Beauty of the Volcanic Landscapes of Lanzarote
Located 70 miles off the coast of Africa, Lanzarote is the fourth largest and one of the earliest islands of the Canary Islands. Still, it is an extremely popular tourist holiday destination, with its beautiful beaches, all year-round sunshine, and good selection of tourist facilities and attractions. Like other Canary Islands, the island of Lanzarote has a volcanic landscape, which provides the impression of being in a lunar environment.
In 1993, Lanzarote was announced by UNESCO as a Biospheric Reserve. In 18th and 19th centuries, there have been volcanic eruptions, which caused volcanic landscape. Thanks to the local authority building regulations, there are no billboards. Moreover, no high rise building construction is allowed in Lanzarote. Although, Lanzarote has no natural source water, its land is fertile and the many local farmers successfully grow vegetables, such as onions, potatoes, pumpkins, and peas to name just a few. Whether you are looking for a fun-filled and action-packed adventure, a lazy beach holiday, or a perfect place to live in, this island can offer you the best of all of these worlds.
Distinguishing History and Lanzarote and Interesting Places to Visit
With its volcanic origin, the island of Lanzarote appeared over 35 million years ago by what is now known as the Canary Hotspot. According to the remained records, Lanzarote was the first of the Canary Islands to be inhabited; the Phoenicians (the first settlers of the island) inhabited Lanzarote in 1100 BC. Greek philosophers and writers wrote of Garden of Hesperids, the land of fertility.
There were many settlers that were greatly impressed with the island’s flora and fauna of the centuries. The island was occupied by the Moors and the Romans and then in the 14th century the Castilians fought and conquered Lanzarote only to be chased out by an Ottoman admiral in 1585. Over the centuries, Lanzarote has been hit by several volcanic eruptions in the17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
Amongst the numerous wonderful volcanic features of the island, there is the longest 7 kilometer long volcanic tunnel in the world, the Atlantida Tunnel. Probably, the most popular attraction on the island is the Timanfaya National Park. Its territory is a natural phenomena created during the volcanic eruptions, which happened in the 17th century. Devastating the whole southern region of Lanzarote, the eruptions created the eerie lunar-like landscape of Timanfaya National Park, which is now a must for anyone visiting the island.
Those who want to learn more about Lanzarote culture and art, should head to The Cesar Manrique Foundation. The one who fought to keep the island free from overdevelopment and high-rise, declaring that all the buildings should be the same color and no building should be taller than the highest palm tree was a local architect and artist named Cesar Manrique.
The architect left his distinct artistic stamp over much of Lanzarote and the foundation located in Taro de Tahiche is the best representation of his work style. Another Cesar Manrique’s work is the splendid Cactus Garden, which houses over 10,000 cacti, belonging to over 1,400 species from Madagascar, America, and, of course, the Canary Islands.
Los Jameos del Agua is picturesque lava bubble formations, which were created by the eruption of a volcano some 30 centuries ago. Situated next to the Green Caves in the north of the island, Los Jameos del Agua is a place where two bars, a dance floor, and a concert room for 600 visitors are located. There everybody can enjoy the acoustics of this natural phenomenon. If you have to spend your holiday in Lanzarote in winter or spring, then do not forget about the annual carnival, which is normally held at the end of February and the beginning of March, and is an exciting event in the island’s calendar.
Beaches, Resorts and Weather in Lanzarote
Lanzarote features a great variety of stunning beaches and despite its volcanic nature, the island boasts several wonderful white beaches, such as those of Papagayo and Playa Blanca. From the dark volcanic sands of Puerto Del Carmen to the wonderful white sands of the North, there is an adorable contrast that is unique to Lanzarote.
Facing the busy resort, Playa Grande is the main beach at Puerto Del Carmen. There are different beaches, which run from Arrecife airport, Guacimeta, through to the ancient town of Puerto Del Carmen. Close to the town, there is the scenic beach of Playa Chica, where everybody can partake in a host of sporting activities, including jet skis, diving lessons, snorkeling, and parasailing.
In the South of Lanzarote, there is the resort of Playa Blanca with the most stunning of all of the island’s beaches, Papagaya. The picturesque white beach is a paradise for all beach lovers. Although nudist bathing is allowed on the beach, it remains a beach for everyone to enjoy.
Those who enjoy water sports, such as body boarding and surfing, should visit the beaches of La Santa and Famara to the West. Famara is worldwide known for its surf, which is not for beginners or the fainthearted. To the north of Lanzarote, near the town of Orsola, there are scenic white sandy beaches, where the sand is blown over from the Sahara desert. The beaches are isolated, but yet can be accessed by foot.
In the Northeast of the island, there is the Costa Teguise resort. The main beach of the resort, Las Cucharas, is extremely popular with windsurfers. Finally, the golden beach of El Reducto, located in Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote, has great facilities and some excellent Canarian restaurants and bars.
The island enjoys a rather sleepy pace of life with a great opportunity to discover, explore, and relax all in one. With its perfect size, Lanzarote is large enough to offer many interesting places to visit during holiday while being small enough for visitors to not to feel overwhelmed. Lanzarote is known with its mild, dry climate and average daytime temperatures ranging from about 21 degrees in January to 29 degrees in August.
From the intricate cave formations of James Del Aqua and the picturesque volcanic landscape of the Timanfaya National Park, to the action packed surfing beaches of Famara, Lanzarote has a beauty, which makes it not only a totally unique place to visit, but also to live in.