The Solitude of Ermita de las Nieves
We love the North. The combination of dramatic landscape, amazing views, arid yet green emptiness and lack of tourists make the Northern half of Lanzarote our favorite part of the Island.
Far removed from the overdeveloped tourist resorts of Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca further south (since when has overdevelopment been dubbed "sustainable" just because it is done with white houses and green window frames?) - it is here in the North that the real Lanzarote wants to be discovered.
There are tourists also - especially around the César Manrique heritage sites of JAMEOS DEL AGUA and MIRADOR DEL RIO - but apart from those few places, there is a whole world of far-apart Lanzarote waiting to be explored.
Heading North from Costa Teguise - a resort community much more low-key than its counterparts in the south - we first head past the villages of Guatiza and Mala famous for their Cacti - the JARDÍN DE CACTUS, another Manrique masterpiece, attracts some visitors but nothing compared to the winery tours in the South around La Geria.
Then the real beauty of the North starts to emerge - volcanic soil much less recent than in the center of the island and thus covered intermittently by lush green vegetation -mostly shrubs and cacti- as we approach Arrieta and Punta Mujeres, two communities still dedicated to fishing and farming. Just before Arrieta, for a scenic dramatic drive, it is worth leaving the main highway and veering into the mountains on curvy narrow roads towards the village of Tabayesco and up into the mountains of the Famara Range.
Alternatively, a visit to the Far North beckons as well, driving past the touristy JAMEOS DEL AGUA and up towards the northernmost village of Orzola. Just before reaching this picturesque fishing community, we come past some of our favorite small beaches in the North - devoid of crowds and yet highly colorful with bright sand against blue water and sky, black lava and green vegetation - EL CALETON anf PUNTA PRIETA.
Orzola is also the gateway for the car-free island of LA GRACIOSA - worth a whole day trip (and separate blog) for walking around its magnificent dunes and shoreline. From the Far North we can then head south again into the mountain range of the Famara - I try to avoid the crowds of MIRADOR DEL RIO - there are far quieter and just as magnificent lookout points nearby such as the MIRADOR DE GUINATE and MIRADOR DE HARIA with splendid views of the Atlantic Ocean and the island of LA GRACIOSA below.
The highlight of that day in terms of dramatic landscape, soul searching and solitude must be the remote church of ERMITA DE LAS NIEVES though. Located on a small side street between Haria and Los Valles, it is perched in a most isolated location high high above on the Famara Range with dangerously steep cliffs nearby. Always windy and breathtakingly beautiful, the view opens up over half the island of Lanzarote, La Graciosa, the Famara beach below and the immense vastness of the Atlantic Ocean.
Few places can be said to touch the soul and spirit of Lanzarote as much as this spot - and few visitors will leave untouched by its beauty.
Far removed from the overdeveloped tourist resorts of Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca further south (since when has overdevelopment been dubbed "sustainable" just because it is done with white houses and green window frames?) - it is here in the North that the real Lanzarote wants to be discovered.
There are tourists also - especially around the César Manrique heritage sites of JAMEOS DEL AGUA and MIRADOR DEL RIO - but apart from those few places, there is a whole world of far-apart Lanzarote waiting to be explored.
Heading North from Costa Teguise - a resort community much more low-key than its counterparts in the south - we first head past the villages of Guatiza and Mala famous for their Cacti - the JARDÍN DE CACTUS, another Manrique masterpiece, attracts some visitors but nothing compared to the winery tours in the South around La Geria.
Then the real beauty of the North starts to emerge - volcanic soil much less recent than in the center of the island and thus covered intermittently by lush green vegetation -mostly shrubs and cacti- as we approach Arrieta and Punta Mujeres, two communities still dedicated to fishing and farming. Just before Arrieta, for a scenic dramatic drive, it is worth leaving the main highway and veering into the mountains on curvy narrow roads towards the village of Tabayesco and up into the mountains of the Famara Range.
Alternatively, a visit to the Far North beckons as well, driving past the touristy JAMEOS DEL AGUA and up towards the northernmost village of Orzola. Just before reaching this picturesque fishing community, we come past some of our favorite small beaches in the North - devoid of crowds and yet highly colorful with bright sand against blue water and sky, black lava and green vegetation - EL CALETON anf PUNTA PRIETA.
Orzola is also the gateway for the car-free island of LA GRACIOSA - worth a whole day trip (and separate blog) for walking around its magnificent dunes and shoreline. From the Far North we can then head south again into the mountain range of the Famara - I try to avoid the crowds of MIRADOR DEL RIO - there are far quieter and just as magnificent lookout points nearby such as the MIRADOR DE GUINATE and MIRADOR DE HARIA with splendid views of the Atlantic Ocean and the island of LA GRACIOSA below.
The highlight of that day in terms of dramatic landscape, soul searching and solitude must be the remote church of ERMITA DE LAS NIEVES though. Located on a small side street between Haria and Los Valles, it is perched in a most isolated location high high above on the Famara Range with dangerously steep cliffs nearby. Always windy and breathtakingly beautiful, the view opens up over half the island of Lanzarote, La Graciosa, the Famara beach below and the immense vastness of the Atlantic Ocean.
Few places can be said to touch the soul and spirit of Lanzarote as much as this spot - and few visitors will leave untouched by its beauty.
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