Everyone, irrespective of his of her definition of 'the ideal holiday in the subtropics', will find something to their liking during a holiday at Finca Chafariz: whether it's lying on a sun-lounger with a heavenly good book or just soaking up the sun in the garden, going for a walk or making 30-kilometer hikes, diving, snorkelling, cycling, paragliding, surfing, pick out a beach, swimming in the sea ... it's all easily reachable from Tabayesco. No coincidence, by the way, that the Iron man, the famous triathlon, took place on Lanzarote a number of years ago (the cycling part led along the L-207, we watched it from Finca Chafariz).
From a personal experience we can tell you a lot about lovely walks that will suit your possibilities and wishes, as we know every beach and every barranco this island. In Finca Chafariz a few very detailed and useful guides will be ready for you along with the extremely detailed Lanzarote Tour & Trail map by Ralph Brawn. It shouldn't leave the house, but please do use it to plan your trips and walks.
And then as a bonus, there are the creations by César Manrique you must put on your list: they make Lanzarote a unique island and the most intereseting one of the Canarian archipelago.
Below some of my walking tips; we gladly include many other suggestions we got from our guests.
Start from the eastern tip of Punta Mujeres and walk in the direction of Jameos del Agua. You will come across small extremely quiet bays with really white sand and sometimes a quiet sea. Or start from the fishing village La Quemada, go south and follow the path. One hour later you have found your private lava beach.
Links• From Guatiza you walk along Parque Eólico in the direction of the hamlet of El Mojón and after that through to Haría.
• In winter: hike across La Graciosa (guide recommended if you want make a full round)
• Trekking along Timanfaya Park (tip of tips)
Start in Tabayesco at the L-2017 and finish at the T-crossing: this is an iconic 10 kilometer climb at a 5% inclination (cycling part of the Iron Man 70.3)
LinkMultiple possibilities at the west (Famara) and the east (Punta Mujeres) coast. Surfing schools for any age and level at Famara.
https://www.windy.com/ check the wind
http://www.surfschoolanzarote.com/ certified surfing school
http://www.clandestino-surf-adventure.com/ o.a. surfing, kite-surfing, SUP (Stand-Up Paddling)
The Dive College Lanzarote is a 5-star Padi diving resort located at Playa Blanca and has been an NOB-certified diving school since 2012. Truly awesome is the Lanzarote Underwater Museum.
•http://www.snorkelenduiken.nl/ (picture: snorkelen en duiken)
Lanzarote Atlantic Museum.com/ (foto: LUM)
With its regular wind patterns Lanzarote is a great and reliable place to practice paragliding. Best period to jump from hills and mountains between autumn and spring.
LinksDon't expect massive quantities but look for diversity: Lanzarote has a wealth of birds. Book a trip with people who know where you should be or use one of the suggestions below.
LinksNowadays LagOmar is a museum, art gallery, bar and restaurant. Originally it was a model home that was partly built in the caves and corridors of a mine. The concept in the style of the 'Fairy Tales of 1001 night' was by César Manrique and Jésus de Soto, and the house became famous when film actor Omar Sharif bought it spontaneously and lost it a day later ...
LinkParticularly well cared for tiny museum in Mala where the production of the cochinilla is explained, the red louse that thrives on the disc cactus and that is still grown (or: again) in Mala. There are also two museums close to Finca Chafariz, one in Arrieta and one in Punta Mujeres where aloe vera products are sold.
LinksThere's an infinite number of chances to get home with really beautiful shots. Occasional passing clouds make the light interesting almost all the time, the colours are unique and billboards and electricity cables running above ground are forbidden. It is no coincidence many photography courses use the north of Lanzarote.
LinksIf you have ever been driving around Lanzarote, it must have struck you that there's a private small-scale museum in nearly every village. They're worth a visit and make a nice combination with a trip to the supermarket or to cover an overcast day.
LinksIn the slideshow below that we will be constantly expanding, you can see there's yet more to Lanzarote than Manriques creations. To pick up the atmosphere of the north of Lanzarote we made a round trip anti-clockwise from Finca Chafariz, to show villages, beaches and landscapes. We don't pretend it to cover every aspect, it's just to give you an idea where to and what to see once you're staying at Chafariz.
In case you want to know even more, we dedicated an entire page with tips for daytrips, restaurants, shopping et cetera, based on our experiences and those of our guests.
From Finca Chafariz we make a round-trip round-the-clock along Tabayesco, Arrieta, Punta Mujeres and Órzola, where the ferry leaves for La Graciosa. Then we go inside to Yé and drive via the viewpoint Guinate to Haría. Further we visit the old capital, Teguise, and finally the new capital, Arrecife.
(with the octagonal symbol you can enlarge the photos)
If there is one island in the Canarian archipelago that stands out for its diversity in beaches, it is Lanzarote.
Beaches to make 6-kilometer walks, city beaches, family beaches, beaches with cycling boulevards, beaches to lie down and get a tan, surfing beaches, natural basins, private coves, official and less official locations to strip off - expect some nudity at every quiet beach location -, beaches that are safe to swim for the little ones, Lanzarote has it all. Interestingly, the sand literally varies from beaming white to lava black. At the Jameos del Agua science centre you will find a display with samples of any sort of sand that can be found on the Lanzarote beaches. Impressive variety.
Furthermore, it is good to know you can go from a westcoast beach to the east or vice versa in a relatively short time. So if you think the wind is too strong (or too modest ☺) at the beach you are at a particular moment, then the other side of the island will most probably suit you better. Another advantage of Lanzarote!
View pictures of Playa de Reducto at Arrecife, Charco del Palo, Piscina natural Robayna, Playa La Garita at Arrieta, Punta Mujeres, Caléton Blanco in the northeast, Playa de la Cantería at Órzola, Playa de Famara in the west to the eight Papagayo beaches at the south near Playa Blanca including Playa Muelas and Playa del Congrio.
Fresh fish is what's normally being advertised in the restaurants along the coasts - tip: do not ask for the menu, just ask what fresh fish was brought in that morning -, which doesn't imply that lovers of a good steak or veganists are being disappointed.
We find the Lanzarote kitchen to be honest and pure, good materials, nearly always accompanied by papas arrugadas, the small Canarian potatoes cooked in salt, very tasty, and a fresh salad. The salad of the house is always worthwhile. The restaurants stated below have all been tested, tried, advised, named, reviewed or recommended by our own guests. We have included the Tripadvisor links to supply you with the latest information.
• As you will see Arrieta has been mentioned most frequently, which makes sense knowing that they are all within a ten minutes' drive from Finca Chafariz.
• Haría is roughly at a fifteen minutes drive and has some good addresses for a nice lunch or dinner.
• Because of its beautiful historic centre we also include Teguise with many more restaurants and pubs than you will find listed here, and finally a tip to go to the Arrecife San Gines lagoon that has tens of restaurants with terraces; at lunch time you can enjoy your food in the sun, at night time the lighting turns it into an attractive boulevard with loads of atmosphere.
• The local wines (do not go too cheap) are excellent, in the north coffees are between 1 euro and 1 euro 50
Mouse over the arrows to reveal the Tripadvisor-links.
Arrecife and Teguise have enough to offer if you're in for some shopping.
Apart from the usual commercial centres you can find in and around Arrecife, at Calle de Real you will come across some specialty goods shops; be it run by chains most of the time. On the other hand, e.g. in the San Gines quarters you will find a special handicraft shop where Spanish ladies are creating all sorts of lovely patchwork. A great many special boutique-like shops can be found in the historic centre of Teguise, whereas both Teguise and Haría have extremely lively markets in the weekend.
If you want to have the best choice for your daily shopping, go to Arrecife: Eurospar, Hiperdino and Mercadona have various branches with wide and deep assortments for your daily shopping. Naturalmente Bioespacio at El Rápido 4 in Arrecife is specialised in biological food and ingredients.
To do your daily shopping there's no need to go very far: in Guatiza there's a Covirán, a supermarket selling fresh vegetables and fresh meat. Arrieta itself has two supermarkets both of which sell fresh bread: at the petrol pump just before you turn right into Arrieta and at Marcours, go right at the roundabout, bottom, left. There's also an ATM there.
The Teguise Sunday market is extremely popular. Be there early, if not, pass the centre, to the south you're being waved into one of the paid parking lots. Haría has a a Saturday market that is really worthwhile. Artisans, winemakers and farmers are selling their homemade products and homegrown produce there.
El Mercado Municipal in Haría is a sort of a private co-op where a butcher, baker and private persons sell their home-made dishes and produce. A mega-noticeboard is required to state every variety in opening-hours, granting everyone his or her vision, but it's all excellent quality and really modestly priced. Pull a ticket when it's busy, some self-service seating capacity is available.
"We enjoyed El Patio at Tiagua, Omar Sharif's house at Nazaret - lovely meal, expensive by Lanzarote's standards -, El Lago restaurant served an interesting platter of fish where the waiters were great fun & spoke English!"
- Elisabeth & Martin, June 2016 -