motto from the trip

In Lanzarote, the volcanoes are always int-erupting

2020

#1 LANZAROTE | Timanfaya and volcano

How i survive alone 4000km from home

When I decided to go on this trip, there was no turning back, I mean there was but I didn’t take it into account. After all, I could always say I wasn’t going and cancel it all with the click of a computer. However, that did not happen. The adventure of a lifetime and the first fully self-organized trip awaited me. I decided it would be a birthday present – from me to me.

On New Year’s Eve, I poured a 0.33cl bottle of champagne from somewhere in my fridge and with subsequent explosions of firecrackers, I decided to open it and, before falling asleep at 00:05, solemnly celebrate my birthday – then the 23rd. mess, it causes me to have this mess in my head all the time, and as an organized beast, I couldn’t let that happen.

The flight was scheduled for early in the morning. Around 7:00. I woke up half asleep (when they shoot firecrackers a week before and after the new year, you feel like at war, not like at a party) and I went to the airport – I’ve never seen such emptiness on the roads in my life – my birthday is January 1, it will be fun they said. Everyone was already asleep or just going to sleep, and I, a lonely traveler, was just setting off 4000 km from home, on my own birthday and in addition without knowing if I would be back.

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Decision made - fly

Did I fell nervous? No Did I think about everything? No Did I have fun? Yes

As they say, who doesn’t risk doesn’t drink champagne, I made champagne, so it’s time to take a risk. Rotterdam airport is a small cosy place where planes fly mainly to destinations such as Spain or Portugal – so you can also say that it is my home airport. Small, quiet, 20-minute check-in, coffee and croissant, one hour before the flight. Just like home, except I’d have to have slippers and a bathrobe. In the meantime, I bought small souvenirs for the owners of the apartment where I will stay during my stay in Lanzarote. It’s time to get on the plane. It went quickly and without problems. I was lucky enough to get a row of children in front of me, behind me and next to me. welcome to hell. The 4:30h flight is not idyllic for everyone, when one kicks you from the right, the other from the back and the third offers you M&Ms that he just took out of his mouth, you can ask for the plane to fly faster. Unfortunately, the Boeing 737 we flew reached 756 km/h and so with headphones on I waited for turbulence – then everyone sits still as if it would help the autopilot to catch balance.

I have arrived! The children happily ran out of the plane, I always wait for everyone to be the first to wait at the conveyor belt for their luggage – As you know, Spain has a slightly different approach to time and time. Therefore, while the passengers were running to see if their suitcases had already arrived (for information – they were still on the plane), I was calmly enjoying the January palm trees that were waving to each other in the wind.

Lanzarote

on the airport

Like I said when I walked through the door of no return (these are the doors you can’t go back through if you forgot something from the plane) and as I thought the first suitcase was about to arrive. I collected my two pink hard candies (suitcases) and went to where they rent cars.

From my own experience, I know that the more local the company is, the better the service, so I don’t use those with not “best” opinions. That’s why I used the CICAR rental-friendly service and they trust you that the car looks the way it did – mine had an increased mileage of 1000 km 😛 oops! PS The serviceman also asked where I was going so much, so now I can show him this film with a pure heart. He’ll know where those miles come from.

happy birthday to me!

Holy shit it’s 12:00! So I set out with Google Maps on a trip – the first task was to find the place I booked through Airbnb. It turned out that I was too early, so I had no choice but to wait. The gentleman who lived in the building next door and was the manager did not speak a tooth in English and I did not speak a tooth in Spanish. It will be fun I thought. There were 4 rooms inside, I got the one downstairs with a view of one of the volcanoes. A beautiful place, just one warning – in the winter you will take thermoactive underwear because the locals do not have heaters. If you are staying in a hotel, don’t worry.

let's start the adventure!

I unpacked and checked what I have planned for the next 7 days. What did I expect? I don’t know for sure that I will have fun. I had contact with the owner who always helped me with questions – it’s a big plus, hospitality.

I went to Arrecife, to visit the capital of this 60 km long island. Tenerife made a similar impression on me in 2018. This is where I fell in love with the Canary Islands. The climate of both islands is amazing and there is such peace and a feeling as if time has stopped. Magic.

I decided that I will not party today, because I have a busy schedule with attractions for tomorrow. So I rushed my Fiat 500 towards Tinajo. I fell asleep in 3 minutes.

1000 km - 7 days: let's do it!

Day two woke me up at 7:30. There’s a time difference of an hour and 10 years here. Joke. The Canary Islands are located within the meridians the Canary Islands are located within the 0 degrees meridian, which means that they have the same time here as in London. So when going on vacation, we have an hour more to explore – because who will forbid the rich?

Lanzarote’s roads are wonderful, often without a shoulder and with thousands of various volcanic formations on both sides. El Golfo was the first to appear in the crosshairs. The colour of this unusual lake is due to the specific phytoplankton found in it. It has a depth of 8-10 meters and is filled with seawater. It was formed when sea water entered the crater of the volcano. In addition, it is probably saltier than the Dead Sea. The stone wall above it is the only part of the El Golfo volcano, the rest was swallowed by the sea. At the end of the day, I went to several places where you can enjoy beautiful views. These places are Los Hervideros, Caldera Blanca, enchadero de los camellos. And tomorrow it’s time to learn the secrets of Timanfaya

Mornings on this island are magical, why? Because it’s so quiet here, especially on January 3, 2020, when I decided to check out a historic place – Timnfaya National Park. The moon-like landscape that delights tourists is the result of volcanic eruptions just 300 years ago. Lava and magma have created a scenery straight from science fiction movies, in which, despite the harshness, life is gradually spreading. The park opens at 9:00 – and it’s better to be there at 8:45. There were a few tourists with me, but within an hour the whole park was buzzing with life. A bus tour is an excellent option to see the park “from the inside”. Then you can see how active you can make a barbecue or a steam fountain on the volcano.

The point that cannot be missed is the amazing Salinas de Janubio salt fields. That is why the island is called the land of salt. Their area is 440,000 m2, and an average of 2,000 tons of salt are mined here annually. In addition to its aesthetic values, Salinas de Janubio is primarily a place where 100% natural sea salt, free of preservatives and additives, is mined. Ocean water is used for its production, which, after being evaporated by the sun, is collected and then subjected to cleaning and other production processes.

My goal was the southern end of the island, Faro de Pechiguera. This is an active lighthouse located on the southwest end of the island. It was opened in 1866. An ocean and waves are crashing against the rocks. This noise calms down and the salt creates amazing images on the walls of stones.

Next stop: Costa de Papagayo, in other words we pay 2 euros and drive through a paved road for quite a sporty section. It must be wonderfully quiet here at night. I arrived at the beach. Amazing view, especially from the upper cliffs. I wanted to sit and watch. Unfortunately, the January aura is so windy that I was wearing shorts – a tourist. So I went to the other side of the cliffs and there are mountains and valleys, beautiful hills and narrow passages – a place for hiking enthusiasts.

Lanzarote

being a tourist - easy job

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On day 4 I decided to see the northern part of the island. I packed a few clothes for a change (volcanoes were also planned, so I took a jacket just in case) and set off in my wonderful Fiat500.

The first stop is Santa Barbara Castle. The historic stronghold is located on Mount Benacantil, which dominates the entire city. The history of the castle dates back to the 9th century, and its name probably derives from the characteristic shape of the hill, which the Arabs referred to as Banu-lQatil, or auricle. The stronghold is surrounded by olive trees. One of the courtyards can be accessed by a special elevator from the city level.

VIEWS ARE MAGIC - LIKE ON MARS!

The view from the castle is a view of Teguise, a small town located at the foot of the castle. It is one of the first towns founded in the Canary Islands. Already after walking through the streets, you can notice great attention to detail and the architecture of this place makes us move back in time to the times of the pirates – there is also a Museum of Piracy here. A market is also held here.

On my way north I came across an interesting place: Parque Eolico. A wind farm located on the ridges of smaller volcanoes. An incredibly quiet place and worth seeing, because the views are stunning.

So that there are not enough views, we will now move to Mirrador Rincon de Haria. The January sunset is a relief for the eyes and the sound of the waves as music. A perfect place to end the day, just not mine haha.

Cezar Manrique

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To learn more about the history of the island, I visited the Cezar Manrique Museum. This artist is not only a painter, sculptor or architect but also an environmental activist. He strove to preserve traditional construction, he was against placing advertising boards, assuming that they would disfigure the landscape. He lived in a house in the bed of the dried Taro de Tahiche stream, the ground floor of which was placed in natural rock cavities formed after the volcanic eruption. The current appearance of the island is due to his activities – in addition to his house, where the foundation of his name now operates, he created, among others, El Diablo, the symbol of the Timanfaya park, Mirador del Rio, Jardin de Cactus, the original cactus garden, gardens and swimming pools at the Los Salinas hotel in Costa Teguise, Jameos del Agua – a concert hall inside a rock, volcanic cave. He also created movable sculptures, which he called Wind Toys, which now decorate the island.

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day of the cactus

I think I missed the silence, I found it here.

At the beginning of the fifth day, I went here and there – this island is magic in a nutshell – there is everything you could want from a luxury holiday: palm trees, banana trees, luxury hotels, beaches and volcanoes.

The cherry on the cake of the day is Jardin de Cactus. It is an artistically developed round crater, a hole in the ground, where we can admire over 1,400 species of cacti. This is the last great work of Cesar Manrique. Some are really tiny, because they measure only 2 centimeters, but there are also those over 20 meters high, which probably make a great impression on most tourists. They are planted at different heights on stone terraces that climb upwards. Their different shapes, colors and spikes make it hard to take your eyes off each one.

Finally, a riddle: Is there a Mercedes that is always parked and is white? Yes! It is a church that is located near the Jardin de Cactus. I managed to catch 2 Mercedes in one photo.

On the 6th morning I set off for the northernmost point of the island – Mirador de Guinate. From this vantage point, there is a beautiful view of the strait of El Río, the island of La Graciosa and the islands of the Chinijo archipelago further away.

Did you know that Lanzarote is famous for the production of aloe vera? No> Don’t worry I had no idea either until I saw the sign: Lanzaloe. Thought I’d pop in and see. I did not expect that, thousands of aloes of “various brands” used in the production of soaps, creams and cosmetics. Perfect when we tan too much – it soothes the skin and perfectly moisturizes it. By the way, I wonder if they also make juice here.

On the coast, in the middle of nowhere, is Jameos del Aqua which lies just one kilometer from Cueva de los Verdes. They belong to the same flood tunnel de Atlantida. Jameos del Aqua is located in the part of this tunnel closer to the coast. It owes its name to the existing lake inside, which is a unique geological formation.

This place is the first work of Cesar Manirique, already known to us, in which man “harmonizes with nature”. Sightseeing once again begins with a short walk down the stairs, where we first reach the restaurant. Unlike Cuvea de los Verdes, we don’t get a guide here.

Our eyes are drawn to the salt lake in the cave, which is the main attraction of this place. The tunnel itself is about 60 meters long, wide and about 20 meters high. When you get closer, you can see a crystal sheet, and small floating white scraps, a bit like scraps of paper. They’re tiny crabs, a form of cancer, to be exactmore precisely, a very rare species of albino crabs, which has become a symbol of this place. They feed on algae and normally inhabit the oceans at a depth of nearly 3,000 meters. On the right, along the wall, a beautiful, narrow, rocky walkway with an original balustrade leads us to the other side.

Lanzarote

north side

Passing it, we reach another bar, where between rock tables and stairs we climb to another attraction of this place, i.e. to an exotic garden with a swimming pool. The first thing that comes out of the mouth of most tourists after seeing it is a big “wow”. All in stunning white. The pool itself impresses with its azure, also distinguished by the whiteness of its edge. Palm trees, boulders, and other exotic plants make you not want to leave this place.

Day seven is a time to relax. I came from Arrecife a bit, but one of my passions is aeroplanes. Here, I also recommend Mirador de Acercamiento to all fans of aviation. During sunbathing, you can hear the sound of incoming planes here – right over your head!!!

I hope your trip to the island of the sun of salt and volcanoes will be unforgettable, and that you will return to this place on the next flight!