Graciosa, Alegranza, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este, Roque del Oeste and Roque del Infierno - a marine reserve area.
El Mirador is built into a place where previously a battery of canons was installed for use in the war between Spain and the U.S.A. over Cuba in the C19. It was built in 1973, at a height of 479 metres above sea level. It is not simply an excavation in the cliff, but rather a building with two enormous buried domes, so as to hide the construction. It was conceived by the artist, Cesar Manrique, with the collaboration of Jesus Soto and the architect, Eduardo Caceres.
From this beautiful place, one can contemplate the beach at Risco, which can be reached by boat or on foot following the cliff path - one should not forget that returning to the cliff top is a steep climb and one must go prepared to spend the day.
From the Mirador one can also see Las Salinas del Río; the oldest salt plains of the archipelago, which have been used since Roman times. Lastly, and to satisfy the most curious, the name of Rio, or river, comes from the thin stretch of sea of approximately two kilometres which separates La Graciosa and Lanzarote.

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