Where to visit in Lanzarote

Mirador -  literally means a lookout and this particular vantage point, right at the end of the Risco de Famara range, some 479 metres high, has been used for this very purpose — albeit in varying forms — for many hundreds of years.In 1898 a small fortress and gun battery was added to the site to deter any naval incursions by American vessels, as Spain went to war with the USA over the ownership of Cuba.

Jameos Del Agua, located in the north of Lanzarote, is part of the Atlantida volcanic cave system formed by the eruptions of the Corona volcano about three to four thousand years ago. This larger cave system with its centre in Haria also includes the Cueva de los Verdes.The word 'Jameo' refers to a volcanic cave with a collapsed roof, of which there are many in this part of Lanzarote.  The underground salt water Lagoon, Jameo Chico, is host to a Species of Blind Albino Crab (Munidopsis Polimorpha) that is found nowhere else.

The Foundation Caesar Manrique - an architect who had a great influence on the island of Lanzarote from ensuring the lack of high rise buildings to the many cultural attractions on the island designed by him.  house is built on a plot of 30,000 square meters that extends on lava current and dates from the volcanic eruptions of 1730-1736. The building is made of natural volcanic rocks and has 2 plants, although the ground floor with its peculiar spaces is constituted mainly by caves of the volcanic pomps.

The Cactus Garden is one of César Manriques´ last works and was created on an old quarry and turned into an authentic plantation of an extensive variety of cactus. The artist demonstrated a special sense to combine and to create art from natural resources that keep in perfect harmony in both, their positioning and distribution of the appearance of typical elements of the insular landscape. This spectacular "botanical garden" offers a range of almost ten thousand units of cactus of more than thousand four hundred different species descending from America, Madagascar and the Canary Islands and reunited by the expert González Ferrer, who passed away a few years ago.

Museum of Contemporary Art - San José Castle, built in the late 18th century and later renovated by artist Cesar Manrique, houses Lanzarote's contemporary art collection. The museum officially opened on 8 December 1976 and shows modern paintings in a classical setting. The collection includes works by Picasso, Manrique, Alechins, Bacon and Botero.

Emigrants of Lanzarote - Standing on Guanapay hill overlooking the old capital of Teguise the Castle of Santa Barbara started as a watchtower guarding the island on both coastlines. It was originally built by Sancho de Herrera in the 16th century but was fully converted to a fortress in 1588 by the Italian engineer Leonardo Torriani. Up until 1960 the castle had had a long period of deterioration but then a group of people headed "Friends of Castles" started restoring it to its former glory. It has since had a further restoration in 1977 by the Fine Arts association. Nowadays it is used as a museum for the history of the Canarian Emigrants many of whom went to South America and includes passports, family letters and postcards along with scale models and texts.

The Fire Mountains are located in the heart of Timanfaya National Park which is one of the two National Parks in the whole of Spain and is approximately a 20 minute drive (if that) from the villa.. The Fire Mountains extend over the south east region of Lanzarote between the two towns of Yaiza and Tinajo. Timanfaya and comprises a spectacular sea of lava peppered with dozens of volcanic cones which emerged during the volcanic eruptions that took place over a period of six years between 1730 and 1736 and again in 1824. Park wardens entertain visitors with astonishing demonstrations of the geothermic heat contained underfoot. Dried vegetation placed into a hollow starts burning as soon as it comes into contact with the heat of the volcano and water poured into tubes placed in the earth instantly evaporates and roars back as geysers of steam which spurt out into the air at tremendous speed.
Eat in the semi- circular restaurant and café called El Diablo (The Devil) which offers breathtaking views over the surrounding sea of lava. Here the restaurant serves meat and fish cooked over a deep volcanic chasm which reaches temperatures of some 400°C/725°F just a short distance below the surface.

El Golfo Village is to the right of the Green Lagoon as you face the sea and has possibly the highest concentration of fish restaurants on the island. For this reason, it’s the perfect place for Sunday lunch and is packed with island residents at the weekend.  Several of the restaurants are so close to the sea, you may well observe the kitchen staff washing and gutting your lunch by the sea shore, to the delight of the seagulls which come expressly to help clean up.  A Personal Favourite!