Teguise
The local council in the area of Teguise have created a tourist info website in English, Spanish and German. Whilst not “all singing-dancing”, and not updated in yonks. They have at least had a stab at it. The maps are useful, as is the calendar of annual events, and it gives a brief overview of the main tourist areas and attractions Teguise. The town of Teguise is found inland, 12km north of Arrecife and up until 1852 it was the capital of Lanzarote. It’s the best place on the island to gain a sense of the past and view the merging of Spain and North Africa through the architecture and cultural sites.
There is something raw and earthy about Teguise, a feeling that all is not quite what it seems. The “Devils” or “Diabletes” of Teguise roam the streets during carnival time (February) again reinforcing the notion that it’s a hotchpotch of cultures, religions and customs that have created modern day Teguise. Asides from Sundays it’s easy to park up and wander round from place to place.
Arts and Culture
The Convento de Santo Domingo which today serves as a contemporary art gallery exhibiting works by internationally renowned artists. Opening Hours are from 10:00-15:00, Monday to Sunday (closed Saturdays).
There are a number of galleries, arty jewellery places, a glass art shop and unusual fashion shops. Wander around and find secret places in small courtyards.
Castillo de Santa Barbara Museum of Emigration. This wonderfully conserved 16th century castle is one of the best examples of its kind in the Canary Islands. In 1991 it was converted into a museum to record the emigration of Canary Islanders to the Americas. Located high up on Guanapay peak on the northern edge of town there are sweeping views across the plains, well worth walking or driving up just to take a look. Opening Hours in the from summer 10:00-16:00, and in the winter daily from 10:00-17:00.
Restaurants and Bars
The Pizzeria in the street Jose Betancort is basic with good pizzas and a friendly atmosphere. A good bet with kids. Patio del Vino. As the name suggests is all about wine. Well not just wine, they also have great tapas. The actual building is centuries old and has been lovingly restored. The owners have collected fine wines from around the world and should be able to please even the most discerning wine buffs. Enjoy a glass of something special in one of the oldest houses on the island. c/ Herrera y Rojas, 9 Teguise.
Café Jaleo, an eclectic place full of art, music, happenings (i.e. live body painting) and scrummy, mostly vegetarian, food. It’s a bit like wandering around someone’s home and the old traditional house has plenty of nooks and crannies and a cosy feel. The art and live music there are as offbeat and diverse as the place itself. C/ Flores, 1, Teguise, (tel 0034 928 845 663) Check what’s happening at their myspace page.
Cejas, we have enjoyed more than the odd lunchtime session here, especially if a good gin & tonic was called for! The beautiful old building is divided into 2 sections, an elegant salon style restaurant with marble tables and antiques dotted about and a super inner courtyard. When the weather is good (i.e. nearly all year) the sail-style central roof to the courtyard is left open giving you the option to dine either in the sun or the shade. They have traditional tapas, sometimes with a twist, and other snack food (sandwiches, cakes & some great tea options). Plaza San Francisco, 5 Teguise, (Tel 0034 928 845 101).
La Cantina, Another fab old building, well there isn’t much that’s modern in the centre of Teguise. Recently reopened with as a wine bar with great platters to pick at. Enjoy a good quality house wine in a cosy environment. Excellent atmosphere and new when forced to visit the Sunday market by visiting family or friends, this is where we dash for a good cup of coffee, okay then a glass of hairy dog on a sunday lunchtime, and a moment of stillness in all the mayhem. Calle Leon y Castillo 8, open daily 12:00-23:00, Sunday 08:00-17:00, closed Mondays.
If an exclusive, celebratory or romantic meal is what you’re after Ikarus is the place. It is rated as one of the best restaurants on the island serving high quality nouvelle cuisine, with the bonus of decent ration sizes (as we are fond of saying “size shouldn’t matter, but, erm…. It does!). The menu is fairly limited as everything is freshly prepared. Be prepared to take your time savouring the experience, they aren’t in a rush which is part of the pleasure. We recommend you call to make a booking, Plaza del 18 Julio, (Tel 0034 928 845 332).
After the frenzy of the Sunday market there follows the eeriness of Monday’s when many businesses are shut. As long as you don’t need retail therapy we reckon it’s a great day to just mooch around the little cobbled backstreets and enjoy the ambience.
Retail and Shops
Emporium, The old cinema of Teguise has been converted into one of the most original shops on the island, crammed with lots of great stuff. Many of the items are imported from far-flung places and it reminds us a little of Aladdin’s cave. It’s a good place to buy specialist teas. Calle Notas 15, 35530 Teguise. Monday to Friday 12:00- 20:00, and Sunday 10:00-14:00 (Tel 0034 928 84 50 69).
Sunday Market
As we’ve mentioned the market, we’ll enlarge upon it. Teguise market is the largest and most well known held in Lanzarote. It has its place, but we aren’t huge fans. It sprawls out from the main plaza and outwards along side streets. If there was a little more planning put into the number and type of stalls it would be a much better experience for everyone.
Q: How many table cloth stalls or 3 x t-shirts for €10 stalls can you cram into one small town?
A: Hundreds it would appear….
You have to wander through much crud to find the treasure, but there is some interesting stash hidden throughout. There’s one section given over to local artisans (silversmiths, jewellery makers, baker, wood craftsmen, artists etc) and it would be fantastic if this could be expanded and some of the made-in-China tat stalls weeded out.
The good bits at the market, asides from the local artisans, are the goat kebabs, churros (like long skinny donuts), dried herbs and spices and local wines and cheeses. For some reason Peruvian panpipe groups do really well at the market, they play live and you can buy their cd’s.
It’s also quite usual to see some Canarian dancing and folk dressed in traditional outfits and if you’re lucky hear the Timple being played. The Timple sounds like a cross between a ukulele (a la George Formby) and a tiny guitar. Parking at the market is fairly well organised there are large fields, controlled by locals charging €1 or just a bit over to park. The large police presence makes this kind of parking a good idea..
Costa Teguise
This is Teguise’s no.1 tourist hot spot and family friendly resort. A number of our properties are located in Costa Teguise click on the link to find out why on earth we would want to bring you to the Lanzarote version of Milton Keynes!
Tahiche
Is a bit like a spine, a main road with lots of limb-like streets running off it. Other than the Cesar Manrique Foundation (Manrique is a legend in Lanzarote, a man credited with helping to shape the look and feel of the island. His house is now run as a Foundation, gallery and showcase for the projects he created and his personal philosophy) , which is an absolute must to visit there’s not too much for the curious traveller to do there. It’s a residential area that you drive through to get to other places. There are 3 noteworthy places that are well known and used by the locals:
SARA animal shelter Tahiche to San Bartolomé Road,Tahiche. Open to the public, Mon-Sat 10.30 to 13:00 Unfortunately, although things have improved over the years many of the islanders have little knowledge about the basics of caring for animals. The people at Sara really deserve medals for all the work and educating that they do. They always need a hand so if you fancy washing kittens, walking dogs or just making a big, fat donation – feel free.
Foody Bits
El Pastelito Bakery & Café, a German bakery with superb fresh bread, cakes and snacks. We reckon it’s one of the best on the island – a real must if you need a birthday cake. Avenida Nestor de la Torre 22, Tahiche. (tel 0034 928 843 316). Great for a birthday cake if someone’s got a birthday whilst your away.
El Gallo Loco, open 11:00-17:00 daily. This is Lanzarote’s version of fast food, an excellent takeaway place on the main Tahiche roundabout en route to the north. The owner is French and his roast chickens in gravy are pure melt in the mouth fodder. There’s quite a range of takeaway food from salads, different types of potato dishes, tapas and deserts. Excellent value and a great option for tired mum’s after a long hard day by the pool!
Beaches
Famara love it, love it, love it… Cesar Manrique quote, ” My greatest happiness is to recall a happy childhood, five month summer vacations in the Caleta and the Famara beach, with its eight kilometers of clean and fine sand framed by cliffs of more than four hundred meters high that reflected on the beach like in a mirror. That image has been engraved in my soul as something of extraordinary beauty that I will never forget in all of my life.”
It’s not just Manrique who felt that way. A trip to Lanzarote is incomplete without a wander along the beach at Famara. Its claim to fame is as one of the best and most consistent surf breaks in Europe (ok, ok we know it’s really off the coast of Africa, but let’s not let a little bit of geography spoil our fun).
Famara is a Mecca for water sports enthusiasts, particularly surfers and kitesurfers although windsurfers also hang out there when the conditions are right. As you might guess where there are big waves there are currents so it’s a good idea to swim between the lifeguard flags, especially with children. Famara is a big hit with locals from all over the island, it’s big, natural, never overcrowded and people of all ages can do their thing from waterspouts to beach footy to yoga etc etc.
If standing with the beach in front of you there are the Famara bungalows to your right – aka “Stepford Wives Land”. This is a fabulous old development of semi-circular, stone bungalows unlike anything else on the island. They used to be the hang out of surfers, the first wave of Norwegian explorers and “alternative” folk. Today many of them have been renovated in extreme makeover style and there are some stunning deluxe des-res’s to be found there.
A road up behind the bungalows turns to a dirt track (can sometimes be a bit dodgy to get down) taking you to the wilder, far end of the beach. This is the zone of the kitesurfers and the best place to watch their colourful aerial displays. Kitesurfing is booming in Lanzarote and a local Famara chica, 17 year old Laura Fernandez, recently became the Kiteloop Kitesurf world title champion.
To the left of the beach Playa de Famara is Caleta de Famara, the village area. There are bars, restaurants, little supermarkets and surf shops here. The groove is chilled out and the pace of life slow. There are a couple of little beaches that you access from the town that are great for little kids and a super surf spot just off the big stone jetty called El Muelle.
Finally to the far left of the village is the beach of San Juan, the place where the main international surf competitions are held. In November (1-7th) 2009 the Islas Canarias Santa Pro takes place at San Juan. For those in the know it’s a WQS 6* prime event with big bucks prize money. for the non-surfers this means it’s a wham-dinger of a surf event with plenty of fit, young eye candy for the gals!!!. When the event is on there is a concert with live bands and a great buzz in the village.
All things Sports but mainly Surf..
All the sports action from water sports to cycling, paragliding and hiking. There are a number of surf shops and schools in Famara, feel free to try them out, but we cannot recommend Dennis at CentrePoint highly enough. Although his shop is in La Santa he organises surf board hire and lessons in Famara.
Restaurants in the Area
Famara Restaurant has fabulous views down across the beach. The food is fresh, traditional Canarian and probably a little more expensive than dining in the village. It’s a great place to be at sunset when you can sit out on the large terrace and watch the sun dip down behind the volcanoes – stunning..c/Chirimoya 13, Famara Bungalows. Open 11:30-22:00 daily. Shut Tuesdays.
Restaurante Sol tapas and the option to sit inside or on one of the two terraces
Lagomar Restaurant, Nazaret, Museum and Cave Bar. Lagomar is found high up on the cliff side in Nazaret, a village lying in the hillside between Tahiche and Teguise. The original building was built in an old quarry, designed by the architect Jesus Soto (who worked alongside Manrique). Local legend tells that Omar Sharif both won and lost the house during a game of bridge whilst filming “The Mysterious Island”.
The “feel” is very Lanzarote with a dash of extra style added by the current architect owners. There’s a little of everything going on here and your choice is really whether you want a daytime or nighttime experience there.
The restaurant is swish with large terraces overlooking an interior pool and caves and the international cuisine has now been replaced with the the best in modern tapas and Pinxos aka Kerman, whose recently opened his third little venture here in Lagomar. The food is a delicious twist of authentic tapas with a modern style and flavour. A jazz band plays on Sundays. On a night the Cave Bar (open Tues-Sun 20:30-02:00) is the place to be, drinks are pricey, but it’s worth it to enjoy the ambience of this unusual place. C/ Los Loros 2, Nazaret. (Tel 0034928 940 064).
Recently different parts of the house and gardens have been opened as a museum telling the story of this special place with many pieces of art from local artists, (Open Tues-Sun 10:00-19:00).
A Trip to the Sociedad – Local Sociedads found around the island are a sort of cross between a working mans club/community centre /village hall. Some of them are simply meeting points for the local community while others have developed into bars and restaurants along with the cultural and community work done there. Two of the best on the island for authentic, great value grub are the sociedads in Tao and Guatiza. Both are easy to find once you get into the main part of both these villages. Find the churches and the sociedads are close by. If in doubt just ask a local “Donde es el sociedad?” and finish with a “Muchas gracias” when he or she points you in the right direction. See we even throw in quick Spanish lessons…
The staff might have a basic smattering of English, but don’t worry too much about what you order, it will be delicious and excellent value. One of the highlights of an evening in a sociedad is the card games that the locals play, our advice is to NOT sit right next to the card tables. It’s fun to watch from a distance but often good naturedly rowdy and loud.
La Graciosa
Next a giant’s causeway leap to an islet lying off the northern coast of Lanzarote. It’s truly a unique and stunning place, definitely worth a day trip to if you enjoy walking, beaches, time travel and peace. Despite lying just off the coast of Haria it comes under the control of Teguise for some reason. Daily ferries are operated from Orzola by Lineas Maritimas Romero (Tel 0034 928 842 070).
Orzola – Graciosa 10.00 12.00 17.00 (18.30 summer only)
Graciosa – Orzola 08.00 11.00 16.00 (18.00 summer only)
The crossing takes15-30 minutes dependant on conditions. Be warned it can be a bumpy old adventure on occasions. €15 price.
There is a 2km wide straight separating Lanzarote from La Graciosa, but the 2 islands are worlds apart. La Graciosa makes Lanzarote seem like a big, pulsing metropolis. It’s tiny, less than 30km2 with fewer than 500 residents. It has a basic infrastructure, sand tracks (no roads so it’s a bit like being in a cowboy film at times) but there are shops and restaurants.
The tourist board knows what a precious pearl this place is and has made full plans to keep it that way. When you get off the ferry in Caleta del Sebo you’ll see a tourist information tent and park rangers there to give you the run-down on where to go and how to get there.
The preferred method of transport of the locals is…. Wheelbarrows! But you have to paint your name on them as wheelbarrow jacking has been known to occur. The preferred method of transport for visitors is foot, or if you’re feeling low on energy one of the jeep taxi’s that are lined up at the harbour. There used to only be licenses for 9 taxis on the island, but as with everywhere in the world transport has grown, so you shouldn’t have to wait too long.
Beaches/Bars/Restaurants
Beautiful beaches – our favourites are Playa de las Conchas with its view across to Montana Clara (about a 1 hours walk to the northwest of the island) and Playa Francesa (less than 30 minutes).
The odd settlement of Pedro Barba – a collection of regulated properties set around what was once the old harbour. On our last visit a local told us these strange properties were now selling for massive bucks. Location, location, location eh.
There’s quite a few restaurants around the harbour area but our favourite is set off a side street to the right hand side of the village (if the sea was behind you) Restaurant Casa Chano is simple and authentic. The food is freshly cooked with a killer view out of the main window. Look out for Chano himself, we saw him sitting under a large photomontage full of images taken years ago. There’s a shot of him standing on his fishing boat with the deck covered in fish.
