Lanzarote is a destination full of corners to discover, so visiting the island in one day can be a somewhat complicated task, not knowing which sites to prioritize.
Ideally, you should see the island in four or five days, so you would have a more complete view of it and you could enjoy it without rushing. In any case, if you only have one day, you will have to dedicate half of the day to the north of Lanzarote and the other half to the south.
Although it may seem like little time, you will be able to see volcanoes, caves, pristine beaches and drink the best wine on the island, all in just 24 hours.
Morning route through the north
The day will begin at 10 in the morning with a visit to one of the works of the Lanzarote artist César Manrique, known as Los Jameos del Agua, followed by the Cueva de Los Verdes, in the municipality of Haría, in the north of the island. Both are located inside a volcanic tunnel generated by the eruptions of the Corona Volcano.
Jameos del Agua can be visited on your own and mainly consists of an interior volcanic lake formed by marine filtrations, where a unique endemic species called the blind crab also lives.
In addition, the place also has a restaurant, a swimming pool (in which you cannot swim) outside, an informative and interactive area where they explain the origin of the volcanic eruptions and an auditorium where famous singers generally come to give concerts.
After visiting a part of the volcanic tube and fleeing from the sun and heat in the middle of rush hour, the best option is to continue with a visit to the popular Cueva de los Verdes, right in front. It is a seven-kilometer grotto full of legends and used as a refuge by the islanders during pirate attacks during the 16th and 17th centuries. The story goes that it is named Cueva de Los Verdes after the surname of a family that kept their cattle in the surroundings. In addition, the cave also has an auditorium where concerts are held with enviable acoustics.
During the 50-minute visit you will tour the different galleries, some of them up to 50 meters high and with a great surprise at the end that, as happens in Las Vegas, what happens in the Cueva de los Verdes, stays in the Cueva de los Verdes. Admission to Los Jameos and La Cueva are included in the tourist voucher.
Afternoon route through the south
The second half of the day will continue in the south of the island, in the Timanfaya National Park, to see one of Lanzarote's greatest attractions: the volcanoes. The car journey is about 45 minutes, as you have to cross the entire island.
Once there, you can leave the car in the parking lot and enjoy the geysers, a route through the Montañas del Fuego by bus and the dishes made with the heat of the earth from the El Diablo Restaurant, a work by César Manrique. Here you can taste the typical dishes of the island with unparalleled views.
After the visit, the ideal is to continue the route south, towards Playa Blanca, where you will find the small town of El Golfo. There you can climb to a viewpoint from where you will see a landscape taken from the planet Mars, with a black sand beach, which contrasts with the reddish color of the rocks. You will also see the Lago de los Clicos, better known as the Green Lake, which gets its color from the algae found at its bottom. You can also take the opportunity to visit Los Hervideros and the Salinas de Janubio, a few kilometers away.
Once the route is finished and after several hours of "tourism", you can finally relax on the beaches and coves of Papagayo, at the southernmost point of the island. It is important to mention that the entrance to Papagayo costs three euros and is done by a dirt road with the odd stone, so you will have to be careful not to damage it.
To end the day, what better than to have a Lanzarote wine in the La Geria area and enjoy the sunset. It is a protected natural area of more than 5,000 hectares, where vines are grown in holes dug in the volcanic ash, the perfect place to put the finishing touch to your stay in Lanzarote.
