Lanzarote: Where Delight Comes from Destruction

As far as I was concerned I was staring straight down into Hell. It was devilishly hot and the hole just seemed to lead straight down into the bowels of the Earth. I was scared stiff but at the same time incredibly curious, that after all this time, the beast that rained fire and brimstone down on the inhabitants of the beautiful island of Lanzarote over 200 years ago was still smouldering deep down. It was as if it was a child that had had its tantrum and was now just sulking and biding its time.

This is Timanfya Park an awesome parade of volcanoes that made Lanzarote what it is today. You can visit it and see for yourself, just like I did, how intense the heat can be and even take a bus tour around the whole place and simply gape at the moon like landscape all around. These days it’s all perfectly controlled of course, they even cook meat over a hole in the restaurant atop the biggest volcano. This is an island, like the rest of the Spanish owned Canaries, some 70 miles off the coast of Africa that was born out of volcanic eruption and the ensuing lava, now cooled to a blackish rock-like substance called lapilli, has left its indelible footprint everywhere. Even more extraordinary, it has been used to fuel agriculture, vineyards, beaches and of course some stunning architecture courtesy of Cesar Manrique, a visionary artist and architect. Manrique was the inspiration and driving force behind everything that Lanzarote is today and his signature is everywhere here; in its identity, its buildings, its commercial development, its approach to tourism and, even in its cuisine. He designed the most incredible buildings from cooled lava bubbles including his own home which is a must see. He was committed to stunting over development and campaigned endlessly to protect the Island from it, and apart from Puerto del Carmen which is to be avoided at all costs, he succeeded. There are Manrique projects all over the Island including the Jameos Del Agua, where he built tropical gardens around an amazing underground lava lagoon that’s home to tiny blind albino crabs.

However, for me, the mix of Manrique’s unique art/nature fusion is never better portrayed than at the Oasis of Lagomar near the small village of Nazaret. This stunning location was originally a hillside house built by Manrique for the actor Omar Sharif and encompasses a maze of signature lava tunnels, caves and secret passageways that culminate in a wonderful tropical garden and pool. Legend has it that Sharif lost the property in a bridge game and never returned to it, but his loss is our gain because nestling amongst all of this finery is a fabulous restaurant run by chef Luis Leon. The culinary experience more than matches the visual assault on your senses and the combination of both is something not to be missed. If you do nothing else you must spend time here. It is a magical event.

Playa Blanca in the south is an outstanding resort. The heart of the original sleepy fishing village is still very evident, whilst the upscale marina and hotels expand on either side of it. It’s a resort that’s worthy of mention here, because unlike Puerto del Carmen further north, sadly blighted by the mass tourist boom before Manrique’s protectionist agenda took hold, Playa Blanca is an altogether more up market and tasteful place to stay and because it’s the most southerly place on the island has a micro climate that delivers more consistent temperatures all year round. There’s plenty of nightlife if you want it, but it’s certainly not in your face and the resort is close to Timanfiya, as well as El Golfo a place of natural beauty and the great white beaches of Papagayo.

The Princess Yaiza is one of Playa Blanca’s finest hotels. An outstanding position right on the beach, with some fabulous views across the sea to Lanzarote’s sister Island Fuerteventura. It’s a large property with four outdoor pools, a par 3 golf course and enough boutiques and eateries to satisfy anyone who can’t be bothered to stroll into town to shop and eat.

Speaking of eating, Casa Pedro is a restaurant I’d highly recommend. It’s a large house right on Playa Blanca’s sea front with stunning views of the ocean. Pedro’s quite an institution, after all he’s been serving high quality authentic Canarian cuisine here for over 25 years. Not only that, he’s always front of house taking care of business so you’ll be looked after royally. Fresh fish is obviously top of the bill here, but there’s plenty of fresh alternatives to choose from. It’s high quality fare at very reasonable prices, so what more could you want? Another excellent place to eat nearby is Costa Azul in the beautiful El Golfo area. This is fish-eaters' heaven, with the ocean literally lapping at the door. There is no menu, your host Tato will deliver you a list of specials and suggestions and you just sit back and savour it all. Get down there just before sunset and catch an amazing view of the sun going down. Wonderful.

Canarian cuisine is essentially Spanish but with a twist. There’s tapas and paella on tap of course, but you’ll also find for example their national dish, papas arrugadas, which are small Canarian potatoes boiled in salt and then baked and served covered in mojo salsa, a garlic sauce made from red and green peppers.

One of the most ambitious new developments is the new golf course Lanzarote Golf under the stewardship of Elena Gutierrez. Until now there was only one course on the Island at Teguise, a lovely course nestled around an extinct volcano, where navigating the lava rock was almost more of a challenge than hitting the greens. This new course just outside Puerto del Carmen has only been open a year but is looking good with great views across the ocean, a clubhouse complex that will be fit for a king when it’s finished and a string of properties lining the course that will add a touch of class and glamour to an area that’s desperately trying to shake off its downmarket roots. Another great activity to try is horse riding.  Lanzarote’s outstanding landscape offers up a real treat for horse lovers and you’ll find something for riders at all levels at Lanzarote a Caballo near Uga on the road from Arrecife to Yaiza.