The restaurant Hespérides belongs to the one of the best on the island in our opinion. They put emphasis on high quality of the ingredients and on a delicious taste in a beautiful atmosphere. You will be pampered at Hespérides in Teguise with organic food from local producers. You can choose for instance between pumpkin and goat cheese croquettes, vegetarian skewers, smoked tofu and other small dishes. In addition, vegan and gluten-free dishes are also prepared. Even drinks are made biologically. But no worries, the menu is not free of meat and fish. You can be convinced by well-prepared dishes of selected animals. You should not miss to try one drink from the wine bar at Hespérides.
LZ 20 takes you to the small seaside village of La Santa, as well as hundreds of sport enthusiasts and athletes – cyclists, who belong to the “Urbanisación La Santa Sport”. Teams of both recreational and professional athletes train here. The club has an incredible amount of sporting equipment and facilities. Whether you want to measure your running time professionally, take a guided mountain bike tour or exercise your hips in Latino Aerobik course, Club La Santa offers it all.
A highlight for water sports fans is the man-made lagoon created by the connection of the island of La Isleta, by two dams to Lanzarote. Hoist your sails and enjoy wind surfing and long-distance swimming in warmer temperatures. The seaside village of La Santa is not yet a main tourism destination. The small port remains unspoilt and full of charm. Tucked away is the excellent restaurant “Amendoa”, open daily from 7pm.
Follow LZ 20 back to Tinajo and take the road to Tenesar – Las Malvas, a dirt track with no signposts, a journey to nowhere. In Tenesar, a village consisting of just 20 houses, time seems to have stood still. Here you can take things a bit slower – no stress, no hassle. The ideal place for a short break or a picnic.
The waves crash against the cliffs of Tenesar throwing spray into the air – a breathtaking spectacle of nature. The resulting salty mist provides a pleasant cooling. On a rough day the waves are enormous. Continuing on – go back to the point at which the road forks and then take the other exit to Playa de las Malvas.
The beaches Playa de las Malvas and Playa de la Madera offer visitors a fascinating backdrop: a rough, wild and rugged coastline, an agitated ocean and only a few tourists. If you’re looking for palm trees, white sand and restaurants then you can forget it, at this secluded and stunning location. Take good shoes, at Playa de Las Malvas the trail up the cliff is a great walk. From here enjoy the sunset, an unforgettable experience. Tip: Take a thick towel to sit on.
La Santa is an ideal place to train and practice sports. At the “Club La Santa”centre there are various training facilities and exercise classes. In addition, every year the “Quemao Class” is held here. This is one of the toughest surfing competitions in Europe for its complex waves.
Approaching from LZ 30, the former capital of the island, Teguise is easy to find. In 1852 Teguise had to give up its title with a heavy heart to Arrecife. However Teguise is a small town with a lot of charm and ambiance, winding streets and historic buildings. Parking is easy.
One should definitely visit Teguise twice: once during the week when Teguise shows it’s quiet and contemplative side, and on a Sunday when the town comes alive. Colouful and flamboyant weekend markets attract the crowds. Market sellers and artisans present their wares – haggling is the order of the day for kitsch, junk and hand-made crafts.
Throw yourself into the fray and be inspired by the vitality and the spirit of the town. The market closes at 2pm, but keep your eyes peeled when you stroll through the lanes of Teguise. In certain backyards there’s live music to be found.
Since the 90s, the church hall of the former monastery “Convento de Santo Domingo” is a venue for art exhibitions, entry is free. “Plaza de la Constitución” has several attractions. Built in the 15th century, the gothic style church “San Miguel” is eye catching and one of the oldest religious buildings on the Canary Islands. Unfortunately, the doors to the inner part of church, where the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe are closed to most visitors.
Opposite the church is the 18th-century “Palacio Spínola” which now houses a spinola museum. Spinola is a guitar-like instrument played in the Canary Islands, having its origins in Teguise. Even if you’re not interested in the history or construction methods of the spinola, the Palacio is worth a visit. The beautiful courtyard and interiors are a prime example of 18th century Canarian architecture. To the left of the Palacio is “La Cilla”, a small house. In this former tithed building, farmers had to give a part of their grain harvest as taxes. How fitting that today a bank now occupies this historic building.
Wander through the winding alley ways and discover a myriad of surprises: workshops where ancient handy crafts are produced, galleries with interesting works of art and presentations, cozy cafes with small, beautiful courtyards and earthy pubs. Next to the ancient theater of Teguise is the restored “Palacio Marqués de Herrera y Rojas”, now home to the Restaurant “Palacio del Marqués”. Prices for tapas and wine are definitely on the heavy side. Ordering less than a whole bottle of wine, will more than likely incur a derogatory reaction.
Leaving the town towards Haría is “Castillo Santa Barbara.” Either follow the signposted footpath and walk up the hill, or drive in the comfort of your car. Views over Teguise are fantastic . In the past the Castillo served as an observation post for the Lanzaroteños. Oncoming attacks by pirates could easily be seen and population warned. Interestingly this historic building is now a pirate museum.
On the outskirts of Teguise is what looks like a Pet cemetery. Works od art have been created from old broken toys, mannequins and other junk item. Museo Mara Mao” is a freaky and wacky cabinet of curiosities. Good that tastes differ and art remains a matter of taste.
If you follow LZ-1 in the direction of Jameos del Agua, you will pass the two coastal towns of Arrieta and Punta Mujeres.
Sunrays glisten on the water, small fishing boats sway to the beat of the light waves, locals cast their rods in the hope of a good catch.
Shortly before entering Arrieta, turn right to the beach Playa de la Garita, also popular with locals and very suitable for children, with access to the popular beach bar “La Casita de La Playa”. On this beach to the north you reach the second recommended bar “El Chiringuito”, with the best access from the side of Arrieta.
In Arrieta there are some good fish restaurants, pizzerias, supermarket and also a stationery shop. Also the supermarket at the gas station with a large assortment, which is also open on Sundays, directly at the entrance to the village, is really well recommended.
The two coastal towns of Arrieta and Punta Mujeres have managed to retain their charm and ambience. Small whitewashed houses with blue or green shutters dominate the village.
In Arrieta you will probably notice the house “Casa Juanita” shining in shades of blue and red. The special location of this charming building, which borders the harbour pier on one side and the Atlantic on the other, is the background of a rather sad story from the early 1920s. At that time a Lanzaroteño built this beautiful house for his lung sick daughter. She was supposed to recover by inhaling the salty sea air, but unfortunately died in early years.
In front of “Casa Juanita” is the small lagoon “El Charcón”, which with its shallow waters is the ideal place to stay, especially for families with small children.
The town of Haría is the capital of the municipality of the same name on Lanzarote.
Haria lies surrounded by Volcanos, in the north of Lanzarote, in the “Valley of the Thousand Palms” and there is no other place on the whole island where canary palms grow in such a variety.
It is said that whenever a girl was born in Haría, a new palm tree grew.
Haría was often exposed to invasions and pirate attacks throughout his history. In the most devastating of 1586, almost the entire palms were burnt down. The neoclassical buildings at the Plaza de la Constitución date the 19th century, when Haría was temporarily the seat of a constituent assembly. Especially in the 1950s, when during the Franco era many inhabitants moved their homeland in Haría towards South America, Haría suffered under a land run. To this day some of the houses are empty.
Center of the village of Haría is the long, shaded Plaza León y Castillo with laurel and eucalyptus trees. At the eastern end of the square stands the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, reconstructed in 1956 after a heavy storm. Near the Plaza de la Constitución lies the Taller Municipal de Artesania handicraft center, where traditional embroidery, baskets and cloaks are made.
Around the ecclesiastical holiday of San Juan (June 24 to 27 June) colorful salt mats with different motifs are laid out on the streets. This happens during the day and one can observe the people at work before the next day a procession with St. Juan destroys these salt pictures.
In the cemetery of Haría you will find the grave of the artist and conservationist of the island, César Manrique, who moved to a farmhouse, which he rebuilt in 1988, and on 25 September 1992 in his old age Of 73 years he died after an car accident.
Haría is one of the seven municipalities of Lanzarote, with a total population of 4,755 (1 January 2015) on a total area of 106,58 km².
The address of the municipal administration is: Plaza de la Constitución, 1, 35520 – Haría,
Haría is know as the valley of thousand Palms, the Saturday Handcraft-Market is a good destination for a trip. César Manrique lived here the rest years of his life, you can visit his house (Museum) every day.
El Golfo is situated in southwest of Lanzarote. This small fishing village is known for its tasty fish specialities and the natura attraction “lago verde“. Fish is caught, gutted and cleaned right in front of your eyes, very much to the joy of the sea gulls who happily treat themselves to the leftovers. There is a small footpath at the end of the village, which leads across lava rock all along the cliffs. Sturdy footwear is absolutely necessary here.
However, the absolute highlight is the magnificent sun set. Accompanied by a glass of delicious wine from Lanzarote, it lets you just simply forget everything.
“Los Hervideros”, “Lago Verde” or “La Lagna de los Clicos” in El Golfo are one of the most beautiful places of the island, without any doubt one of the Must See of Lanzarote.
Mácher is an elongated village about 9 km south of the airport ACE, above Puerto del Carmen, with 1090 inhabitants (as of 2015), administered by the larger neighbouring municipality of Tias.
The through road from Tias to Yaiza divides the village into Macher Bajo and Macher Alto.
The actual centre is located around the petrol station with the adjacent village church and cultural centre, also called Sociedad.
It is worth stopping here and trying the tapas, for example.
On this main road, approx. 1 km further in the direction of Yaiza, on the right-hand side is the “Asadero de Mácher” with very good ratings in the rating portals.
At the large roundabout there is a shopping centre into which a large and modern Eurospar has moved, which offers a great selection of fresh meat and fish products at particularly favourable prices.
Even without any outstanding tourist attractions, Mácher has developed into a particularly popular place to live for residents and individual tourists seeking peace and quiet relaxation. Beautiful accommodation in Mácher and its surroundings can be found here.
Mácher – a quiet place with cosy restaurants and partly breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Ideal for shopping in supermarkets and village shops or just to enjoy some typical tappas in the Teleclub of Macher, the Canarian restaurant right next to the petrol station.
Macher is a great little town to experience the true canarian tradition.
An evening game of “bola canaria” in the Asadero de Macher or dinner at the famous restaurant “La Cabaña, where you can sample a variety of typical Canarian food.
Vino y mas or just Vino+ in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote
Vino y mas (Vino+) is a very creative spanish tapas bar at the end of the Avenida de las Playas in Puerto del Carmen. The tapas bar is family-owned and -managed. You will definitively meet one or more persons of the family when you are there to buy something or to enjoy wine and tapas.
In the shop of Vino+ they offer fabulous wines from Lanzarote, from the spanish mainland and other wine regions of the world. You can, moreover, buy delicious cheese, fresh meat and other gourmet food.
At the tables inside the bar and outside on the big terrace in the nice patio you can enjoy bottles and glasses of famous Lanzarote Malvasia white wines. You will be served with a menu of special spanish tapas that have got different touches of spices driven by the influence of selected worldwide regions. The menu is offered to you in spanish, english and german. According to the permanent dishes you can get some exquisite tapas of day. All dishes are freshly prepared for you. Enjoy on Lanzarote tapas, wine and more.
In Spanish Tias means aunts. The town was given the name by the former governor of Gran Canaria, Don Alfonso Fajardo, who named the place to honour his aunts. Formerly called The Tias of Fajardo after Doña Francisca and Doña Hernán Fajardo.
Tias has around 5,500 residents, is today the main town of the Municipio de Tias and the authorities and the police headquarters are based here. Many long term or permanent holidaymakers have made the town their new home. But more and more short stay holidaymakers are enjoying their holidays in the many available apartments and fincas, away from the hustle and bustle. There are plenty of beautiful little shops and some typical Spanish tapas bars and restaurants. You can visit the two churches “Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria” and “San Antonio”. If you are in Tias on a Saturday morning, then is visiting the market, where local produce and products from the island are offered, is a must. Exhibitions take place in the small church of La Ermita on a regular basis.
Arrecife has been the political and economic capital of Lanzarote since 1852. Around half of the entire population (approx. 60,000) lives here. There is now a beautiful promenade along the beach, passing the Grand Hotel and continuing quite a bit further. A market takes place at the far end of the promenade every Wednesday.
Walking along the promenade, you will pass the “Castillo San Gabriel” which accommodates the Archaeological Museum of Lanzarote. The castle’s draw bridge “Puente de las Bolas” is one of Arrecife’s landmarks. Continuing along the promenade, you will then reach “Charco San Ginés” – a small lagoon at the sea which is very popular for an afternoon or evening out for drinking and eating very good. The are is very visited during the weekend evenings. Don’t leave Lanzarote without having visited one of the great spots and having enjoyed the idyllic views.
The Castillo de San José is situated a little further away. César Manrique converted the castle into the Museum for Contemporary Art in 1974. There is restaurant in the basement where you can enjoy some of the finest culinary specialities. The restaurant was designed by Manrique and offers a beautiful view to the harbour. “Puerto de los Mármoles” – the harbour of Arrecife handles most of the island’s cargo. Many ships leave from here to the other Canary Islands and the Spanish mainland, and numerous cruise ships arrive here as well. In fact Lanzarote is the only island which is included in any of the many cruising tours throughout the canary islands. The new Marina was built to receive the cruising tourists nearer to the city center.
The pedestrian area in the Calle León y Castillo invites to an extensive shopping spree. For a break you can pop into one of the many inviting small cafes and tapas bars. Lanzarote’s highest building – the “Grand Hotel” – was built in the 70’s but closed for economic reasons in 1991 and was completely gutted by a fire in 1994. It reopened in its present form in 2004. Visiting the bar on the top floor of the hotel is worthwhile for the beautiful view alone. Just walk in and take the elevator to the top floor. The pool bar of the five star Hotel offers concerts regularly at a reasonable price.