Lava field in front of the volcanic peaks of Timanfaya

Volcanoes and César Manrique

An island born of fire, shaped by an artist

Between 1730 and 1736, the earth split open on Lanzarote. For six years, volcanoes spewed lava and ash, burying a quarter of the island. Two centuries later, an artist came along and showed the world how beautiful this landscape is.

César Manrique (1919 to 1992) was a painter, sculptor and architect. He campaigned to keep Lanzarote free of high-rises and billboards, and created places where nature and art flow into one another. You will come across his touch all over the island.

View across red volcanic earth to the craters of Timanfaya — Timanfaya National Park

Timanfaya National Park

In the Fire Mountains, the ground is still hot today. At Islote de Hilario, the rangers show how dry brushwood bursts into flames in a crack in the earth and how water shoots up as a geyser of steam. A coach takes you along the Ruta de los Volcanes through craters and lava fields. At El Diablo restaurant, designed by Manrique, food is grilled over the heat of the volcano.

From Casa Karen: approx. 30 minutes
Our tip: Go early in the morning, when the queues at the entrance are shortest.

Surf breaking on red lava rocks near El Golfo — West coast near El Golfo

El Golfo and Los Hervideros

On the west coast, the rocks glow red, brown and black. At El Golfo, the Charco de los Clicos, a vivid green lagoon, sits in half a volcanic crater right beside a black beach. A few kilometres on at Los Hervideros, the surf thunders into lava caves and bursts up between the rocks in clouds of spray.

From Casa Karen: approx. 35 minutes
Our tip: Stay for dinner at sunset in the fishing village of El Golfo, where the restaurants sit right on the water.

The Janubio salt pans between the lagoon and the sea — Salinas de Janubio

The Janubio Salt Flats

The Janubio salt pans spread out like a mosaic between the lagoon and the sea. Sea salt has been harvested here since the 19th century, and depending on the light the pools shimmer white, pink and grey.

From Casa Karen: approx. 30 minutes
Our tip: A bag of local flor de sal makes a lovely souvenir.

Fundación César Manrique

Manrique's own home in Tahíche is perhaps his most personal work. He built it on a lava flow and turned five natural volcanic bubbles into rooms. Today it houses a foundation with his paintings and works by artists such as Picasso and Miró. Passages through the rock lead you to a white pool beneath palm trees.

From Casa Karen: approx. 20 minutes
Our tip: Allow at least an hour. Mornings are quieter.

Jameos del Agua

Inside a collapsed lava tube, Manrique created a place that feels like another world. Tiny white albino crabs, found nowhere else, live in the dark water of the underground lake. Further up, the cave opens onto a white pool surrounded by palms, and a concert hall is set into the rock.

From Casa Karen: approx. 40 minutes
Our tip: Combine your visit with Cueva de los Verdes, just a few minutes away.

Cueva de los Verdes

Cueva de los Verdes is part of a lava tube several kilometres long, formed by the La Corona volcano. The guided tour takes you through passages and chambers softly lit in ochre, red and green. At the end there is a surprise, which we will not give away here.

From Casa Karen: approx. 40 minutes
Our tip: Wear sturdy shoes, as some sections are narrow and low.

Mirador del Río

High up in the cliffs of the north, a viewpoint lies hidden, almost invisible from outside. Through vast panoramic windows, the El Río strait lies at your feet, with La Graciosa and the little islands of the Chinijo Archipelago beyond.

From Casa Karen: approx. 45 minutes
Our tip: Order a barraquito, the Canarian coffee with condensed milk and liqueur, and simply take in the view.

LagOmar

In Nazaret stands a villa that seems to have been poured into the rock, with caves, stairways, grottoes and a pool with fountains. It was designed by the artist Jesús Soto in the spirit of Manrique. Legend has it that the actor Omar Sharif lost the house in a game of cards, hence the name.

From Casa Karen: approx. 25 minutes
Our tip: Easy to combine with the Fundación César Manrique, just a few minutes away.

Daisies and palm trees in the valley of Haría — Haría

Haría and the Valley of a Thousand Palms

Haría lies in the green north, surrounded by palm groves. Manrique spent the last years of his life here. His home is open to visitors as the Casa-Museo, studio and all, as if he had only just stepped out. In spring, yellow and white daisies bloom among the palms.

From Casa Karen: approx. 40 minutes
Our tip: On Saturday mornings there is a market on the plaza with local crafts and fruit.

Little discoveries

Spray on the lava rocks at Los Hervideros

Dromedaries at the foot of the Fire Mountains

Approximate driving times from Casa Karen.

Keep exploring

Tías and Surroundings

Beaches

Your base

After a day full of new impressions, come back to the garden at Casa Karen, pour yourself a glass of wine and let the evening unfold under the pergola.

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