Barbecue on a volcano in Timanfaya

Lanzarote is called the Island of Volcanoes for a reason. There are about 300 craters on it, what's more, tourists visiting the island can eat unique dishes prepared on a volcanic grill.

The legendary phoenix rose from the ashes. One of the Canary Islands, Lanzarotte, has proven that you can go one step further and use the destructive element to your advantage. In the eighteenth century, its surface was torn by tremendous tremors, then it was burnt with millions of cubic meters of volcanic lava, which in a few years wiped out life on a large part of the island. Today, these areas are home to the unique Timanfaya National Park , also known as the Mountains of Fire (Montañas del Fuego). Every year it is visited by over 1.5 million people.

Walk around Mordor

Can you say that the park is beautiful ... Hmm, that's a subjective issue, because it's hard to talk about a typical landscape of a national park. On the web you can even find a comparison of Timanfay to Mordor from The Lord of the Rings. It is not difficult to guess why, when observing the colors of the landscape based on reds and browns.

You can move around the park as part of touring coach trips - Ruta de los Volcanes . Tourists will arrive at the Islet of Hilario, where they can leave their car in the parking lot, and then, after boarding the bus, head off to meet the Mountains of Fire.

During the free excursions organized by the park administration, you can learn how the fancifully jagged coastline of the national park was created and get to know the volcano better. Participation must be booked no earlier than 2 months before the trip, and you can visit only with a guide, in Spanish or English-speaking groups of a maximum of 8-10 people.

The park can be traversed by one of two routes - coastal and leading to the volcano . To participate in the trip, you must have full sports shoes (trekking on the trail along the coast), water or isotonic drinks. It is also recommended that you wear a suitable hat and that you bring sunscreen.

Please check in 15 minutes before the tour time with your ID and booking number.

Barbecue in the Mountains of Fire

On one of the volcanic cones there is a viewpoint and the El Diablo restaurant , where you can eat dishes prepared on the volcanic grill. The menu includes, among others fish dishes, grilled pork and sweet potatoes. The prices, which is not surprising in such a place, are quite high.

On the occasion of a trip around Lanzarote , it is worth getting acquainted with the taste of local wine. The oldest winery on the island dates back to the 18th century, and the vines are grown on gravel left over from lava eruptions. Single bushes grow in pits surrounded by stones to protect them from the wind. Plants don't get irrigated - they get their moisture from the gravel, which collects it at night and doesn't give it back during the day.

In addition to wine, a drink worth tasting is the famous drink in Lanzarote in the form of rum with whipped cream, cinnamon and honey.

A campsite at a volcano

The Camping of Papagayo operates on the island from 30 May to 30 September. Its offer is, to put it mildly, quite modest - it provides basic services such as access to showers or the possibility of cleaning chemical toilets. It looks more like a car park than a camping site, and is rounded off by a bleak, barren landscape. Accommodation prices start from around 7 euros for owners of motorhomes and cars with caravans, and those willing to stay in a tent will pay 4 euros.

In order to be able to stay overnight at the campsite, you must obtain a permit from the Registro General in Cabildo de Lanzarote.

The original beauty of Timanfaya Park cannot be forgotten. Besides, there's no reason to do it - it's beautiful in its own way. In 1993, UNESCO recognized its area as a biosphere reserve. If someone is going to Lanzarote, be sure to get to know him.