Get away this Easter by land, air and sea
Need a relaxing getaway with family or friends? Easter is the perfect time of year to take a four-day trip to Lanzarote. The island maintains its spring-like conditions all year round and offers an endless range of leisure and gastronomic activities. Here are just three of the many different ideas for getting away by land, sea and air.
Land. The grove of Haría
On our volcanic island the treasure of El Bosquecillo de Haría is a closely guarded secret. This forested area of coastal wattle (Acacia cyclops) and wild olive trees (Olea cerasiformis) offers privileged views of Famara from its viewpoint. If you enjoy hiking, set aside a morning for a walk in the north of the island. You can start from the square in Haría and follow the path to El Bosquecillo, which winds through landscapes of impressive biological abundance. This easy walk is ideal for discovering the lesser-known Lanzarote.
Your experience will be complete if you take a local goat’s cheese and wine from the island with you in your backpack and enjoy them in the company of the superb view of the Chinijo Archipelago that extends before you.
Our advice: Choose Saturday for your walk and take the opportunity to visit the Haría street market. Craftsmanship is one of the hallmarks of the municipality, where the time-honoured local crafts using the palm or palmito from the landscape of the thousand palm trees can be found side by side with the delicate Canary Island embroidery and rosettes, dolls, ceramics and other pieces representative of the local craft culture.
Sea. La Graciosa. Chinijo Archipelago
Dare to literally dive into the Atlantic Ocean and take a leap over to La Graciosa. Or better still, spend a night of your getaway on this small subtropical island of barely thirty square kilometres, located in the Chinijo Archipelago Natural Park, where the dress code is a swimsuit and a palm leaf hat.
The adventure begins as soon as you board one of the Líneas Romero ferries that cross the Strait of El Río to Caleta de Sebo from Órzola. As soon as you set foot on the island’s sands, you’ll be overcome with a sense of belonging to the place: you can snorkel in Las Geradias, navigate around the islets or cycle along the paths to one of the paradisiacal beach. Las Conchas has seven kilometres of promenade and Playa Francesa is a hidden treasure, which you can also reach by boat. You’ll soon find yourself striking up a lively conversation with a local who’ll end up giving you a taste of one of the jareas (sun-dried fish) she’s hanging up outside her house.
Cover your skin in salt (and sun cream) and fill your senses with the taste and scent of the sea: savour a plate of fresh fish or limpets in the village. You can even take your shoes off while eating in one of the beachside restaurants while gazing at the immensity of the ocean.
Our advice: Make the most of your conversion to graciosera to get to know the history and natural wealth of the Chinijo Archipelago. You’re in a natural park with a level of biodiversity that is as overwhelming as it is fragile: this is a nesting area for marine birds, where it is possible to observe very rare species, such as the native Scopoli’s shearwater.
We also advise you to ask the inhabitants of La Graciosa about its exceptional history, full of stories from the past, from battles with pirates to the hard work of the pioneer families, who used to walk the path to the Risco de Famara to exchange their fish for farm produce and everyday objects.
Air. The island at your feet. Arrecife Gran Hotel
The island’s capital is, paradoxically, one of the least known spots for visitors and, for this reason, it is packed full of surprises. In this tour of the alternative Lanzarote, we suggest you visit the local town with the greatest cultural offer and where the vitality of the Atlantic is reflected in everyday life. The best way to get to know the city and its surroundings is to get a bird’s eye view from its highest point: the top floor of the Arrecife Gran Hotel & Spa.
Believe us, the view is incomparable and will help you understand the seafaring spirit of the Arrecifans. Check out the intricate narrow streets of the old town, the churches, bridges and fortresses symbolising the historical resistance to pirate attacks, the old farmland and salt pans and, above all, the spectacular marina, the longest and most complete in the Canary Islands. Get to know the port and go home with the feeling of having left a piece of your heart in Puerto del Arrecife.
Our advice: If you want to get to know the local Easter traditions, the Iglesia de San Ginés celebrates the most solemn and representative processions of the island. Moreover, the church’s location in the centre of the city, close to Calle Real, the seafront avenue and the Charco de San Ginés, will allow you to experience the celebrations as a local, sharing the lively social life shoulder to shoulder with the residents. This is also a unique opportunity to try the traditional Easter dishes, or platos de vigilia, with local fish such as “vieja” or “cherne” and the Easter “torrijas” and “pestiños” (fritters).