Panoramic Lanzarote

Duration: 3 1/2 hours

Tour Code: lan-001

Venture into the barren landscape of a national park on a captivating volcano tour, and then discover the unusual way fine wines are produced in Lanzarote's harsh environment.

Depart from the pier and begin driving inland across volcanically formed Lanzarote. This portion of Lanzarote is relatively dry, which has minimized erosion so the barren landscape looks much like it did when formed a few centuries ago. As you'll learn, the area's Fire Mountains didn't even exist until years of volcanic upheaval created them in the 1730s.

You'll have the opportunity to explore this otherworldly terrain within the National Park of Timanfaya. Rarely will you ever see countryside so beautifully desolate and compellingly bizarre. During a volcano tour, you'll learn all sorts of intriguing facts about the park, including that the temperature just beneath the surface approaches 1,000ºF. You'll also hear a contemporary recording of diary entries from a priest who long ago described the eruptions.

Continuing on, you'll pass the salt flats of Janubio, where salt is extracted from the sea for export, an industry in decline ever since refrigeration replaced salt for food preservation. Soon, you'll arrive at La Geria, a vineyard that produces distinct wines primarily from the Malavasia grape. To survive in the dry soil, the vines are planted in funnel-shaped craters and the ground covered with porous volcanic granules to retain moisture. It's a unique method of cultivation resulting in excellent wines, a few of which you'll sample. Afterwards, you'll return to the pier.

Please note: This tour includes approximately 90-minutes of easy to moderate walking that includes uneven ground and gravel surfaces. The tour is available to wheelchair guests who have a collapsible wheelchair, are able to make their own way on and off the coach and have an able-bodied companion to assist them. Those guests with mobility concerns are cautioned only to participate to the extent of their personal stamina and ability and may make arrangements with the guide to not participate in some of the walking portions of the tour. Weather appropriate clothing; sun cap; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.