Spain
Lanzarote highlights: a visit to Timanfaya, Famara & the capital of Arrecife
Adventurous day exploring the dramatically different landscapes and vibes of Lanzarote
Visit to the Montañas des Fuego at Timanfaya National park
This national park is the biggest attraction in Lanzarote...and with a reason! It's one of the most spectacular volcanic landscapes of Europe. We started our visit at the visitor centre. Here you can walk around (for free) and learn more about the eruptions that caused the landscape, but also more general knowledge about how volcanoes work. The kids were very interested and it made our visit more tangible. Afterwards, we drove 4 km further to the entrance of the park. Here you pay €20 per person (€10 for the kids) and then you can drive into the park, to the place where the bus tours start. When it's busy, there can be a waiting time. We had to wait for approximately 30 minutes, but the landscape is so extraordinary that time flew by. When you arrive at the heart of the park, you have to leave your car and hop on a bus. The bus takes you all around the national park and it's quite the spectacular drive! You see the craters, the dramatic landscaps, dried up lava streams and the most spectacular vistas. There is an explanation in a few languages that tells more about what you're seeing. A fabulous experience for our whole family. When returning, there is a restaurant where you can eat or drink something and they also demonstrate the power of the volcano with some experiments.
Surf vibes in spectacular Famara
When driving up to this littly beach town, the landscape changes dramatically for volcanic to a landscaps of dunes for miles. You see the dramatic rocks touching the sea approaching when you arrive in Famara. This village has a whole different vibe then the rest of Lanzarote. Here, you won't find any resorts or international bars. It's remained mostly unspoiled and it has a fantastic surfer vibe. There are some cafés, a nice croissanteria where we had a coffee break and some surfer shops. The village was so relaxed and photogenic that I could have stayed here for hours. The beach of Famara is the real attraction: a windy beach with perfect breaks where surfers are giving the best of themselves. It's surrounded by impressive cliffs. It can be seen in all its glory at low tide, when the water forms a thin film on the sand which reflects the sky and the cliffs like a gigantic mirror. If I ever visit this town again, I would love to go by sunset, which should be so impressive.
A visit the the capital of Lanzarote: Arrecife
Before leaving the island, we really wanted to visit the town of Arrecife. It's not very touristic, but has some very cosy areas, nice shops and we really liked the authentic athmosphere. We walked around the old town to the lagoon Charco de San Gines. Renovated according to a project by César Manrique, the Charco is the town's main reference point. It is currently used as a place to anchor for small boats. Around it you can find a diverse range of bars and restaurants with an excellent atmosphere. In the old town, we walked by La Casa Amarilla (a beautful yellow house) which used to house the government of the island. We ended our visit with an ice cream and enjoyed some window shopping before it was time to leave the capital for the airport (which is only 10 minutes away).
