Lanzarote, Canary Islands


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Lanzarote

Day 1 - Playa Blanca to Yaiza

Distance Time Elevation in meters

Km Elapsed
Hrs-Mins Moving
Hrs-Mins Gain Loss Min Max

16.6 6H15 3H15 246 87 2 183

The town of Yaiza appeared to be doomed during the main period of volcanic activity on Lanzarote from 1730 to 1736. With just 210 remaining inhabitants, it’s very location seemed certain to assure the town’s destruction, lying downhill from the epicenter of the eruptions (in what is now known as Timanfaya) and directly in the path of the resulting lava flows. As twelve other towns and some of the most fertile farming land on the island surrendered to the molten mass, Yaiza, somehow survived.

As the lava flowed towards Yaiza it split in two — one stream going in the direction of Uga and the other towards Playa Blanca — leaving Yaiza unscathed.

The town’s pretty church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, which dates from the 17th century, also survived the eruptions intact.

Ready for off, Playa Blanca seafront. L to R: Joan, Andrew, Sue, Helen, Anna and Mick

L to R: Sue, Mick, Joan, Helen, Anna and Andrew (Photo: Andreas Weibel)

Leaving Playa Blanca and heading towards the mountains. It was looking black overhead
but we felt reassured as it rarely rains in Lanzarote!

Guide Andreas explaining the route

The black clouds were getting closer!

Are the clouds getting darker?

Heavy rain over the mountains, but we were just on the fringe of it.

L to R: Andreas, Helen, Joan, Anna, Sue and Andrew

Sue (Photo: Anna)

Houston, we have a problem! We could see the path ahead but how to get to it?
We had to wait for the water to subside, and then make our way up the hill to find a suitable crossing point.

(Photo: Andreas Weibel)

Helen (Photo: Anna)

We were soon approaching Las Breñas, our designated lunch stop

Looking back along the route from Playa Blanca

Passing a goat farm just before Las Breñas (Photo: Andreas Weibel)

A typical house in Las Breñas.........

..... and a garden of volcanic lapilli and cacti.

Lapilli is a size classification term for tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts. Lapilli (singular: lapillus) means "little stones" in Latin. By definition lapilli range from 2 to 64 mm (0.08 to 2.52 in) in diameter. (Wikipedia)