Discover the secret side of Lanzarote with green caves, picturesque white houses and black lava fields

This sponsored post introduces us to the secret charms of Lanzarote away from the crowds, with green caves, picturesque white houses and black lava fields planted with vines.

Thanks to a plethora of cheap flights to Lanzarote, the promise of sun, sea and sand and great promotion, the island of Lanzarote has become a hotspot destination for thousands of people every year. But if the thought of crowded beaches, pounding nightclubs and bars puts you off, think again.

Lanzarote has a secret side – one that is far more tranquil and serene than the brochures would have you believe. An island with a rich cultural heritage and some astonishingly beautiful vistas, Lanzarote’s secrets are waiting to be discovered by the more adventurous traveller.

Lanzarote’s secrets revealed …..

Lanzarote’s Cueva de los Verdes

Lanzarote is a volcanic island, and its turbulent geological past has created a honeycomb of lava tunnels and caves to explore. The best known of these are the Green Caves or Cueva de los Verdes. These tunnels and caves were created between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago and from the 17th Century the caves were used by the islanders to hide from pirates and slavers.

Today, the caves are a popular visitor attraction and stretch for over two kilometres into the heart of the island. The tour will take you though some dark and narrow passageways that lead you into the real secret of the Green Caves – an impressive auditorium. This auditorium regularly hosts live concerts, with the natural acoustics of the cavern giving the music an almost ethereal feeling. It’s a secret well worth discovering, but make sure you wear strong shoes suitable for walking!

The white houses of Teguise

Away from the crowds, Lanzarote has plenty of other secrets to discover. One of the biggest influences on island life was the artist César Manrique. His mark can be seen all over the island and it is Manrique that decreed that all houses on the island should be painted white with green doors and shutters. He also designed some of the island’s most spectacular architecture including LagOmar. This distinctive bar in Nazaret was once the home of actor Omar Sharif and still provides a welcome watering hole for thirsty visitors today.

The former capital of Teguise is the epitome of the real Lanzarote. Crossed with narrow, cobbled streets filled with tiny boutiques and mysterious, labyrinthine alleyways, this fascinating town is dominated by the 16th Century Santa Barbara Castle, which is now home to a museum celebrating the diversity of the island and its rich heritage of immigration.

Unique landscapes and great wine

Leave Teguise behind and you are confronted with the wide-open expanse of the plain of Famara – an unexpected desert landscape surrounded by lush hills and volcanic mountains. In the distance is Famara bay, a popular destination for surfers looking for a challenging beach and wild, unpredictable surfing conditions. If you prefer a gentle stroll along unspoilt sands, Famara Bay is also one of the quietest beaches on the island, giving you a chance to escape the tourist traps and throngs of partygoers in the more popular resorts.

Across the island of Lanzarote you will be confronted with an ever-changing landscape – from the black lava fields below Mount Timanfaya through to sub-tropical forests and expanses of desert cacti. The region’s rich soil produces some excellent wines that you would not normally find outside the island. El Grifo is probably the best known vineyard in the region, and tours of the cellars are yet another of Lanzarote’s secrets that is well worth discovering.

With flights to Lanzarote plentiful and cheap, there are plenty of hidden secrets to discover on this diverse and fascinating island. The island has a mild climate all year round, making it a perfect destination at any time of the year. During the winter the crowds are considerably thinned out, so if you want to discover a new side to Lanzarote, try a visit ‘out of season’ and explore this island paradise at your leisure!

Photo Credits: ameos Del Agua ~ Lanzarote, Spain by  scarlett_ribbons , Volcanic soils by  Sam Cook , House in Teguise on Lanzarote by palestrina55.

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Heather on her travels around the web in September

Heather on her travels has been busy getting around the web – here’s a round up of guest posts and other travels news.

Many thanks for the mention on the Carnival of the Cities at Emm in London for my post on the Nightglow at the Bristol Balloon festival – see the video of the balloons lighting up at night in time to the music. It’s the first time I’d been in 15 years in Bristol. You never appreciate what’s on your doorstep (until you become a travel blogger).

A couple of other blogs hosted my guest posts in the last few weeks;

Hostelbookers have been running a womens’ independent travel theme and featured my article
Girl’s Backpacking Guide to Berlin covering my trip this spring with my teenage daughter and some of her friends. I gave my hints on how to eat cheaply, best ways to get around, the sights we enjoyed, and the edgier side of Berlin.

Over at Ciao Bambino, they’ve just published my guest post on Family fun in Istria, Croatia, featuring the things we enjoyed on our holiday there in August. Istria’s a self-contained region of Croatia close to the Italian border, with something for everyone. You’ll find a gorgeous rocky coastline, picturesque old hill towns and wonderful food and wine, including the famous truffles and seafood.

As always I’ve been doing my regular weekly post every Thursday at Europe a la Carte - take a look at my recent posts;

 Free podcasts and other resources for Berlin
I always enjoy listening to podcasts when walking or travelling and here are some that I found about Berlin – just the thing to download and listen to on the plane or train going there – they’re all free. Thanks to Caitlin for the mention on her travel link round-up on Roaming Tales

Great free museums for the family in London
In London you’ll find the big 3 family friendly and free museums, all together in South Kensington – read my post about what’s on offer. Thanks to Debbie from Delicious Baby for the mention in her round up of travel links that are of interest to family travellers.

Sailing boats and the medieval city of Vannes in Brittany
Vannes is a great combination of picturesque medieval town and a mecca for sailors and sea lovers.

Eat local, eat truffles in Istria, Croatia
Truffles are the big in Istria – in fact the biggest truffle in the world was found there – it’s in the Guiness book of records. If you never tried a truffle, Istria is the place to start.

Travel News and Resources
Not long ago I featured a guest post from Lanzarote Guidebook website and now their Autumn version of their free downloadable guide to Lanzarote is available, so do head over to check it out. You’ll find there’s a lot more to Lanzarote than the package holiday image would suggest.

I’m planning to do this round-up on a regular basis, so if you have any travel news that you think my readers would be interested, particularly free resources and anything that’s not madly time sensitive, then let me know and I may feature it.

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César Manrique and the volcanic island of Lanzarote

My guest post today from Nick Hall, of Lanzaroteguidebook.com  will give you a unique perspective on the volcanic island of Lanzarote, through the influence of artist César Manrique who made it more than just your average package holiday destination.

Lanzarote has long been saddled with a slightly downmarket reputation in the UK, ever since the 1970´s, when the Monty Python team termed it Lanzagrotty. But nothing could in fact be further from the truth. As this small speck of Spain has been far less touched by tourism than larger Canarian cousins such as Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Lanzarote retains its raw, if unconventional, volcanic beauty largely intact – despite welcoming over 1.5 million visitors every year.

This delicate juggling act has been largely orchestrated by a local artist called César Manrique, who battled against the worst excesses of over development during the 1970´s, securing an island wide ban on high rise buildings and advertising hoardings. He simultaneously created ecologically friendly tourist attractions that work with Lanzarote´s volcanic terrain, rather than against it, illustrating that there are viable alternatives to the water parks and golf courses so popular elsewhere in Spain.

Timnafaya National Park
Lanzarote was subjected to a massive series of seismic shocks during the 18th and 19th centuries. Violent eruptions rocked the island, remodelling around one third of Lanzarote´s land mass and replacing farms and villages with lava fields and volcanoes.

Fortunately these peaks are now dormant, but the Timanfaya National Park, the scene of these eruptions, is always alive with tourists – attracting around 900,000 visitors a year. The surreal scenery here really is out of this world, so much so that Apollo 13 astronauts studied photos of this terrain to prepare themselves for their moon landing mission.

Manrique sympathetically harnessed this raw terrain for visitors. Discerning the optimum touring route through the Park and creating the magnificent Devils Diner. This incredible restaurant with 360 panoramic windows, sits on the top of one of the volcanoes, where visitors can watch their food being cooked by the heat emanating from below on massive grills.

Jameos Del Agua
The Jameos del Agua was a huge collapsed lava tube, before Manrique, with the help of local architect Jesus Soto, transformed it into a breathtaking subterranean concert venue and auditorium. It is replete with tropical gardens and a superb swimming pool that is apparently reserved for the sole use of the King of Spain.

This is the creation that helped to put Lanzarote on the map as a viable tourist destination in the 1970´s. It attracted VIP visitors and celebrities such as Peter Sellers and Omar Sharif, all keen to explore this unique new holiday hot spot.

Hail César
Manrique went on to create a further six similarly unique and imaginative tourist attractions, such as the Jardin de Cactus, a homage to the plant worlds spiniest species. And the Mirador del Rio, an incredible volcanic look out point which grants visitors a bird’s eye view of the neighbouring island of La Graciosa, helping to earn Lanzarote the status of a UNESCO protected biosphere in the process.

Nick Ball is the editor of Lanzaroteguidebook.com – the in-depth Lanzarote tourist information guide. Visit the site to download a FREE copy of their 96 page guidebook to the island. You can also book holidays and villas in Lanzarote online.

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