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Situated only 100 kilometres from Africa, Lanzarote is the easternmost island of the Canary Islands archipelago. Its geographical situation means that the average annual temperature is about 25ºC in August and 17ºC in January.
Almost 40 % of its 846 square kilometres is protected by the Canaries’ Law of Natural Spaces. This little island, whose maximum dimensions are 60 km from north to south, and 20 km from east to west, was declared by UNESCO in October, 1993, as a Biosphere Reserve.
Its unique landscape, its mild climate and its numerous and magnificent beaches, together with the stamp of César Manrique gathered in the Art, Culture, and Tourism Centres –authentic works of art and representative emblems of Lanzarote– make the island a holiday paradise.
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| Places of interest on the island are numerous but, for their importance and proximity to the hotel, the following stand out: |
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 The village of Playa Blanca
The beaches closest to the hotel
Timanfaya National Park
Los Jameos del Agua (caves and underground grottoes)
La Cueva de los Verdes (volcano caves and galleries)
The Mirador del Río lookout
The Salinas de Janubio salt flats / Los Hervideros (crashing waves in the seafront lava formations) / the partly submerged volcano El Golfo
La Geria (agrarian landscape) / Wine Museum
The town of Teguise
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| Playa Blanca |
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Playa Blanca is an old fishing village, situated 900 metres from the hotel. The village has a seaside promenade that stretches all along the seaboard from the Faro Pechiguera Lighthouse to Punta Papagayo.
On the main street and on the seawalk, gift and souvenir shops jostle for space along with a gastronomical offering for all palates.
One can also visit Montaña Roja, an extinct volcano which is reached quite easily and which offers excellent views over Playa Blanca. You can walk around the edge of the crater, at the bottom of which you can see the names of the people who have gone down into it, recorded with stones.
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| Beaches closest to the hotel |
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Playas de Papagayo: |
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Around Papagayo Point, the southernmost point of the island, on the edge of a landscape covered in volcanic ash, is a series of undeveloped beaches of fine, golden sand. They are nudist beaches with calm waters, and are accessed by paths. Playa Mujeres is the first you come across and the longest, but there are more: Caleta del Congrio, Puerto Muelas, and the one known as Playa Papagayo, as well as many little nooks where you can enjoy the sea. There is an entrance fee of 3.00 € for motor vehicles (except for residents).
- Distance: 5 km. |
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Playa Dorada: |
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This 300-metre beach of fine, white sand lies beside the village of Playa Blanca, and is the closest to the hotel. Its water is calm due to the double wave-trap and a small island that enclose it. At this beach you can rent hammocks and sunshades and practice various water sports.
- Distance: 795 m. |
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Playa Blanca: |
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Situated in the heart of the village, this 40-metre beach of golden sand and transparent water has a maritime avenue that runs alongside it to the end, at the port of Playa Blanca. From this port, boats to Fuerteventura leave daily.
- Distance: 900 m. |
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| Timanfaya National Park |
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Also known as “Montañas del Fuego” (Mountains of Fire) due to its volcanic nature, this national park emerged from the violent volcanic eruptions that took place for six consecutive years between 1730 and 1736, and the later ones in the 19th century (1824). It is one of the best examples of a volcanic habitat where human presence has been practically non-existent. Of note are the guided excursions that consist of the Volcanoes Route and demonstrations of their geothermic anomalies. Another option is a short excursion on camels characteristic of Lanzarote. The restaurant El Diablo takes advantage of the heat of the subsoil in the preparation of several of the dishes that it offers.
- Services: Bar and restaurant.
- Tel.: 928 84 00 56 / 928 84 00 57.
- Entrance price: 8.00 € per person (discounts for children and residents).
- Hours: Every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Distance: 12 km.
- How to get there: From Playa Blanca travel towards Yaiza until the signposted turnoff that indicates Parque Nacional de Timanfaya.
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| Jameos del Agua |
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At the foot of the Volcán de la Corona (Volcano of the Crown), which last erupted more than 3000 years ago, begins one of the most interesting systems of caves and tunnels in the world. A jameo is formed when the roof of the tunnel falls in, something that often occurs in tunnels more than 20 metres wide, or when accumulated gases explode. Los Jameos del Agua was the first architectonic attraction designed by César Manrique and was created in 1968. The symbol of the place is the tiny, albino, blind crab, which is sensitive to noise and light. El Jameo Grande is 100 metres long and 30 metres wide. Passing through it, one arrives at a garden with a big pool. There is also an auditorium with sensational acoustics, and two bars constructed in the niches of the rocks.
- Distance: 50 km.
- Tel.: 928 84 80 20.
- Hours: Every day from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
- How to get there: Take the LZ2 in the direction of Arrecife, travelling around that city by means of the ring road. Follow highway LZ1 in the direction of Órzola. Before arriving in Órzola, you will see a sign that indicates the way to Los Jameos del Agua. |
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| La Cueva de los Verdes |
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Situated to the southeast of the Volcán de la Corona, this cave belongs to a system of underground tunnels about 6 kilometres long. It is one of the most interesting volcanic formations on the island, and one of the longest known volcanic tunnels in the world. It was created after the last eruption of the Volcán de la Corona, about 3000 years ago. The surface of the lava cooled rapidly, solidifying, while a river of lava continued its way below the solid surface. In 1964, a 2 km-long access route was built for visitors, with lighting that makes this place special.
- Distance: 50 Km.
- Tel.: 928 17 32 20.
- Hours: Open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The last entry is at 5:00 p.m.
- How to get there: Take the LZ2 towards Arrecife, travelling around that city by means of the ring road. Follow highway LZ1 in the direction of Órzola. Before arriving in Órzola, you will see a sign that indicates the way to La Cueva de los Verdes. |
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| Mirador del Río |
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The Mirador del Río lookout is located in the most northerly point of the island, at 479 metres above sea level. The wonderful view from here encompasses the Chinijo archipelago (the islands La Graciosa, Montaña Clara, and Alegranza). The artist César Manrique reconstructed this former artillery post, incorporating a restaurant in it.
- Distance: 70 km.
- Tel.: 928 17 35 06.
- Hours: Open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- How to get there: Take the LZ2 towards Arrecife, travelling around that city by means of the ring road. Then take the LZ10 towards Teguise. Carry on past this village, in the direction of Haría. Upon passing Haría, follow the signs to El Mirador del Río. |
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| Salinas de Janubio / Los Hervideros / El Golfo |
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Las Salinas del Janubio: |
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| Is a place of scientific interest, which is intended for the protection not only of animals but also of the traditional activity of salt extraction from seawater. Before the eruptions of 1730-1736, it sheltered Lanzarote’s best natural port, but the eruptions also created a sand bar that closed in a lagoon, creating the Caleta del Janubio. These are the Canaries’ biggest salt flats. |
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Los Hervideros: |
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| Is the name by which the coastal zone is known, where one can watch the violent crashing of the waves in the channels which were formed by the flow of lava towards the sea. When the sea is rough, it pours in through the holes in the lava and rises to the surface like boiling water. |
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El Golfo: |
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Is one of the few and rare examples of hydrovolcanism. Half of the crater of the volcano is submerged in the sea, forming a beautiful black beach. Inside it, in the centre of the same crater, has emerged the Laguna de los Ciclos, an intense green lake whose colour is produced by the concentration of ruppia maritima, a seaweed. The rock that forms the lake, and the effects of time, have created spectacular formations.
El Golfo also has numerous restaurants famous for their fresh local fish.
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- Distance: 10 km.
- How to get there: These places are very close to Playa Blanca. Following the LZ2 towards Yaiza, watch for a turnoff to the left. You’ll reach Las Salinas first, then Los Hervideros and lastly El Golfo. |
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| La Geria / Museo del Vino |
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The protected area of La Geria is comprised of the centre of the island the municipalities of Tinajo, Yaiza, Tías, San Bartolomé, and Teguise. The objective of declaring the zone protected is for the traditional agrarian landscape to remain unaltered. The technique involves cleaning up the terrain, putting down cultivable earth, covering it with ashes, and building walls to protect vines from the strong wind. The night-time humidity cools the surface which retains the water filtered through its pores. During the day, the surface is the only part exposed to the sun, as the rays don’t penetrate the soil.
The Wine Museum (El Museo del Vino) occupies former wineries that were built on the volcanic lava of the eruption that occurred in the 18th century, and which date from 1775. The ethnographic material that is exhibited is from the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. It shows the evolution of the machinery used in the production of wine as well as stills that were used to produce liquor. There is also a tasting room in which wine tasting courses are organized regularly. Entry is free.
- Tel.: 928 52 49 51.
- Hours: Open from Monday to Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- How to get there: Leaving from Playa Blanca, take the LZ2 towards Yaiza until you reach a roundabout. From the roundabout, take the exit leading to the LZ30 highway which crosses the cultivated area of La Geria. |
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| Teguise |
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Teguise was the capital of Lanzarote until 1852. It has become one of the cultural and touristic centres of the island. It is a remarkable place for visitors, thanks to its artistic richness and numerous monuments of interest, designed with an extraordinary, medieval style. On Sundays in Teguise there’s a street market that’s very popular with visitors. The streets of Teguise fill with people and with stands to please everyone’s taste. Here, also, is found the “Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe” church, a replica of which forms part of the entrance to the Gran Meliá Volcán Lanzarote hotel.
El Castillo Museo de Santa Barbará (Saint Barbara Castle-Museum) is situated on the mountain of Guapanay, to the east of Teguise. This castle-museum was originally built as a watchtower for protection of Lanzarote’s coast. Most of the documents found on the island related to the emigration of Canary Islanders to America are collected in the castle.
- Tel.: 928 84 50 01.
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Summer hours: from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
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Winter hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
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Saturdays and holiday Sundays: from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
- How to get there: Take the LZ2 and go around Arrecife by means of the ring road, exiting onto the LZ1, direction Teguise. Once in Teguise, the rest of the way to El Castillo de Guapanay is well signposted. |
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