Lanzarote is one of the most popular of the seven Canary Islands. Welcoming over 1.4 million tourists a year. And little wonder – as many people book accommodation such as hotels in Lanzarote to take advantage of the fact that the island offers much more than just great weather all year round.
The island is also very easy to explore – as it is very small and measures just 40km by 60km. Car hire in Lanzarote is also cheap, as is petrol. Making touring affordable and easy. As a result many visitors tend to leave their hotels and villas in Lanzarote during the day to get out and explore the sights.
Timnafaya National Park
If you’ve ever fancied walking on the moon then this is the place for you. As the Fire Mountains – or Montañas del Fuego as they are called locally – really do look lunar in appearance. Or like another planet altogether.
This is due to the fact that this whole region was created by a number of mighty eruptions over the last 250 years. Creating 300 plus new peaks and fields of twisted lava in their wake.
Visit the Devils Diner in the centre of the Park to watch food being cooked by the heat of a volcano. Whilst guides demonstrate just how hot it is below the surface here by tipping water into bore holes – which is then rapidly expulsed as jets of steam.
Teguise
History buffs will love Teguise. As the former island capital is home to a huge selection of impressive colonial buildings. Some of which date back as far as the 1450´s.
Teguise was Spain’s first official settlement in the Canaries and the capital of the island until 1852. When the mantle was passed on to Arrecife. Over the years these quiet cobbled streets were home to merchants and military men. Whose standing was reflected in the size and scale of their mansions and villas.
One of the best examples is the Palacio Spinola – which is open to the public as a house museum and which provides a fascinating insight into the life of a wealthy noble. Whist just outside the town on top of Mount Guanapay sits the Castillo de Santa Barbara. Once a watchtower for the security of Teguise´s inhabitants and today home to the Museum of Emigration.
Lag-O-mar
Top of a visit to Teguise with a tour of the former home of the famous film star Omar Sharif. Who briefly owned this exclusive luxury property located in Oasis de Nazaret before loosing it all in a high stakes game of bridge.
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