Lanzarote is not a destination where you have to spend days ticking off a seemingly endless list of museums and art galleries. It does have a sprinkling of those, but a trip here is more about appreciating the natural drama of its volcanic landscape and Atlantic Ocean setting. You really need to hire a car on Lanzarote as public transport is limited in scope and not regular enough for easy touring. Drive straight to the volcanic heart of Lanzarote delving into the otherworldly.
Timanfaya National Park – For a truly unique experience, hop on a camel for a ride through this otherworldly corner of Europe. You can just pay cash to the handlers for a short but surreal taste of the national park.
And don’t forget, you can drink wine from the volcanic vineyards.
Continue south, seeking out the Atlantic at El Golfo, a strikingly set village that sits between rugged volcanic scenery and the cobalt ocean. You should park up at the free car park as you approach the village. Be sure to make the short hike to gaze out over the Charco Verde (Green Lagoon). If it looks familiar, El Golfo starred in Pedro Almodovar’s Broken Embraces, which shared the stage with Penelope Cruz. Handily, the tiny oceanfront village of El Golfo is home to a sprinkling of seafood restaurants. Recline into the terrace table you’ve booked in advance at Costa Azul and choose from the fresh fish display as the Atlantic surf bashes in the background and a waiter pours you a glass of Lanzarote’s finest (Malvasia that is). After lunch, you’ll want to appreciate the full wonder of the great man who forged how stylish Lanzarote looks today at the Fundación César Manrique. Take a stroll around Arrecife’s picturesque Charco de San Gines waterfront before it’s cocktail time as the sun melts over the Atlantic and you step out of the lift on the 17th floor of the only skyscraper in Lanzarote. The Gran Hotel’s Blue 17 restaurant and bar in Arrecife boasts myriad cocktail choices to accompany its sweeping floor-to-ceiling windows. Dine fashionably late (or just at the normal time for many of the locals) at Restaurante Lilium. Michelin are fans. So will you be after seeing Canarian produce and cuisine reinvented into deliciously fun culinary creations.
