Page 554 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

552  SP AIN ’ S ISLANDS

Lanzarote the clear, warm sea laps into
rocky coves, and clothes seem
The easternmost and fourth largest of the Canary Islands is superfluous. Playa de Papagayo
virtually treeless and relies on desalination plants for some of its is the best known of these, but
water. Yet many visitors consider Lanzarote the most attractive a diligent search will probably
of all the islands for the vivid shapes and contrasting colours of gain you one all to yourself.
A four-wheel-drive vehicle
its volcanic landscapes. Despite low rainfall, carefully tended is advisable to negotiate the
crops flourish in its black volcanic soil. Locals pride themselves narrow, unsurfaced roads
on the way their island has been preserved from the worst which lead to these beaches.
effects of tourism; there are no garish billboards, overhead The underwater Museo
cables or high-rise buildings. Its present-day image owes Atlántico combines art and
conservation. Jason deCaires
much to the artist César Manrique. Touring the spectacular Taylor’s dramatic installations act
volcanic Timanfaya National Park is a favourite trip. as an artificial reef, and visitors
share the statues with banks
of sardines and octopuses.
E Museo Atlántico
Puerto Marina Rubicón, Calle el
Berrugo 2. Tel 928 51 73 88. Open
10am–5pm Mon–Fri (diving: to 4pm).
& ∑ cactlanzarote.com/cact/
museo-atlantico/

g Parque Nacional
de Timanfaya
Las Palmas Yaiza. n Carretera LZ–67,
km 11.5, Mancha Blanca, 928 11 80 42.
Wind turbines harnessing Lanzarote’s winds for power Open daily. &
f Playa Blanca family-oriented place with some From 1730 to 1736, a series of
character. It has plenty of cafés volcanic eruptions took place
Las Palmas. * 4,500. @ g n Calle
Varadero 3, 928 51 90 18. _ Nuestra and restaurants, shops and bars, on Lanzarote. Eleven villages
Señora del Carmen (16 Jul). and several large hotels. However, were buried in lava, which
∑ turismolanzarote.com the buildings are well dispersed eventually spread over 200 sq km
and the resort is rarely noisy at (77 sq miles) of Lanzarote’s most
The fishing village origins of this night. Visitors converge here fertile land. Miraculously, no one
resort are readily apparent around not for nightlife or contrived was killed, though many
its harbour. Although it has entertainment, but for relaxing islanders emigrated.
expanded in recent years, Playa beach holidays. There are one or Today, the volcanoes that
Blanca remains an agreeably two good stretches of sand near once devastated Lanzarote pro-
to the town, but the most entic- vide one of its most lucrative
ing lie hidden around the rocky and enigmatic attractions, aptly
headlands to the east, where known as the Montañas del
César Manrique (1919–92)
Local hero César Manrique trained as a
painter, and spent time in mainland Spain
and New York before returning to
Lanzarote in 1968. He campaigned
for traditional and environ-
mentally friendly development
on the island for the
remaining part of his life,
setting strict building height
limits and colour requirements.
Dozens of tourist sites
throughout the Canaries
benefited from his talents
Las Coloradas beach near Playa Blanca in and enthusiasm. César Manrique in 1992
southern Lanzarote
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p575 and pp604–5

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