Lanzarote: The volcanic island shaped by an artist

Lanzarote, that little piece of Spain in the middle of the Atlantic, is less well known than Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, the other three main islands of the Canary archipelago. And yet, from our point of view, it's the most interesting island in the Canaries. Leaving aside the three smaller islands of Hierro, La Gomera and Palma, it is the most unspoilt of the archipelago's four main islands, thanks in no small part to its local artist, César Manrique (1919-1992), a genius who managed to bring out the extraordinary landscapes of Lanzarote.

He even succeeded in imposing on his native island thatno building should exceed two storeys, with the added bonus of the typical white of the island's dwellings. This local architecture is respected by all the hotels on Lanzarote, a far cry from the pyramid-shaped monsters found on Tenerife and Gran Canaria!

Located at the eastern end of the Canary archipelago, Lanzarote is only ahundred kilometres from Africa, and it shows! Dromedaries can be seen here, and the climate is very arid. The volcanic landscapes, covered in craters that look as if they've stepped straight off the planet Mars, offer a real change of scenery, magnified by the cultural heritage of César Manrique, painter, sculptor and architect, who managed to preserve his island.

And that's not all: César Manrique developed various natural sites to make it a unique place. Jameos del Agua, a cave created by the artist, houses two concert halls, a restaurant and a surprising seawater pool. The Mirador del Rio, built by Manrique, offers impressive views of the island of La Graciosa. Fans of botany will marvel at the Cactus Garden, the latest work by César Manrique, home to more than 10,000 cacti representing 1,450 different species, and the Aloe Vera plantation, famous for its many healing properties.

Lanzarote's main attraction is the Timanfaya National Park, founded on a site devastated by a succession of volcanic eruptions between 1730 and 1736. Here you can walk among hundreds of cones, known as the Mountains of Fire, rising up from the ashes. An extraterrestrial landscape that was used as a backdrop for the filming of Journey to the Centre of the Earth! From the El Diablo restaurant, where you can sample roast chicken directly on a volcanic fault, you can enjoy a panoramic view. You'll see that the volcano is still active!

Other not-to-be-missed sights include the Green Lagoon, a spectacular crater whose water is denser and saltier than that of the Dead Sea, and the Cueva de Los Verdes, a natural cave that extends seven kilometres into the bowels of the Earth beneath the sea - some even claim it leads to Atlantis.