After getting toasty warm in Lanzarote for a couple of weeks we are back in beautiful if chilly Dorset. Lanzarote is part of the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa. It is known for its year-round warm weather, beaches and volcanic landscape. Tenerife is probably the better known Canary Island, famous as a party place – not quite our thing.  Lanzarote is so close to Africa that Jim’s phone defaulted to Dakar time when we arrived.

We stayed in Costa Teguise a little way from the busy beach front but only a ten minute walk to shops and restaurants. We had a self-catering flat which, while not fancy, had everything we needed including a very sunny balcony.

From our balcony

It was about 23 every day and at night cool enough to sleep and warm enough to leave the balcony doors open. The only disappointment was that the hotel pools were freezing!! Jim jumped in on the first day and practically levitated out. First and last swim.

After a few days of lounging around eating the excellent Spanish food, drinking sangria and reading we set out to see the island.

Highlights of Lanzarote

The Grand Tour:  First we visited the beautiful bay of El Golfo.  As well as wonderful views of the coastline we watched in amazement as police scooped numerous containers of  drugs from the ocean and stacked them on the beach. We later discovered there were 28 crates containing 85 kilos of drugs dropped into the sea to be collected by accomplices. Our bus driver commented that they clearly hadn’t got the tides right.

 

Timanfaya National Park, home to The Fire Mountains. We were amazed by a very close up demonstration of geothermal experiments, showing the power of the heat just below the surface.  At the restaurant there is a natural oven where food is cooked over a volcanic funnel.  Leaving the stop, the drive through the vast black lava fields was quite spectacular.

Geothermal demonstrations

After lunch we drove through Teguise, the ancient capital of Lanzarote then ascended the highest peak of the island, Peñas del Chache.

Jameos del Agua

Our final stop was at Jameos del Agua to see the unique volcanic tunnel & caverns featuring an underground concert hall, restaurant & salt lake, breathtaking subterranean gardens and pool built by renowned artist Cesar Manrique.

Jameos del Agua is also home to the very interesting blind albino crab which is not a crab at all but a lobster!

And so ends a long day touring Lanzarote.  Paul, our guide, with his knowledgeable and witty commentary kept us all entertained and interested. Far too often guides are dry or give you the feeling they don’t want to be there. Paul showed his pride in his land and people as well as having amazing language skills.

Next stop in our exploration was another long day trip.  This time by bus and ferry to nearby island, Fuerteventura. See you soon with that and more.

But for now we need to get busy planning further adventures to be squeezed in before we return to Australia in mid-March. Thinking of a quick trip to Iceland to find the Northern Lights. Love to hear from anyone who has been. Next Thursday we are booked to go to Venice but not sure if we will go due to the flooding.  Again, if anyone has insider info please be in touch.

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31 Things You Don’t Know About Lanzarote’s Volcanoes