Things to do
14-
César Manrique Foundation
Five volcanic bubbles under a lava flow at Taro de Tahíche became the artist's home, linked by tunnels and painted white, and the house now shows his paintings beside works from his own collection. The rooms set into the bubbles are the reason to come. Tour coaches arrive mid-morning, so late afternoon is calmer. Allow about 90 minutes.
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Charco de los Clicos
Green algae colour this lagoon at El Golfo, held in a half-crater behind a black-sand beach, with the crater wall around it in rust and ochre. A path from the village car park leads up to the viewpoint for the classic angle, and the water's edge itself is fenced off. Late afternoon light suits photographs, and the village nearby serves fresh fish.
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Cueva de los Verdes
Guides lead groups through about a kilometre of this lava tube, part of the same volcanic tunnel that runs down to Jameos del Agua, with low ceilings, coloured lighting and one trick of the eye kept secret until the end. Tickets are sold online only, for a fixed date and time slot. The tour lasts close to an hour, and tall visitors should expect to duck.
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Famara Beach
Six kilometres of golden sand run below the Famara cliffs on the north-west coast, and the steady swell makes it the island's surf school beach. Currents and rips make swimming risky outside lessons and calm days. The fishing village of Caleta de Famara at the southern end has sand streets, surf shops and simple fish restaurants facing the waves.
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Jameos del Agua
César Manrique turned a collapsed lava tube into this sequence of gardens, a white pool and a cave lake where tiny blind white crabs live in the dark water. Throwing coins into the lake is forbidden, because the metal harms the crabs. Mornings are calmer before the coach groups arrive, and an hour covers the whole site at an easy pace.
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Jardín de Cactus
Thousands of cacti fill an old quarry at Guatiza, terraced in a rough amphitheatre below a restored windmill, in the last major work Manrique designed on the island. The garden sits among fields of prickly pear once farmed for the cochineal insect, used to make red dye. An hour is enough, and the low light early or late suits photographs.
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La Geria
Vines here grow in pits dug through black volcanic ash, each sheltered by a curved stone wall against the wind, and the valley looks covered in thousands of small craters. The LZ-30 road runs through it between Uga and Masdache, with bodegas along the way pouring the local malvasía. Choose a driver before the first tasting stop, as the bodegas sit a few kilometres apart.
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La Graciosa
Sand tracks instead of tarmac and a single village, Caleta de Sebo, set the pace on this small island off the north coast. Ferries cross from Órzola in about half an hour. Bicycles and four-wheel-drive taxis reach beaches such as Playa de las Conchas, where shade is scarce. The last ferry back sets the day's limit, so check the timetable before leaving.
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Los Hervideros
Waves hurl through caves and channels in a lava cliff south of El Golfo and boil up through blowholes in the rock, which is where the name comes from. Paths and viewing platforms lead over the black rock. The show peaks when a big swell is running, and the paths get slippery with spray. Twenty minutes is enough, combined with El Golfo on the same coast road.
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Mirador del Río
Built into the cliff top at the northern tip of the island, this Manrique viewpoint looks almost 500 metres down across the strait of El Río to La Graciosa and its smaller islets. A café behind long glass windows holds the view in bad weather. Low cloud can hide everything below, so check the sky over the Famara cliffs before driving up.
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Papagayo Beaches
East of Playa Blanca, a string of sandy coves sits inside the Los Ajaches protected area, reached by a dirt track with a charge at the barrier for cars. The water is calm and clear and there is almost no shade, so carry water and sun cover. Arrive early in summer, when the small car parks above the coves fill by late morning.
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Puerto del Carmen
Along the south-east coast, the island's main resort stretches for several kilometres of sandy beaches and promenade to the old harbour at its western end, where fishing boats share the quay with dive boats. It suits a first visit: the airport is close and the beaches shelve gently into calm water. Evenings centre on the seafront strip and the harbour restaurants.
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Teguise
Sunday mornings fill this former inland capital with the island's biggest market, stalls of crafts, food and clothes spread through the cobbled streets around the church. On other days the town is quiet and whitewashed, with old mansions and the castle on Guanapay volcano above it. Arrive early on a Sunday to find parking, as the market winds down after lunch.
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Timanfaya National Park
Lava from old eruptions covers this park, and the Montañas del Fuego route is the way into its heart: a coach road through craters and frozen flows, with staff showing the heat just below the ground at Islote de Hilario. Tickets are sold online only, for a set date and time, and the route runs daily through the morning and early afternoon, with a visit taking around an hour and a half.
