Lanzarote has inspired me for a long time; I just forgot…
The first time I heard about it I was twelve years old and I was cleaning my mare after a jumping lesson, while two ladies in the next stall talked about it among themselves as if it were a dream island, a lava Eden. A perfect definition, but I only discovered this twenty-seven years later.
I no longer considered Lanzarote for a holiday until a few summers ago, looking for a destination that could combine my need to visit, my passion for sailing and a European suitable destination at the end of November.
Planning a holiday in Lanzarote
As always, I planned everything online, reading travel blogs and magazines and checking local tourist websites.
To save money, I planned quite ahead in early August. With that advance on Fly Go, I found a particularly cheap round trip with Ryanair from Orio al Serio, with luggage included.
The flight from Bergamo at 6.30 and the train connection from Liguria were terrible; therefore, I booked the previous night at the NH Hotel in front of the airport. Cold and aseptic, but very comfortable, although the pedestrian path that connects it to the check-in could definitely be improved, if only by lighting it adequately!
For accommodation in Lanzarote I had some more problems. I would have liked to sleep in one of the small typical houses dotted around the island. Still, after several negative responses, I opted for the Hesperia Hotel in Puerto Calero, a mega five-star on the cliff. It is truly huge and international and, therefore, not my cup of tea, even if objectively beautiful. It’s too bad the cleanliness leaves something to be desired, as well as the terrible wifi connection. Worthy of note is the breakfast with a huge buffet for all tastes and a selection of teas that filled me with joy!
I opted for a rental car for the visits, relying on a company I have often used in my years in Valencia, Goldcar Rental. Unbeatable price and good service at the counter at the airport (located on the ground floor, on the far left looking at the exit doors, and I only mention this to avoid the goose chase that they made me and my ramshackle luggage trolley go through!).
In Lanzarote
After going around the airport roundabouts a few times, I exited them and took the LZ-2 route, which took about twenty minutes to Puerto Calero.
Twenty minutes spent musing on the absence of plants… yes, in Lanzarote, there is no greenery except in some architectural-decorative details, and it is precisely for this reason that the adjective that is constantly associated with the name of the island is lunar.
The first day was supposed to be about relaxation. The idea was to walk along the cliff to breathe in some ocean salt and then relax in the pool. However, the dark and jagged coast of Lanzarote has a charm of its own and the beautiful houses on the lava rock, decorated with cascades of brightly coloured bougainvillaea pushed me a little further and in the end, I walked to Puerto del Carmen, returning only at sunset, happy to be there, smiling and battered by the wind which that day reached 20 knots on the ground.
Back at the hotel, I collapsed and was brought back to reality by the waiter, who handed me a tray of chocolates and a welcome letter from the management. Thanks to this interruption, I could get ready in time to go to dinner at the Taverna del Puerto. Typical Spanish tavern with a varied and economical menu. A good address in Puerto Calero and a great free wifi connection 😛
The second day was planned during the gargantuan breakfast: Jardín de Cactus, Los Verdes, Jameos del Agua, Órzola, Mirador del Rìo and return via Teguise. All visits are included in the cumulative ticket on sale in all travel agencies on the island, at information centres, and at any museum and site entrance. I took the 6 centros voucher, which for €30 includes them all.
Jardín de Cactus
The Jardín de Cactus is a small park built at the foot of an ancient windmill, a micro island of greenery made up of thousands of very different and almost sculptural succulent plants and what will now remain for us the mega-cactus. This garden represents the perfect balance between stone, wrought iron, plants, ancient and modern. Perhaps the work of art by the local architect-painter-sculptor-visionary César Manrique struck me the most.
Cueva de los Verdes
The Cueva de los Verdes is an underground and largely underwater tunnel about 7 kilometres long and formed a few thousand years ago following the eruption of the Monte de la Corona volcano. Visiting one kilometre upstream of this impressive tunnel is possible, but only this section leaves you speechless. The visit is carried out in a group following a guide and reserves many surprises… my favourite, probably due to professional deformation, is the presence of a natural auditorium with perfect acoustics. Needless to say, I must go back and organize the trip according to the concert calendar!
Los Jameos del Agua
Los Jameos del Agua arose from the same eruption as Los Verdes and is fed by infiltration. A small volcanic lake which is home to thousands of tiny albino crabs and which offers the visitor very suggestive plays of shadows and lights.
Órzola
Coming out of the cave, hunger started appearing, and I headed to Órzola for lunch. A small village of a few whitewashed houses and coloured wooden doors, deserted and silent streets immersed in dark lava, but which lead onto a small fishing port. In short, the image of the holiday. I ate grilled fish in the sun, sitting at the tables of one of the two restaurants on the seafront.
Mirador del Rìo
Leaving Órzola and its atmosphere, which is enveloping and “cool” at the same time, was not easy, and what’s more, the following stop at the Mirador del Rìo really disappointed me. The road that takes you there is truly beautiful. Still, the Mirador is a panoramic point atop a cliff 475 meters above sea level. Manrique has built a bar-restaurant with square windows and terraces for tourists overlooking La Graciosa, and I did not like it. I felt uncomfortable due to the too much artificiality and lack of art, a bit like when faced with some of Calatrava’s works.
However, the view is beautiful; it can also be appreciated when walking along the cliff, and to me, the spectacle offered from inside the island is even more beautiful. Small ancient villages set like stones sparkling in the lava, dry stone walls as far as the eye can see protecting the sparse vegetation and vineyards as if embroidered on the ground.
Teguise
Among the rural settlements of the island, Teguise is undoubtedly the pearl. A small colonial village, an ancient capital in the middle of this countryside that is not countryside. My ideal little town! Low houses, quiet streets that inspire old stories and legends, coloured wooden doors, tiny artisan shops.
Everything I love and want from a village, and if it’s not like that, let it be a Bangkok or New York-style megalopolis. Extremes are my thing, I guess.
I returned to Teguise to start the third day with a visit to the Museo de la Piratería (€3), which had already closed its doors the evening before. A municipal museum that allows this sixteenth-century fort, the Castillo de Santa Bárbara, built on the summit of the Guanapay volcano, to be kept in excellent condition. Aside from the 360° panorama enjoyed from the towers and terrace, the history of the island and the rest of the Canary Islands is traced inside. A story of battles, invasions and actual punitive expeditions from Europe. There are no memorabilia or things of this type, but videos, models, narrative voices and useful summary diagrams. If you love history, don’t leave it out.
Famara
Returning to everyday life, I headed to Famara, the famous shelter cove for surfers. So famous that the beach actually left me somewhat indifferent. However, I loved the village! Low houses, sandy streets, elderly people sitting on doorsteps chatting to each other, patches of purple and orange bougainvillaea, the scent of the sea…
La Geria
Returning to the car, I headed to La Geria to admire the vineyards. What can I say, it’s impossible not to visualize the effort, determination, stubbornness and inner beauty of those who choose to stay and live in Lanzarote every morning.
Timanfaya
The fourth day started very early to avoid the crowds at Timanfaya, the volcanic national park that literally left me speechless. Proof that nothing can be done against the force of nature. Walk along the road dug into the lava and think about what the island’s inhabitants must have imagined who in the eighteenth century remained there during ten long years of eruptions, smoke, explosions and uninterrupted earthquakes. The Last Judgment?
El Golfo
The second stop of the day: El Golfo. To me the most beautiful beach in Lanzarote. A small inlet full of grains of black lava eroded by the tides and bathed upstream by an olivine green volcanic lake, accessible via a red sand path. When I hear “a spectacle of nature,” I now think about this place.
Other stops that day include the jagged cliffs of Los Hervideros, the fascinating Salinas de Janubio with their countless pastel shades and the legendary Playa Papagayo. The latter is part of a park and can only be accessed by paying a toll of €3 per car, and once more, perhaps I expected more.
The fifth day flew by! I woke up very early to board the super touristy and expensive yellow submarine anchored on the seabed of Puerto Calero, which, following my little eardrum problem due to a bad flight, represented my only chance to see what lies beneath the ocean’s surface. A wonderful experience for me, even if it’s not exactly Captain Nemo’s Nautilus… in any case, I didn’t regret paying the requested €50.
Once back on the surface I returned to the hotel for check-out and headed to the cute little port of Costa de Rubicón to board the sailing boat, but this is just another adventure!
