A lunar landscape and views from fantasy films: these are the characteristics of Lanzarote, a volcanic island, covered with volcanoes, craters and lava fields. It belongs to Spain and the capital is Arrecife. In 1993 it was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. No kind of industry has ever developed in Lanzarote. It is the fourth largest island of the Canary Islands, with a length of 70 km and a width of 20 km (visiting it in 14 days, in a rented car, we covered 5000 km). The volcano’s last eruption was in the 1800s and in this place a Timanfaya national park, called The Fire Mountains, was created. The park’s symbol is a red devil with a pitchfork. Even today, the temperature about 10 centimeters below the ground reaches up to 100 ° C. Every few minutes there are displays: if you throw dead branches in a hole in the ground, they light up right away, then you pour boiling water over it straight away and it explodes, creating a geyser.
In a glassed restaurant called El Diablo, grilled dishes cooked by volcanic heat are served . Getting to the Mountain of Fire is an extraordinary sensation: about 30 km of asphalt road that cuts through the lava fields, all in black, and lava pieces create the stone walls that protect the grape vines. All this makes an incredible impression! The region is famous for producing the best wines of the island. You can endorse the many cellars, tasting some of the local produce.
An exceptional person born in Lanzarote is the architect, Cesar Manrique. He designed the entire island according to his own ideas and has left many original works. For instance, he adapted the volcanic caves to concert halls. “Jameos del Agua” is a small concert hall which probably has the best acoustics in the world. Because of this, some famous musicians tune here. The most famous cave on the island is made up of three parts. This place was the first work of Manrique, who created the Centre of Culture, Art and Tourism of Lanzaarote.
The garden and the artist’s home in the volcanic lava, where you now find the Cesar Manrique Foundation, is an extraordinary work that you have to see. Thanks to him, all the houses on the island were painted in white and the areas will differ thanks to the colors of the frames (blue, green, red, black). The white towns and villages make a nice contrast to the brown rocks which gives it a truly exceptional effect.
Un posto interessante che merita la visita è la cittadina Puerto del Carmen, dove si trovano più di 200 ristoranti e un grande giardino zoologico Rancho Texas. Vale la pena di passarci tutto il giorno tra gli animali e attrazioni come gli spettacoli di foche, pappagalli, di acquile addestrate e degli uccelli più grandi del mondo.
An interesting place worth a visit is the town of Puerto del Carmen, where there are more than 200 restaurants and a huge zoo called Rancho Texas. It is worth spending all day watching the animals and attractions, such as the shows of seals, parrots, trained eagles and the largest birds in the world.
I recommend walking at dawn on the pristine beaches, stopping for a moment and breathing in the peace. You’ll feel like you’re on the moon; it is a place like you’ve never imagined.
LOS HERVIDEROS: the place where the lava met with the ocean. It has created a beautiful piece of arduous and ragged coast.
EL GOLFO: a green pond, Charcos de los Clicos, contrasts with the brown volcanic rocks and the black pebble beach. It is said to be very salty, and the large amount of sulfur changed its color to green.