Columbia Hillen
Located seventy miles off the west coast of Africa, with a dazzling sun and a moon-like landscape that is home to some two hundred extinct volcanoes, Lanzarote is a World Biosphere Reserve that has attracted tourists for generations.
These are some of the reasons why it is worth visiting the easternmost Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Impressive volcanic landscapes
Being on a major fault, the African plate, Lanzarote has experienced many volcanic eruptions that have transformed its landscape into one of deep craters and impressive patterns of multicolored rocks, especially red basalt.
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Hiking trails have been designed around some of these long-dormant volcanoes, allowing visitors to walk inside the open craters and imagine what they were like when they were once active and powerful, spewing streams of molten lava down their sides . One of these volcanoes is La Caldera Los Cuervos, the first to erupt on the island in 1730, its activity lasted six years. Located in the Timanfaya National Park, it was one of the settings for the Marvel movie, The Eternals. A 3-kilometer circular path traverses a flat volcanic landscape known as “malpa” to the volcano’s crater.
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Diverse wildlife
This Spanish-owned island is home to an abundant fauna that includes about 40 different species of birds, many of them in a central desert area known as El Jable, a derivation of the French word for sand, “sable.” The name refers to “quicksands,” meaning the desert is made up of fragments of organic material such as molluscs and calcareous algae transported by ocean currents and the prevailing trade winds to form the intriguing landscape.
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To educate people about our feathered friends and other creatures like bees, lice and dragonflies, a conservation group, DesertWatch, organizes a variety of activities including eco-tours, regular environmental clean-ups and an educational program impressive with guest speakers for both. children and adults. It also offers volunteer days where residents and tourists get to know the local nature first hand.
Carmen Portella (right) and visitor. Photo by Columbia Hillen
“We are fortunate to have a wide variety of wildlife and birds such as bustards, Egyptian vultures and crows on the island,” said Carmen Portella, hiking and nature guide. “Having been under the sea for thousands of years, the sand is rich in fragments of shells, corals and other organic materials that help plants thrive and attract birds that have adapted to the harsh conditions. But we must maintain a safe and friendly habitat for them. Otherwise, some species could be in danger of extinction.”
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Art and Culture
Probably no person is more famous in the cultural world of Lanzarote than the artist César Manrique.
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Painter, architect, designer, town planner and environmentalist, Manrique turned volcanic forms into unique pieces of art in harmony with their natural surroundings. Its impressive wind chimes, mobiles and impressive sculptures can be seen on the island. Such was his influence over the regional council, no building, except for church towers, could be taller than a palm tree. It also forced a ban on billboards on roads and the dumping of rubbish and electrical cables to be laid underground.
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The Casa Museu César Manrique, located in a beautiful palm grove in the picturesque town of Haria, offers a glimpse into the personality of this multifaceted artist. The rooms where he lived are filled with personal items, paintings, pottery and ceramics. His studio has been preserved as it was when he died thirty years ago, with tables laden with drawings, easels and unfinished artwork.
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The César Manrique Foundation in the town of Tahiche is also worth visiting. Built on petrified lava, the building is a work of art in itself, an otherworldly fusion of architecture and nature. The lower floor consists of five volcanic bubbles interconnected by tunnels carved into the stone with a discreet pool. Throughout the house are numerous examples of works of art by Manrique, as well as Picasso, Tàpies and Joan Miró, as well as an eclectic assortment of objects, from pumpkins hanging from a fig tree to metal sculptures dolls, wigs, dolls, books, mannequins, bones and skulls.
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You can also hear interviews with different people who worked with Manrique and see photographs of him with celebrities such as Nelson Rockefeller and singer-dancer-actress Josephine Baker. Videos show him as an avid protester against unregulated tourism development that he believed was destroying Lanzarote’s landscape.
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Rest and relaxation
When Sandra Mouras arrived in Lanzarote from France at the age of 21 for surfing lessons, she did not know that she would still be in the Canary Islands more than 25 years later and that she would be the owner of a popular massage therapy center, “Global Massage”.
Located in Costa Teguise next to an herbalist, a stone’s throw from the beach, Sandra has four well-designed treatment rooms, one for couples. Keenly interested in the field of health, Sandra has trained in a wide range of specialist treatments, from foot reflexology to chakra balancing and hot stone and sports massages. His local and multinational clients range from stressed business leaders to people of all ages with joint and muscle problems.
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Market days
Every Saturday, stalls fill the promenade of Charco de San Ginés, a natural seawater lagoon in the heart of Lanzarote’s capital, Arrecife, surrounded by beautiful white fishermen’s houses and sometimes called the “Venice of the Atlantic “. The promenade is full of palm trees, small bridges, cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops.
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Sunday afternoon in the city of Teguise is a pleasant experience with traders offering a variety of products, such as cosmetics, clothes and local foods, some of the tastiest being desserts and homemade cakes.
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Afterwards, head to Pintxos, a short walk away, tucked away down a narrow alley. Both a shop and a bar serving traditional homemade snacks. A lively crowd gathers here and sometimes hosts lively music outdoors in the sun. You can taste some of the native wines here or in the vineyards scattered around the island, the plants nurtured in small volcanic craters.
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Panoramas
Head to the northernmost part of the island, the 15-kilometer-long Famara Cliff, formed by basalt tubes from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago.
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Here you can enjoy magnificent views of the neighboring islands of the Chinijo archipelago, including the largest, La Graciosa, separated from the mainland by a narrow stretch of seawater known as “El Rio” (The River). Below are the “Hell Rocks”. Check out El Bosquecillo, a small recreation area seven kilometers from Haria.
