Sustainable gifts manufactured in Lanzarote
Unique pieces, one of a kind, they’ve travelled zero kilometres and their carbon footprint is minimal. Made by professionals, with materials and techniques linked to the island. Looking for gift ideas? Here are some with the Lanzarote stamp.
Carry your snacks for your day out in a lovely balayo, a round, shallow basket made of vegetable fibre.
Wrap your neck in a scarf dyed with cochineal, an insect from which a brilliant natural dye is extracted and which is harvested in the prickly pear orchards of the Guatiza and Mala regions.
Sample some pellas made gofio ground in an old mill on the island.
Any more options for gifts made in Lanzarote? Yes, lots. Today we’re going shopping!
A stroll through the Mercado Autóctono Sostenible (Sustainable Native Market)
The name says it all and it delivers.
In the geographical centre of the island is the Centre for Art, Culture and Tourism that César Manrique dedicated to the work of the primary sector, to those essential professions such as agriculture and fishing.
Here, in the Plaza de los Artesanos, the Mercado Autóctono Sostenible is held in a space designed according to the canons of popular Lanzarote architecture. This is one of the best places on the island to buy products made one hundred percent with raw materials from Lanzarote.
Leather, ceramics, mojo sauces, jams, cheeses, vegetable fibre hats, etc. This is a world of flavours, textures and functions. Making a gift of one of these products means giving someone a little piece of the island.
Visiting workshops and ateliers
Traditional or contemporary handicrafts? Which raw material would you prefer: wood, fabric, metal…? The official Artesanía Lanzarote website contains a database with the addresses of the ateliers and online shops of all the people who are professionally involved in handicrafts on the island of Lanzarote.
Scattered throughout the seven municipalities you will find charming craft ateliers where you can buy unique products and sometimes even see them being made.
We love to ask about the history behind each object, so these are some of our favourite places. Sometimes it’s a good idea to phone ahead to make sure the workshop is open.
What can you find?
- 100% natural soap bars, without chemicals or microplastic beads, made with plants, oils and essences from the island (camel’s milk, Indian prickly pear, sea salt, volcanic sand).
- Dresses, scarves, yoga cushions, skirts, turbans, trousers made with original patterns, with top quality fabrics, in workshops on the island.
- Leather handbags, purses, shoulder bags, backpacks.
- Crockery made from island earthenware and fired.
The list is enormous. Come and see.
The Sunday Teguise Market and the Taller de Artesanía de Haría are two good places to find some of these craftspeople.
Christmas market in Arrecife
In the heart of the bay of Arrecife, with beautiful views of the Castillo de San Gabriel and the Puente de las Bolas, you will find the capital’s Christmas Market: twenty cute wooden stalls where you can buy a wide variety of handmade objects – embroidered bags, necklaces, bookmarks, watercolours, recycled paper, T-shirts and gastronomic products.
The market, located in the Parque José Ramírez Cerdá, will be open until 5 January 2022, from Monday to Thursday from 10:30 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00 (Friday and Saturday until 21:00).
On New Year’s Eve it will only be open in the morning, from 10.30am to 3pm, and on the Eve of the Epiphany it will be open all day: from 10.30am to 9pm so that the Three Kings can creep among the stalls and browse for last-minute gifts.
Gastronomy, health, culture
How about giving the gift of an experience? Sometimes the best moments are the ones that are digested, the ones that allow us to immerse ourselves, dance madly or read until the sun goes down.
Lanzarote’s cultural industry is extraordinarily diverse and these days it can be a source of gifts to say to someone: “I love you. I remember you”.
Here are some ideas:
- A basket with products from Lanzarote: tuna loin fished in a traditional way by a family from Graciosa, goat cheese, jams, vermouth, wines with the Lanzarote Designation of Origin, cinnamon mantecados made in a mill in San Bartolomé..
- Lunch or dinner in one of the hundreds of restaurants on the island that work wonders with local produce in their kitchens.
- A voucher to enjoy a concert in 2022, a session of short films, or a film season at one of the festivals held on the island.
- An introductory course in scuba diving or surfing!
- A voucher for interpreted trekking in the natural areas of Lanzarote.
- A spa session in one of the island’s thalassotherapy centres.
- A weekend in a unique accommodation on the island: how about a 17th century mansion in the village of Teguise? Or would a designer B&B in the heart of La Geria be better?
In 2021, almost 2022, we are sticking to the roots, to sustainability and to local trade.
Happy New Year! 🥂