Why going on a one-week-trip to Lanzarote when Fuerteventura, another canary island literally in viewing distance was everything but exciting?

Well, these islands are close to each other but they are significantly different. And not only because they aren´t the same age. Lanzarote is more or less 36 Million years old and finally redhead the sea level about 15 Million years ago. Fuerteventura is about five Million years older so by far more eroded, especially as there hasn’t´t been any Vulcan activities since 4000 years. Instead you can still experience that on Lanzarote which has dramatically changed just about 200 years ago. Anyway, I just think I´m kind of attracted by volcanos – and it’s just a 3 hours flight.

We stayed in a small place called El Golfo which is located in the middle of an old crater of which half of it disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean. It´s a small fisherman’s village with pretty decent restaurants (except on New Years Eve, when everything closes as the staff wants to party somewhere else. The landscape around El Golfo is stunning and everyday there are buses over buses bringing tourists to this place so that everyone can get a quick look at the green lake.

Not far away there is a road towards the Timanfaya National Park which goes straight through La Geria – where all the vineyards are located. The way they grow there grapes is pretty unique as they only use the humidity from the nights which gets absorbed in tiny volcanic stones and then, during the day, keeps everything inside a mini-crater growing. And the wine is pretty decent.

Needless to say, the Timanfaya park itself is worth a trip to that island. Even though you are not allowed to explore the park by yourself but have to get on one the buses which take you around for a 30-minutes tour. But it’s impressive – and the architecture of Çesar Manrique leaves you speechless.Manrique is another reason to visit Lanzarote. He had such a great impact on the culture and especially the archtecture on that island and just the fact that he could convince the government to not allow any building to be higher than two floors is worth a big:

Graçias Çesar!