Rancho Texas is my favorite attraction in Lanzarote. During the day the wildlife park is open with shows including sea lions, an extremely funny parrot show and birds performing air acrobatics! You can hunt for gold in their gold mine, take the kids for a ride on a canoe and they can experience a pony ride. The park has a coach service which will pick up and drop off within the resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca. There is also a nice restaurant on site, should you get hungry.
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In the evening we got dressed up ready for their Country and Western theme night. Absolutely excellent! On arrival we were met by a cowboy and an Indian on horseback, then you are led into the huge ranch where you are served all-you-can-drink beer, sangria and soft drinks; the only requirement is that once your jug is empty one of you has to stand up and shout ‘Yee-Haa’ to get your jug re-filled. The children are all taken off in a group where they can have their faces painted, play on a bouncy castle, play various games and even try horse riding! We bought some cowboy hats and throughout the evening there was live music, fabulous dancers and the chance to learn line dancing. A mouthwatering BBQ and buffet was served during the interval.
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Timanfaya National Park is definitely a ‘must see’ for anyone travelling to Lanzarote on holiday. At the top of the volcano there is a fabulous restaurant and all of the meat is barbecued over the natural volcanic heat. To display this heat, one of the tour guides pours water down a hole in the ground and within a couple of seconds, steam shoots up and back out. Several tour buses are on site to take you around the lava fields and a commentary during the journey gives a full account of the last volcanic eruption. We chose to have a camel ride at the side of the volcano and would certainly recommend it to others for the fun factor. In the evening you can book the ‘Volcan Grill’ and watch the sun set over the volcanoes whilst eating great food, drinking sangria and listening to the live Canarian singers.
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Cesar Manrique Foundation is the incredibly unique house of the late artist Cesar Manrique. Its funky design, built around lava from the volcano, makes you think ‘Austin Powers – swinging sixties party!’ It would be difficult not to be impressed by his work, which is not just the house itself, as there are other samples of his ‘art’ on display.
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Cueves de los Verdes or the green caves are volcanic tubes, leading from the extinct volcano, Mount Corona to the coast, ending at Jameos del Agua. We explored a section of the caves which has been opened to visitors and ambient lighting guides you through and highlights the caves layers. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but the caves have a secret – which you will find out at the end of the journey. During the summer months there are live music concerts held in the caves.
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Guinate Tropical Park is right up in the north of the island; the drive to reach it offers amazing views of the serene rural landscape, which is quite different from the south of Lanzarote. Inside the park, as you walk around you can see hundreds of different species of birds, in every colour imaginable! At various times throughout the day there is a parrot show which is really funny to watch. There are many other animals to see at the park and if you want to stop for lunch, there is an onsite restaurant and juice bar.
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Jameos del Agua is just a beautiful place to visit. Firstly, there is an underground natural lagoon, which is home to blind albino crabs. The lagoon is surrounded by pretty gardens and there is a restaurant on site, which is also open in the evenings and has live music. There is a huge, white pool at the side of the gardens, but you cannot swim in it – someone told us that it was only for the use of the King of Spain! Stone steps from here lead us to an interesting display of the volcanic activity within the Canary Islands.
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Mirador del Rio has one of the most breathtaking views that you will ever see. It overlooks the small neighboring island of La Graciosa and there is a lovely bar area which was designed by the artist, Cesar Manrique. We were told that Mirador means ‘look out piont’ in Spanish and that this was the best place to spot pirates.
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Whilst sightseeing around the north of Lanzarote, we spent a couple of hours exploring the huge Cactus Garden. After looking at over 10,000 cacti of 1,400 species we decided to stop and have a drink in the pretty on-site restaurant. We were told that one type of cactus is food for a particular type of beetle and its larva is used a natural food and clothing dye. There was also a small gift shop selling locally made items and small cactus plants.
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The Aquapark in Costa Teguise is a relatively small water park, but I thought that it was excellent for families. The rides vary with a choice for adults and children, there is a large swimming pool and children’s play area. We found the restaurant quite expensive, so if you are going for the whole day, then take a packed lunch.
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It was very interesting to visit the El Grifo Wine Museum and see how wine making has developed over the years. After a fascinating tour of the museum, see how the wine is made there today and have a tasting session, note to make sure that you are not the designated driver! Finally, you can purchase your favorites from their souvenir shop, perfect gifts to take back home.
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This article was written by Stacy Orton who is a member of the locations development team at Premier Holidays. Premier Holidays offers a wide range of luxury private villas in Lanzarote, including Puerto del Carmen, Puerto Calero, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca.
Photographs by James Mitchell© courtesy of Lanzarote Guide Book.
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