The image of a desert island does not do Lanzarote justice. Different landscapes, surrounded by the Atlantic, calm and inviting for swimming on the east coast, roaring and foaming on the west coast, make Lanzarote a place with many faces.
The volcanic eruptions from 1730 to 1736 created the Fire Mountains, which form the heart of the island as the Timanfaya National Park. It is one of 13 national parks in Spain with a globally unique, almost otherworldly landscape, which also offers unparalleled biodiversity with over 200 species of lichen.
Lanzarote is the oldest of the seven Canary Islands in terms of its origins. The Famara massif in the north is a particularly telling example of this. It offers breathtaking views of the turquoise coastline, and the green gorges with depths of 400 to 650 meters are ideal for hiking. Endemic plants and rare bird species can be found here. With a bit of luck, Egyptian vultures and black bustards can be spotted here.
But we also find palm valleys in the north, a large wine-growing area with a unique dry cultivation method that produces excellent wine, black shores studded with olivine and Caribbean-style white beaches. The old capital Teguise with its castle and fortresses on the coast bears witness to adventurous times gone by. And dromedaries in festive dress are an integral part of any traditional parade. There is so much to discover on the island!
Lanzarote’s tourist hotspots with larger hotel complexes are limited to Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise. The concentration of the relatively high volume of tourism in these places makes it possible to experience unspoiled nature, tranquillity, old cultural landscapes and villages with local flair and healthy structures.
The high protection status that Lanzarote enjoys not only as a biosphere reserve, but now also as an entire island as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserves the uniqueness of the island. We have the island’s son and visionary César Manrique and all his supporters and heirs to thank for this. Manrique succeeded in emphasizing Lanzarote’s beauty in symbiosis with a unique landscape and making it accessible in times of the emerging package tourism and building boom. In organic architectural masterpieces and visitor centers, tradition meets loving artistic creation with the greatest master of aesthetics, nature.
The desire to maintain a harmonious overall image of the island has set standards that other islands lack. You will look in vain for high-rise buildings and billboards on the streets of Lanzarote. Whitewashed houses with flat roofs, as they have been around for centuries, contrast with the dark landscape.
Many artists were lured to the island. And even today, Lanzarote inspires many people around the world with its contrasts, the power of pure elements and a deeply rooted tradition.