Lanzarote: A viewpoint and a volcanic cavern
None of the Canary Islands are huge exactly, which gives you some idea just how compact the Minor Canaries are. Scattered across the northern tip of Lanzarote, the group includes Isla Graciosa and Isla de Lobos, making up a string of nature reserves.
And while you can hop on a ferry from Orzola, most people content themselves with looking at the islands from afar, from the Mirador del Rio viewpoint.
Created by local artist Cesar Manrique, as with much else on Lanzarote, there’s a futuristic white café with huge windows gazing onto the sea (although we were warned on the way in not to try the coffee) and an outdoor section to wander around.
With Minnie in the baby carrier, I wandered outside into the breeze, watching a small sailboat zigzag across the water and the white of the villages on La Graciosa against the blue of the sea and sky.
This end of the island seems much more rugged and isolated, greener and windswept than the south, although still with the black volcanic rock all around.
After Minnie decided she’d much rather stare at people’s faces than one of the best views in Lanzarote (and I kicked myself for deciding not to bother lugging the change bag in for once, only to discover the Mirador was one of the few places with baby changing – tourist attractions seem a reasonable guarantee), we headed back to the car to take the winding road along the coast past the fish restaurants and port of Orzola to Jameos del Agua.
A series of connected underground caves, hollowed out by volcanic activity and filled with underground lakes, it’s also home to a concert hall with reputedly fantastic acoustics.
After paying the entry fee we started, rather prosaically, with some tapas overlooking the first pool in the Jameo Grande, a volcanic bubble 100m long.
Blind white crabs live in the water, although I didn’t get much chance to look for them when Minnie – as good as gold for most of the trip, and most of the day – decided to seize the opportunity of testing the cave’s own acoustics by yelling as loud as she could.
Strapped into the carrier again (a necessity this time as there’s twisty stairs and at times you need your hands free), I was the parent looking enviously at another woman with her baby gazing cheerfully out from his carrier.
She quietened long enough to be dazzled by the sudden sun reflecting off a turquoise pool and bright white surroundings – Manrique again – before outdoing herself in volume on the baby change table. Time, as they say, for a quick exit.
Back in the car, she fell into an overdue sleep so we abandoned our plans of stopping at the Pirate museum in former capital Teguise or the vineyards of La Geria (though we did manage a return visit there).
I also discovered it’s possible to feel real hate towards complete strangers after an unlikely string of cars on the island’s semi-deserted roads made us stop at a junction for long enough to wake her once again.
Travel lesson learned: Make as many plans as you want – some you’ll do with ease, but when an overtired baby has the final say, others get put off for another day (or another trip) like our visit to Jameos del Agua with a baby.
For tips on more things to do in Lanzarote with kids, check out this post, as well as more information in my guide to the Canary Islands for families
Images courtesy of Depositphotos
