No holiday in Lanzarote would not be complete without a visit to the Timanfaya National Park. This is the location of the vast majority of the island’s volcanoes. And historically is the site of the world’s longest volcanic eruption, between 1730 and 1736.
The volcanoes now form a large part of the island’s tourist offering. Quite apart from the park itself, there is a huge area of land surrounding Timanfaya that forms an outer natural reserve. Interested visitors can actually walk across the lava here and will find there are several craters they can explore freely.
And in the north of Lanzarote there is the impressive volcano Corona, which stands at 609 metres, making it the tallest crater on the island. Corona is responsible for the huge stretch of land known as the ‘Malpais’ that extends at its feet right down to the coast.
The incredible tourist attraction of Jameos del Agua owes its existence to the mighty volcano Corona. As the underground lake and hanging gardens all occupy a former lava tunnel that ran down to the sea when this crater burst into life.
It is largely due to the volcanic activity that Lanzarote is still so sparsely covered with greenery and trees. Some visitors can find this landscape somewhat stark, whilst others find it aesthetically pleasing.
In the main resorts, there are echoes of the surrounding countryside and its history. Many of the hotels in Lanzarote are named after one or other of the peaks, or after Timanfaya itself.
Similarly, the volcanic basalt stone is used in interior and exterior construction and contrasts very nicely with the whitewashed walls of holiday villas in Lanzarote . A splash of colour in the form of bougainvillea or hibiscus complements this monochrome palette.
The contrasting black and white colour scheme also dominates the rural areas, as all the residential buildings across Lanzarote are painted white. There are one or two exceptions, but the owners of these properties must pay an additional tax for magenta or mustard walls.
The largely unspoiled scenery is well worth exploring, as holidaymakers often discover once they get out of the resorts. Whilst coach tours are ideal for wine tasting at the bodegas of La Geria, to really get off the beaten track a hire car is best.
Car hire in Lanzarote may seem a little daunting. They drive on the right after all. But the roads are quiet, well sign-posted and will take you to some charming places. Best of all it is very affordable.
