If you’ve booked a cruise to the Canary Islands which docks in Lanzarote, you may be asking yourself “How do you discover the real Lanzarote with the limited time ashore?”
Having escaped from the confines of a cruise ship, we expect that the last thing you want to do is jump straight on to a packed tour bus for a mass excursion to various destinations around the island. Much better to take a private tour as a couple or join some like minded friends to form a small group and create a personal experience of a day to remember.
Lanzarote has some spectacular visitor attractions, the most popular being the Timanfaya National Park and a place where visitors begin to understand the beauty of our volcanic landscape and the history of our eruption from 1730 – 1736. Our famous artist César Manrique was instrumental in shaping Lanzarote for tourism. The Jameos del Agua is a marvellous example of his talent, when he was tasked with creating a concert hall within the lava tunnel.
Over 40% of Lanzarote is protected to preserve our unique landscape and wildlife, take the wine region of La Geria for example, which is often compared to the surface of the moon. The six year eruption in Lanzarote drastically changed the island, fertile pastures were lost, residents died from hunger until the miracle of the volcanic ash was discovered. In La Geria the vines are planted in craters dug up to 4 metres deep into the ash, this was to reach the fertile land underneath. The result was that the vines flourished due to the protection from the wind and any overnight dew or rainfall was retained in the earth due to the covering of ash. The ash which is known as picón was transported to other areas of the island to cover the surface of the crop fields. A visit to Lanzarote wouldn’t be complete without tasting our award winning wine, which is still grown and harvested traditionally by hand.
There are lots of great places to taste our local gastronomy too, you have to try a wrinkly potato dipped in mojo! Being part of Spain we have tapas where you can enjoy a taste of several dishes or a menu del día which is a 3 course set menu. Some of the best traditional food is found not in the best restaurants, but the sociedads which can be found in most villages.
The soul of the Lanzarote was forged by fire, ocean and the sacrifice of it’s people during centuries of extreme struggle against the elements. Learn about Lanzarote’s fascinating history, our aboriginals were called Los Majos, who were conquered by the Spanish and our castles were built to help defend the islanders from pirate attacks. The old capital of La Villa de Teguise has cobbled streets and typical Canarian architecture with fine examples of the different chimneys, balconies and windows.
There’s so much to discover in Lanzarote, it’s impossible to fit it all in during one day! This is where using a local guide can help you to get off the beaten track and focus on the elements that are important to you. You can have your kind of day in Lanzarote with Blackstone Treks & Tours, it doesn’t matter what your preference is, the guides can adapt a one of their suggested tours or plan one specifically for you, to enjoy the island at your pace.
A half day tour is 4-5 hours and full day 7-8 hours, the price is based on the tour not per person, so it’s definitely worth travelling with a few friends to fill an air conditioned minibus, carrying 2-8 people. Tours for large groups can also be organised at a discounted cost.
Please visit www.blackstonetreks.com for more information or complete our enquiry form Blackstone Tours.