Lanzarote has many hidden natural treasures for discerning travellers to explore, and none more so than the half-submerged volcano, known as El Golfo. Over the centuries the volcano has been slowly eroded by the sea, leaving a magnificent wall of a crater adorned in tones of autumnal oranges and reds.
Lanzarote’s ancient town of Tias comprises of several scattered hamlets, a charming old town and the coastal resort of Puerta Del Carmen. The town is a midpoint between the quiet tranquillity of these small settlements and the famous coastal strip the Avenida de las Playas, where a hive of nightlife activity takes place, with its many bars, discotheques and restaurants.
Visiting Lanzarote’s Timanfaya National Park is the perfect place to recharge the batteries by reconnecting with nature. Not only can you enjoy stunning, almost prehistoric scenery, but you’ll have the added bonus of experiencing a place of extreme natural beauty in a warm and sunny climate.
Lanzarote stands out as a leading European destination for sportsmen and women. This beautiful, sun-drenched island is home to a whole host of sports – on land, in water and air-bound. Whether you want to train for a triathlon, fly a paraglider through a cloudless sky, or shoot through the azure sea on a windsurf, you can take your pick on this beautiful island.
Being almost moonscape in places, with incredible rock formations, wide open plains and soft sandy beaches in other places, the island of Lanzarote boasts an immensely diverse landscape. The waves pounding on the sand and with a sunny and mild year-round climate, Lanzarote has long been an attractive hub for windsurfers.
Located within the Natural Monument of Malpaís and declared as a Site of Scientific Interest, Jameos Del Aqua, like the Cueva de los Verdes, is found inside a volcanic tunnel produced by an eruption on Lanzarote eons ago. It owes its name to a unique geological formation, an internal lake caused by filtration below sea level.
Scaling the highest peak on Lanzarote you will be able to look down 500 meters on an archipelago of islands, and a landscape reminiscent of the moon in the other direction. You may be standing quite close to the Mirador Del Rio, without realising that a building is there.
The Cuevas de los Verdes on Lanzarote is an experience not to miss, with its impressively lit grandeur stretching some 6Km along a volcanic tunnel that was created some 4,000 years ago when there was a mighty eruption of Mount Corona forming this lava tunnel. It is without doubt one of the longest volcanic galleries known, and luckily for us, open to the public since 1964 when a stone pathway was constructed allowing safe passage for tourists.
The beautiful island of Lanzarote has warm weather nearly all year round, rarely getting cold, so you can enjoy outdoor sports any time you wish. The island can be breezy, which is a blessing to surfers and kite boarders. Even the top surfing exponents rush to places like the Costa Teguise, La Santa and Famara, with their legendary tube waves. For the less experienced, ‘stand up paddle’ is a more tranquil board sport, which is also popular on Lanzarote.
Lanzarote has a very distinct flavour to it, like nowhere else, born out of cataclysmic eruptions that have left their mark in the forms of solidified lave rivers and incredible rock formations. In its native tongue ‘Tytheroygaka’ means, ‘one that is all ochre’ this refers to the main colour on the island, which appears almost black even in the sand of several of its beaches.
Tinajo
This area is not your typical tourist region; however it is proud of its picturesque villages and the surrounding surreal and stunning scenery, caused by being showered with volcanic lava years ago from the Timanfaya or Fire Mountains. Don’t get worried, the last recorded eruptions took place between 1730 and 1736.
What to do
Visit the beautiful bay of El Golfo; it is known as the emerald lake, you can even excavate semi-precious stones in the earth, the olivine stone was found here. The rugged coastline of Los Hervideros and the salt pans of Janubio are ideal for those who love taking dramatic photographs.
Timanfaya National Park, home to The Fire Mountains, is definitely a high point in both senses of the word. You can feel the immense power of the heat, not far below the earth’s surface. Watch as water boils and shoots into the sky, it is quite a sight.
If you are in the Tinajo region at Mancha Blanca around the 15th September you will be witness to the festival of our lady of Los Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows) or the Virgen de los Volcanes (Our Lady of the Volcanoes). People come from all over, dressed in traditional costumes to be part of the parade. Spanish string instruments called timples and guitars are strummed as they make their way to the beautiful chapel of Los Dolores. It is estimated that some 40,000 visitors turn up for the occasion. Apart from Folk music and dance, food is high on the agenda, especially typical local dishes.
Running alongside this is the Handicraft Festival or feria de Artesanía. Traditional crafts from numerous craftsmen are displayed, ceramic products, sombrero hats and a wide range of interesting other articles abound. Another event that is popular is the Folk Festival Nanino Díaz Cutillas. This event brings together all the main traditional dance and music groups from all over the island.
There are plenty of beach areas some not very crowded, others suitable for wind surfing and others semi urban so that you do not have to go far for refreshments and shops. Not to mention the camel rides!
