Lanzarote, the friendly face of the Moon
When tourists began to arrive in large numbers in the 60s of the 20th century, Lanzarote's main attraction was the experience of being in an authentic lunar landscape. And indeed, this was the case then and it is the case now, when the island, with its more than three hundred volcanoes, is unique, quite different even from its sisters in the Canary archipelago.
To understand the phenomenon to which Lanzarote was subjected in its great eruptions, it is enough to recall the recent three months in which La Palma was shaken by the numerous earthquakes that tormented it, by the billions of pyroclasts hurled into the atmosphere and by the rivers of lava that slowly but relentlessly engulfed land and houses.
If La Palma suffered three months of such a tragic shock, Lanzarote suffered for six years without interruption (1730-1736), and to a lesser extent in 1824, the date of the last recorded eruption and the birth of the last of its volcanoes, Chinero. The underground magma of Chinero is what causes the high temperatures of the immediate subsoil, whose heat in contact with the water allows the violent outflow of geysers, or the lighting and heating of the kitchens of the viewpoint designed by César Manrique, whose legacy, memory and desire to integrate the buildings into the landscape are still very much alive thirty years after his death.
Traditional Lanzarote architecture, painted in white, doors also in blue, green or the brown colour of the land depending on the enclave, but above all the total absence of advertising hoardings of any kind or nature, which could contaminate the view of the landscape, offer the traveller an unprecedented vision, to say the least. César Manrique has managed to integrate nature and art like no one else, imbuing both inhabitants and visitors with his spirit of preservation and conservation of the landscape and the environment.
To walk around the island, to stroll through the little streets of its villages, to enjoy such spectacular monuments as the impressive lava tube and its cave of Los Jameos del Agua, or the Casa del Campesino and, of course, the headquarters of César Manrique's own foundation and the many small museums on the island, is a surprising experience.
For sportspeople, Lanzarote has also become a small branch of paradise. Water sports such as surfing, kite-surfing and sailing make the most of the Atlantic winds. Special hiking or enduro routes join the Ironman competition in the election of the world's strongest man and also enter their events in the international calendar of events.
And, although it may seem unusual, Lanzarote now also offers two unique golf courses: one, Teguise Golf, which allows players to play their round against the backdrop of volcanoes, taking on the challenge of not straying from the fairways to fall into the lava, ash or picón scree. The other, Lanzarote Golf, much more accessible for amateur players, displays its neat green patch in the middle of the brownish range of this volcanic landscape.
The Town Hall of Teguise, once the first capital of Lanzarote, supported by Turismo de Lanzarote and the new Grand Hotel Teguise Playa, has launched itself to position the island as one of the essential golf destinations in the Canary Islands. They have done so by hosting the 1st Media Cup, won by Elena Jimenez (TVE), followed by Jorge Armenteros (Cope) and Miguel Carnero (Mediaset).
The intensity of the competition did not prevent the twenty or so media present, including Atalayar, from combining it with a visit to the most emblematic corners and landscapes of the island: La Geria, the exclusive cradle of a way of cultivating vines, whose roots sink several metres into the lava ash in search of the fertile land that the volcanic eruptions completely covered. This artisanal way of cultivating the volcanic malvasia grape results in characteristic white wines. Another visit to satisfy your curiosity and your memory of history is the Spínola Palace, the first Governor's Office and today home to the Timple Museum, undoubtedly the most emblematic Canarian instrument; the Fire Mountains of the Timamfaya National Park; the house of Nobel Prize winner José Saramago, or the popular street markets, and, of course, to enjoy the local gastronomy, where seafood is the king of the table.
Not to be forgotten either is the Laguna Verde, surrounded by the sea and mountains that unashamedly show the guts of its capricious and varied geology. It is an emblematic place that film buffs will immediately identify with the settings of universally known films, such as "A million years ago".