Lanazrote

Lanzarote is different, not only compared to the other islands, but to everything else on this planet. This extraordinary landscape seems to be of another world, and the inhabitants of the islands use to say that God forgot of Lanzarote on the Seventh Day of the Creation.

Lanzarote is of volcanic origin, as the other islands of the archipelago as well, but here volcanos have been active still in 18th and 19th century. Great parts of its surface are covered with ashes and lava, making you feel that you were on the moon.

Anyhow, Lanzarote's inhabitants made a great effort to cultivate this land, and today you find large plantations of fruits and vegetables. Most surprising is perhaps the region of Geria, with vineyards between volcanic craters.

Not to forget about are also the works of great Canarian architect and artist Cesar Manrique, adding more attractions to this unique island.



In the Island's South, the best known beaches of Lanzarote

Las Playas del Sur
Those great beaches of fine sand stretch over a length of 20 kilometers, between the island's Southern extreme to the airport.

Playa Blanca:
An excellent beach with tropical ambience and outstanding installations for relaxing holidays.

Las Coloradas,
Small bays and turquoise sea, great for sports fishing.

Punta del Papagayo
Beautiful landscape and finest sand of golden color.

Playa Quemada
A very beautiful part of the coast with opulent vegetation; small appartment-houses with gardens.

Puerto del Carmen
A thermal spa in tropical surroundings, with a wide beach.

Playa Grande
Another very nice beach.

Playa de los Pocillos I
mpressive volcanic landscape and a small settlement in typical style.

The Small Islands,
Paradises in the Ozean

La Isleta
This small island with tropical vegetation and great possibilities for any kind of water-sports is particularly recommandable for diving and fishing.

La Isla Graciosa,
Paradisiac lonely beaches, ideal for those who prefer to avoid mass-tourism.

The Coast of Teguise,
the most "authentical" Lanzarote The part of coast close to the island's former capital, with its unusual landscape of volcanic origins, offers great beaches, as San José, Reducto and Guacimeta. Here you find some of Lanzarote's best hotels and holiday appartments.



This island which has been destroyed so many times by its volcanos' elemental forces and were reborn again, shows some of the most incredible landscapes you may find on this planet, opulent vegetation next to bizarre forms of petrified lava. As the island is not very large, you can explore most of it in a day's excursion by car:

Tahiche:
Wide extensions of black ashes at the foot of a uniquely bizarre mountain. The picturesque white houses of the village make an outstanding contrast to that. Close to Taiche are located the Casas Honda, volcanic caves that have been habited by the Maxos also called guanches, the original inhabitants of the islands

In Guatiza
you will find an enormous sea of cactuses. The reason of the existence of those plantations is because in the past they were used to produce a red pigment which was highly valuated. This pigment was won from insects living in the cactuses.

La Cueva de los Verdes
An incredible system of caves, of 7 kilometers length, which connects the volcano Corona with the sea. Inside those caves you will experience optical delusions (due to reflections) of the most surprising kind. In the past the island's inhabitants used the caves to hide up from the pirates. For invaders the Cueva de los Verdes frequently was a deadly trap. Of particular interest for biologists will be a species of animal that exists exclusively here: the Langostino Blanco, a lobster of white color which is perfectly adapted to those caves' life conditions.

Los Jameos del Agua
A very special part of Cueva de los Verdes. Canarian artist Cesar Manrique created here a complex that combines the miracles of nature with miracles of architecture: here you will find swimming-pools, restaurants and even a ballroom.

El Mirador del Rio
is a bizarre rock of 600 meters height, face to face to the island Graciosa, which offers an outstanding panoramic.

Valle de Haria
is a beautiful valley with an extension of 150 km2, offering surprising canyons of volcanic origins, palm-forrests and a very picturesque small village.

La Geria: In this spectacular landscape with thousands of small volcanic craters you can see some of the world's most unusual vineyards: in small pits filled with volcanic ashes and surrounded by stonewalls are growing the grapes of Canary Islands' most famous wine, Malvasía

In Los Hervideros
we find picturesque forms of petrified lava.

El Golfo
is a volcanic crater flooded by the sea. It is beautiful to see the emerald green water contrasting with the black sand.



This National Park, with an extension of 200 km2, seems to confront us with an apocalyptical vision: this land was born of hundreds of fire-spitting volcanos.

It is easy to arrive to by car, because it seems that all ways on Lanzarote lead to here. Through the park itself you either move by bus (each quarter of an hour, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. in summer and 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. in winter, respectively), or you choose the by far more adventurous alternative and rent a ... camel!

In or on your preferred transport medium you will traverse a sea of petrified lava and volcanic ashes. Some of the craters of the volcano Montaña de Fuego ("Mountain of Fire") are still active, and just centimeters from the surface temperature arrives to some 400ºC. If you put water on a crater, it will vaporize in a fraction of a second, and if you put small branches there, they will start to burn immediately. . In some of the Restaurants in Timanfaya you even can have your steak grilled on a volcanic crater.

After such a kind of lunch you certainly will be still more receptive for the miracles that nature has done here.

The last great volcanic out-break on Lanzarote was, by the way, in 1732, when large parts of the island were destroyed. In 1824 some smaller craters broke out again.