Lanzarote - Spain

Lanzarote

Lanzarote is one of the 7 Spanish Canary Islands. These islands are actually closer to the African continent than to Europe so I was still optimistic about finding good weather there. I landed sometime close to 3 o’clock in the afternoon without my bag. I had my suspicious. If I almost missed my connecting flight in Barcelona I was pretty sure my bag would not make it. 2 years of working at baggage service in American Airlines thought me about the danger of these tide connections…and also about the white lies sometimes employees tell to comfort passengers. The girl at the counter told me a story about my bag coming later that night from Madrid (which did not make too much sense). However they told me it would be delivered to my hostel. I left in search of a hostel for my stay, so that I could call them back with the address. The guy at the tourist information office gave me some suggestions of hostels in Arrecife (the capital of Lanzarote) which is the place where I wanted to stay. I took a 1 Euro bus from the airport to Arrecife, checked in at the hostel and then went out for a walk of the city. My 2 years through the school of “Everything I need to learn I learned at the baggage service at the Miami International Airport” also taught me to pack certain things in a backpack (which I carry on in the plane) just in case my bag does not arrive with me. However there were other things I did not have with me which I did have to buy. Arrecife is the biggest city in the island with 51,000 inhabitants. It has a couple of historical churches and the remains of a castle (fortress) as its top tourist attractions but other than that is just a city with lots of stores, cafes and restaurants and small businesses.

Leaving the African continent - Arriving in Lanzarote

Arrecife

But once you leave Arrecife and go to the many small towns of the island and explore its mountains and national parks you are left breathless. The natural beauty of the island is indescribable and breathtaking. That day during my walk around Arrecife I noticed there was a dense “fog” which did not allow you to see much in the horizon. I had noticed the same dense fog from the airplane when arriving but did not give it too much thought. The next morning I was hoping for a clear and sunny sky but the dense fog continued. It was impossible to see a ray of sunlight and the sky was all congested. It was not cloudy. It was just congested. I later found out that it was all due to the “Calima” phenomenon (in English it is called Saharan Airl Layer): a dust layer which originates in the Sahara dessert. Calima is caused when high winds in the Sahara stir up a duststorm and then other winds drive it to the Canary Islands.

More spectacular views in Lanzarote

I rented a car on Thursday to drive around the island and be able to see as many places (town, parks, and views) as possible. First I drove to the Timanfaya National Park, a park entirely made up of volcanic soil and which has been declared a Biospherical Reserve by UNESCO. The drive through the park is amazing; I wanted to take a picture everywhere I looked. You drive about 3 miles after entering the park and paying the 7 Euro fee and park you car. You then take a 100-seat coach with 97 German tourists which takes you into a tour inside the park (by the way, the other 3 non-German tourists in my bus where a Spanish couple and myself. I swear the place was filled with German tourists. Everyplace I went I overheard people talking in German). While in the bus they play a recording which explains a lot about the history of the park and how every landmark inside it was formed. Of course the recordings are in Spanish, English and German.

Timanfaya National Park

After the bus tour I drove to Los Hervideros: another beautiful site of rock formations on the ocean. I then drove back up towards the northern part of the island to the town of Teguise: a small villa which was the first capital of the Island. Almost all of the towns I drove by in Lanzarote looked very similar: white houses with green doors, windows and balconies. The surroundings of every town are very dry and therefore they are of a reddish/orange color and there are lots of palm trees as well. I continued driving up north to the Mirador del Rio which is said to have some amazing views of Lanzarote and from where you ca also see the small of island of La Graciosa. However, due to the Calima nothing could be seen at a distance. What a shame!
I got back to Arrecife, returned the car and got back to the hotel just before 9 o’clock. While on the road I had called the airline and they told me my bag had arrived at 3 o’clock and it would be delivered later on. I got to the hotel hopeful to recuperate my belongings and of course the bag was not there. They assured me it had been picked up by the delivery company and that it would be delivered that night. Just 5 minutes before midnight, as I was loosing hope, they knocked at my door and there was my bag. I was soooo relieved, especially because I was catching a flight to Gran Canaria the next morning and then it would have been a mess trying to have my bag catch up to me.

Los Hervideros - Mirador del Rio (Notice the Calima)

Typical town in Lanzarote - Too windy

On my flight to Gran Canarias I was given the local paper and then on the front page there was this very interesting article: the Calima that had taken place the 2 prior days was so high it was not recommended for small kids and older people to be outside and for healthy adults to do any physical work.

Driving towards Timanfaya

The Coast