Secret Lanzarote: Magical Places Off the Tourist Trail
Editorial by Lanzarote Agents.
Tenesar
This small fishing village is known as “the lost village.” Despite being located within the Timanfaya National Park, it is not included in any of Lanzarote’s usual tourist routes. There are no accommodations or public transport to the village, so you must visit by car. Most of its houses are uninhabited, although some have been renovated and are now used as second homes.
Its spectacular volcanic landscape, the contrast between the ruined and restored houses, the ocean views, and the tranquillity make it an ideal spot for those seeking alternative experiences on the island. Not to mention the chance to spot one of the curious and colourful red crabs that inhabit the surrounding rocks.
Las Grietas
One of the island’s most spectacular hidden gems, the natural monument known as Las Grietas de Lanzarote, is a geological formation running along the slopes of the 600-metre-high Montaña Blanca volcano.
In reality, there are three separate crevices (hence the plural name), a few metres apart, with irregular walls where you can observe the layers of solidified lava from multiple eruptions. The main crevice stretches for around 20 metres, but you can also explore the others through a narrow passage that makes you feel like you’re in a miniature version of the Grand Canyon.
The Secret Garden
Near Playa Quemada, within the Los Ajaches Natural Park, you can find these hidden gardens, created in the 1990s by Juan María Cabrera and Natalia Martín. During their summer holidays in the area with their two children, they decided to use the days when they couldn’t go fishing to build these small gardens and plant various species of flowers and plants.
In 2018, the Cabildo Insular de Lanzarote awarded the family a prize for their efforts. Thanks to them, tourists who venture along the three-kilometre route from Playa Quemada to Playa de la Casita can enjoy these unique gardens, decorated with shells and other objects washed up by the sea.
El Charco Verde
The Green Lagoon, or El Charco Verde, is perhaps more well-known than the other places mentioned so far, but it is still unusual enough to deserve a spot on this list. Its name and popularity come from its striking green water, caused by a type of algae called Ruppia maritima, which thrives at the bottom of the lagoon.
It is also known as Charco de los Clicos, named after a type of shellfish (clicos) that inhabits these waters. The lagoon is actually a crater open to the sea, allowing not only seawater but also marine flora to flow in, giving it its characteristic colour. It is located in southwest Lanzarote, in the village of El Golfo.
The Zonzamas Archaeological Site
While the Teguise area offers several alternative and less crowded places to visit—such as Los Roferos or the Piracy Museum in Santa Bárbara Castle—we end this tour of Lanzarote’s lesser-known tourist spots at Zonzamas, one of the most significant indigenous archaeological sites in the Canary Islands.
Named after King Zonzamas, one of the last indigenous leaders of the island, this archaeological complex includes a longitudinal channel carved into a basalt block known as “La Quesera”, measuring nearly four metres in diameter. It also features several “casas hondas” (sunken houses), including the Cueva del Majo and the Palacio de Zonzamas.
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