After one full day I had itchy feet and they needed a travellers scratch. Time to explore the island. Lanzarote is quite a small island and it only takes an hour to drive from one end to other so we headed to northern tip to see what was there.
Even though there are huge fields of lava from an old eruption this part of the island seems a little greener, maybe because it wasn’t affected by the major eruption in the south of the island in the 16th and 17th centuries. It’s the Malpais de la Corona, the “badlands”
We stopped off for a “comfort break” in an extraordinary landscape of black lava and pure white sand
Seeing as all the rock type was black lava I assume that the sand has blown in from the Sahara a few hundred miles to the east. I didn’t see anywhere else on the island it could have come from
Time for lunch so we stopped off in Orzola, on the north tip of the island. A sleepy, traditional village as far removed from the tourist resorts as you can imagine. Stunning views to the cliffs of Famara
We had one of the best meals of the trip in a busy and friendly restaurant. An octopus, prawn and mushroom stew and a huge shared plate of fried local fish
We returned to the coast and the amazing Caleton Blanco. The Lava has formed pools of calm, shallow, clear water and white sand. It’s almost tropical and makes a great place for a swim
Or indeed a sunbathe!
The views across the stark shapes of the lava and out to see to the distant island of Alegranza were amazing
We spent a happy couple of hours here catching it on a perfect day sheltered from the westerly winds
Back into the car for some sightseeing. The road climbs steeply through the badlands and the wonderfully named village of Ye. Just beyond you reach a car park and pay a cheeky sum to look at this view
It’s the Mirador del Rio and one of the islands best known tourist attractions. They have built a series of viewing platforms both inside and outside, perched right above the dramatic cliffs of the Risco de Famara.
The views across the to the island of La Graciosa are spectacular
And back along the spine of the island to Monte Corona (the flat-topped one below and the source of all that lava down by the coast)
Its 450m straight down to the sea and its undeniably stunning. However after further exploration later in the trip we discovered several other spots perched above these precipices (the cliffs are several miles long) where you can look at the view for free. The photo below doesn’t really do justice to how sheer the drop really was
It’s the island of La Graciosa that holds the attention. You can visit by boat, more on this in a later post
Time to head back home but one more stop off on another of the islands famous beaches at Famara
Its named after the cliffs we were on earlier, in the background here
The setting sun was lighting up the cliffs to great effect
The beach is famous as a surf spot. It faces west and the full force of Atlantic breakers. It was windy now and felt more like a British beach in summer in the chill breeze and low sun. Fantastic spot though – for a few minutes anyway
The local village is a real surf haven and on another day I’d have rented some gear and hit the waves. I meant to go back but we never did, too busy with walking and chilling. One for next time and to try the seafood in the village which is apparently superb
The sun set on a really great day out
A short drive home through volcanic desert of the south of the island and another wonderfully named village of Soo. I felt I was getting to the know the island better and away from the resorts it’s both charming and beautiful. I liked it alot. More to come
