Spain – Canary Islands
LANZAROTE
- 7 days
- singles, couples, w/ kids
- spring, summer, fall, winter
A relaxing holiday on the island of Lanzarote, a place of beauty. Incredible landscapes created by volcanic eruptions, the omnipresent legacy of local native César Manrique and warm weather all year round – that's a basic description of the island. You'll discover the beautiful Timanfaya National Park, the beautiful sandy beaches, the wild coastline, the unforgettable Jardin de Cactus, or the Caldera Blanca hike. And there's so much more. Every day a new part of the island opens up before you. The advantage is that the island is not very big, so you can stay in one place for the whole of your stay. Lanzarote is also known for its special way of grape growing – you will have plenty of opportunities to taste the excellent local wine. We were here in February, it wasn't for swimming, but otherwise it was an optimal time. Only a few tourists everywhere and relatively warm weather. In the summer it's probably worse in terms of the amounts of people.
A tour of Timanfaya National Park, a short walk to El Lago Verde, the beautiful Los Hervideros and a climb to Montaña Roja.
Plan your visit to Timanfaya National Park for the early morning or late afternoon. Otherwise, there are big queues. Virtually every visitor to the island comes here. The ideal is to go straight to the park in the morning (route) without any stops and be at the gate at 8:30am. They open at 9am. The drive will take you about 30 minutes.
Tickets are bought at the turn off the LZ67 to LZ602 (here), you can't miss it. Then you continue by car to the car park. Sightseeing buses then leave from the car park as well, so get on and enjoy the views with a presentation in English. The bus will take you back to the car park after the tour. Now you have time to explore the area, or sit down for a moment and relax – there is a restaurant. In front of the restaurant, you can see a demonstration of how the power of the earth is sleeping just beneath your feet. They set fire to dry grass, pour water into a borehole and it spews hot steam back out. The restaurant serves food prepared on an outdoor (lava) grill. You can go behind the restaurant to look at it. Feel free to have lunch here at the restaurant. It's very touristy and the standard of the food matches it though, so if you can wait for a while for something better...
Then drive for 20 minutes to El Lago Verde (route). It's in the town of El Golfo, where there are lots of fish restaurants, so if you don't want to have lunch in a touristy restaurant in Timanfaya Park, have lunch here. A good option is Casa Rafa Restaurante de Mar, from where you can walk to El Lago Verde easily. El Lago Verde is a green lake on the shore of the sea. There is also a beautiful beach with black volcanic sand.
The next crossing is very short. You will arrive at Los Hervideros, which is a lookout of the sea surf in the caves. This is where the hot lava met the ocean. There is a shorter trail here and it's definitely worth a visit! The next stop is again just a short distance away (route). It's a lookout for the Salina de Janubio. Just stop at the viewpoint. You'll see the pools from which the seawater evaporates, and the salt is extracted. It's a place for a short stop. Then it's not far to the last stop of today (route). You'll climb the not very high Montaña Roja. The hike is 1.5 hours at most and is rather easy. It's a good idea to take something to drink with you. The walking route is here.
The subsequent crossing to the accommodation is really short (route).
The volcanic eruptions that occurred between 1730 and 1736 and in 1824 led to numerous geomorphological structures that are now of great volcanological interest. It is a great park. The only shame is that the tour takes place strictly on board of a bus. The park tends to be very crowded, so ideally come here early in the morning, otherwise you’ll be stuck in a big queue. You pay the entrance fee and take the car to the visitor centre; there you transfer to the bus. The tour is all guided, but you will not leave the bus at any point. However, the scenery is dramatic enough that even this way it’s definitely worth a visit.
There is a restaurant where you can have grilled chicken, which they prepare on an open grill behind the restaurant – a grill over a crack with heat coming out of the ground. It's not cheap, and the taste isn't great either.
El Lago Verde is a green lake on the shore of the sea. There is also a beautiful beach with black volcanic sand. The lagoon is filled with volcanic minerals and microorganisms believed to be unique to this lake.
Great fish! Their food is really good. Don’t be fooled into thinking that some restaurants have better ocean views – the cooking here is really great.
Los Hervideros is a view of the sea surf from caves and gorges. This is where the hot lava met the ocean. There is a short trail here and it’s definitely worth a visit. Very nice views. It’s worth a stop.
A view of the pools with seawater that gradually evaporates, and sea salt remains. It’s interesting and definitely worth a short stop for a look.
A nice and easy way. Leave your car somewhere in town and join the walking path. It’s not far and the views are worth it. Nice at sunrise or sunset.
Niky Malečková
17.07.2024
586
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