Timanfaya National Park
At the heart of Lanzarote lies one of Europe's most extraordinary landscapes: a sea of petrified lava born between 1730 and 1736, when a series of eruptions buried much of the island and shaped the Fire Mountains. Today, the park protects more than 50 square kilometres of volcanic cones and lava flows that, just a few metres below the surface, still hold a heat that surprises every visitor. The visit includes the Mancha Blanca Visitor Centre, the famous geothermal demonstrations — where the natural heat of the subsoil sets scrub branches ablaze in seconds — and the Route of the Volcanoes, a roughly 35-minute bus ride winding between craters with views that feel like another planet.
Jameos del Agua
When César Manrique transformed this stretch of the La Corona volcanic tube into a space for art and nature in 1966, he redefined forever what a tourist attraction in Lanzarote could be. Jameos del Agua combines a crystal-clear underground lake — home to the tiny, unique blind albino crab, a symbol of the island — with tropical gardens, a concert hall carved into the rock, and a pool that seems to float between volcanic walls. Everything bears Manrique's unmistakable signature: volcanic stone living alongside white lines and organic curves. A perfect stop to combine with the nearby Cueva de los Verdes, with which it shares the same volcanic tunnel.
Cueva de los Verdes
Just minutes from Jameos del Agua, within the same volcanic tunnel formed by the eruption of the La Corona volcano thousands of years ago, lies one of the most spectacular stretches of Lanzarote's underground. The guided tour covers nearly a kilometre of galleries with lighting effects that heighten the sense of depth, chambers that once sheltered the island's population from pirate raids, and an acoustic quality so distinctive that the final stretch has even been used for concerts. The walk-through tour takes just under an hour and suits the whole family, though comfortable shoes are recommended: the ground is uneven and the interior noticeably cooler than outside.
Mirador del Río
At Lanzarote's northernmost tip, perched more than 400 metres above sea level on the Famara cliffs, Mirador del Río offers one of the most photographed panoramas in the entire Canary archipelago: the El Río strait, the island of La Graciosa, and the rest of the Chinijo Archipelago stretching out as far as the eye can see. Another work by César Manrique, the viewpoint is fully built into the cliff face, with windows that frame the landscape like paintings. It's a perfect stop to combine with Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua in a single day exploring the north of the island, and an especially good spot to watch the sunset.
Papagayo Beaches
If Lanzarote had to choose one postcard, this would probably be it: coves of fine golden sand, near-transparent turquoise water, and low cliffs that shelter them from the wind, at the island's south-western tip within the Los Ajaches Natural Monument. Papagayo isn't a single beach but a cluster of small coves reached via a dirt track from Playa Blanca, with a small toll managed by the Cabildo that helps preserve the area. It's worth arriving early in high season, bringing water and sun protection — facilities are scarce — and suitable footwear for the access track.
La Geria Vineyards
Right in the centre of the island, a landscape that at first glance looks hostile and barren hides one of Lanzarote's best-kept secrets: beneath the black volcanic ash, hundreds of small circular pits protected by low stone walls — known as zocos — shelter Malvasía vines that have been producing wines of a unique character for centuries. The technique, developed after the 18th-century eruptions, exploits the volcanic picón's ability to retain scarce night-time moisture and shield the plants from the wind. Wineries such as La Geria, one of the island's oldest, offer tastings and guided tours through the vineyards, along with direct sales of wines under the Lanzarote Denominación de Origen.
Famara and its Wave
At the foot of the imposing Famara cliffs — the island's tallest, rising over 600 metres at its highest point — stretches a beach nearly seven kilometres long that is, without much doubt, the epicentre of surfing in Lanzarote. Famara delivers consistent waves year-round, suitable both for beginners and for those seeking bigger challenges, along with a handful of local schools offering first lessons. Beyond surfing, the village of Caleta de Famara keeps an authentic, laid-back atmosphere, with good spots for fresh fish right by the sea, and serves as the gateway to Mirador del Río and to La Graciosa, visible on the horizon on clear days.
El Golfo and the Green Lagoon
On the island's west coast, the small fishing village of El Golfo hides one of the most photographed spots in Lanzarote: the Charco de los Clicos, an intensely emerald-green lagoon sitting inside a volcanic crater half eroded by the sea. The striking colour comes from a type of algae that thrives in its brackish waters, and the contrast between the lagoon's green, the black volcanic sand, and the blue Atlantic beyond is simply spectacular, especially in the mid-morning light. It's best admired from an easily accessible viewpoint just a short walk from the village car park, with no guided visit required. Stay for lunch in the village: there are several restaurants specialising in fresh fish.
Cactus Garden
César Manrique's last great work on the island, opened in 1990, occupies a former picón quarry in the village of Guatiza, right in the heart of the area once devoted to cochineal farming. An eight-metre-tall metal cactus greets visitors at the entrance, hinting at what lies inside: around 4,500 specimens across roughly 450 species from five continents, arranged across stepped terraces that make use of the original quarry's slope. As with the rest of Manrique's work, volcanic stone, water and vegetation combine with an elegance that turns every corner into an almost sculptural composition, capped off by a restored gofio mill and a restaurant with its own distinctive design.
Lanzarote in pictures
An island best enjoyed both up close and from a distance.
Photographs: Papagayo Beaches, La Geria Vineyards, El Golfo and Cactus Garden, Hommy Holidays' own image library. Mirador del Río © Edmundo Sáez (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Jameos del Agua and Cueva de los Verdes © H. Zell (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Famara © GerritR (CC BY-SA 4.0) — via Wikimedia Commons.