Lanzarote
At the age of 16 I did a social internship for one month on the Canary Island "Tenerife". I was amazed by the diversity and beauty of the island and so I set it as a goal to explore other Canary Islands in the next few years.
Seven years later the time had come, because Markus surprised me with a flight ticket to Lanzarote. Lanzarote is the most northeastern island of the Canary Islands and is known for its warm weather, volcanic landscape and beautiful beaches.
To explore the island in the best possible way, we decided to make a road trip on the volcanic island. We booked the rental car a week in advance and it cost us 130€ for seven days with insurance.
Road trip on the volcanic island
We arrived at the airport in Arrecife in the late afternoon, where we directly picked up our rental car and immediately started our exciting road trip. First stop: a tapas bar near Arrecife. Markus had never eaten typical Spanish tapas and so his anticipation was all the greater, or rather his expectations. We were served fresh octopus legs and other delicious seafood. Markus, however, was already feeling sick when he saw the seafood. Apparently, these tapas were not for him after all....
From the bar we walked on to the city beach of Arrecife, the „Playa del Reducto“The beach was empty and the sun shone warmly on our faces. It was wonderful to finally see the sea again and feel the warm sand under our feet. I already knew in this moment that this road trip will be unforgettable.
The first night we spent directly in Arrecife, capital of Lanzarote, where almost half of the Lanzaroteños live. The city is a beautiful quiet port city in colonial style, which you
However, we wanted to concentrate on the beautiful nature of Lanzarote and so we headed already the next day to the famous Jardin de Cactus. The „Jardin de Cactus“ is a cactus and succulent garden on the north coast of Lanzarote, which unites more than 1,400 cactus species from all over the world. The garden is the last work of the great artist César Manrique. The grounds are beautiful and the garden tour is full of interesting information about each plant species.
The house by the sea
Randomly, we found on "Airbnb" a small cottage right on the beach near La Santa. Since we were not sure whether we would find the cottage in the middle of nowhere great, we booked it only for three days. The drive there was beautiful. The sky was shining blue and the typical white houses in the middle of the volcanic landscape made the sight almost perfect.
When we arrived at our accommodation we were positively surprised. The small white house with the blue beams was just gorgeous. It was only a few meters from the sea and far and wide no people were to be seen. The house was lovingly decorated and you could even watch the high waves from the dining room.
When it got dark, we went to the beach with a big blanket and watched the clear starry sky for hours, listening to the waves on the side. The cottage and the surroundings had something magical.
The volcano hike
But also the next day was something very special, because it went for us to the famous national park „Timanfaya“The drive to the national park was incredible, because it felt like we were taking a road trip on Mars. The pristine lava fields and volcanoes of the 5,000 hectare national park amazed us.
We parked right at the visitor center and headed out for the volcano hike. Since it was February and so low season, we had no problems with long waiting times buying tickets or looking for a parking space.
After three hours of hiking, we finally reached the top of the volcano. The wind was blowing like crazy and we could hardly walk on the crater edge without being blown away by the wind. A little off the trail we found a windless spot where we spread out our picnic blanket and enjoyed the view of the beautiful landscape to the fullest.
After the exciting hike, we returned to our little house where we ended the evening with a glass of wine and home-cooked dinner under the stars.
Sun, beach and sea
With our car we drove the most beautiful beaches of the island. We especially loved the Papagayo beaches, which are located in the south of the island. Several bays form a total of almost 2 kilometers of beach length and on all seven beaches you can find turquoise water and a golden sandy beach. The Papagyo beaches are one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.
La Gracioca
The next day we took a trip to the small island of La Gracioca. The small island is located east of Lanzarote and is only 30 minutes away by ferry. The island is known for its untouched nature and paradisiacal beaches with turquoise water and white sand. To explore the small island in the best possible way, we decided to go on a bike tour. There are no paved roads on the island and Markus' bike broke down after only a few meters, so our tour became an unforgettable adventure.
After a few hours on the beach, we made our way back to the small harbor village. There we found a nice restaurant where we were served delicious fresh fish.
See you soon Lanzarote
We ended the last days in La Santa, where we could review the last days. I must honestly say that Lanzarote exceeded our expectations. We would travel to Lanzarote again at any time. The beaches are beautiful and the volcanic area is spectacular. The island is perfect for nature lovers and for those who like it quieter, the low season is recommended.
