Haría
Haría is a village in Lanzarote that gives its name to the municipality covering the north end of the island, with a population in 2020 of 5,263. This page likewise covers the entire north end of Lanzarote, but not the islands of La Graciosa or Montaña Clara.
This area doesn't have the chain hotels of the beach resorts, but it's a short drive from those and from the capital so in season plenty of tourists pass through. In spring it's green and fertile, and Haría is an oasis decked with palm trees. By late summer the fields are sere and yellow. The main attractions are the studio of César Manrique, the lava tunnels towards the east coast, and the lookouts over gaunt volcanic scenery.
Get in
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By bus
[edit]- Bus 7 (Arrecife to Haría and Máguez). Daily every 2 hours. From Arrecife, taking an hour via Tahiche, Teguise, Mala, Arrieta and Punta Mujeres to Haría and Máguez; the 26 continues to Yé.
- Bus 26 (Arrecife to Yé). Daily every 2 hours. The same route as Bus 7, though continues to Yé.
- Bus 9 (Arrecife to Órzola ferry pier). Runs four times daily. Follows the same route from Arrecife to Punta Mujeres then stays on the coast via Jameos del Agua to Órzola ferry pier. It takes an hour.
By car
[edit]By car follow LZ-1 north from Arrecife. This goes all the way to Órzola - a branch inland at Arrieta for Haría.
By ferry
[edit]Ferries sail hourly from Órzola at the north tip of Lanzarote to Caleta del Sebo on the island of La Graciosa. The crossing takes 30 min so a day trip is easily possible; there's no other route there so you have to return the same way. The return fare in 2023 is Adult: €28, Child: €15.
Get around
[edit]You need wheels: the bus gets you between Haría and Máguez but for anywhere else it's too infrequent.
For cycling, the distances are not great but the gradients are steep and there's always a stiff Atlantic breeze in your teeth.
See
[edit]Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism (CACT)
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The Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism (CACT) (Centros de Arte, Cultura y Turismo) has Jameos del Agua, Mirador del Río and Cueva de los Verdes included in a combi-ticket:
- 1 Mirador del Río, Carretera de Ye. Daily 10:00-17:00. A lookout carved out of the scarp of Batería del Río in 1971-73 by César Manrique, with a café and viewing platform landscaped into the rock with a clear view of La Graciosa. Adult €5, child €2.50.
- 2 Jameos del Agua, Punta Mujeres. Daily 10:00-17:30. A jameo is a Canarian word which means a lava tunnel where the roof collapsed to expose a gully, and also describes tunnels entered through such a gully. This one is part-flooded and has been prettified with a bar, restaurant, swimming pool and concert hall. It all feels a bit like a Sandals Resort, except for the blind albino crabs. Adult €10, child €5.
- 3 Cueva de los Verdes, LZ-205, ☏ +34 901 20 0300. Daily 10:00-17:00. This is the show cave in a series of lava tunnels created during the eruption of La Corona 4,000 years ago. The interconnected tunnels stretch over 8 km (5.0 mi), with some parts submerged. A 45-minute guided tour takes you through a well-lit section, but you need to be reasonably agile over the rough surface. Some of the passageways are very narrow and you need to duck your head multiple times. Adult €10, child €5.
Other miradors
[edit]A mirador is a balcony or tower with a viewpoint.
- 4 Mirador Rincon de Haría. A lookout up a lane from Haría, with views over the cliffs to Famara. Hike 500 m (1,600 ft) north along the ridge for an even better lookout.
- 5 Mirador la Caldera. One of several lookouts along the side loop of Calle de la Caldera starting from Máguez.
- 6 Mirador de Guinate. Reached by a well-paved side lane off the road to Yé.
Other attractions
[edit]- 7 Casa Museo de César Manrique (Palm Grove House), Calle Elvira Sánchez 30, ☏ +34 928 843138. Daily 10:30-17:30. Home and studio of César Manrique, brilliantly decorated in his style. His other place was the volcano house (Taro de Tahíche) in Tahíche near Costa Teguise, a combi ticket is available. Adult €10, child €3.
- 8 Fuente de Chafariz is a green and gloomy old water cistern on LZ-207.
- 9 Jameo la Puerta Falsa 1 km northwest of Cueva de los Verdes is the most accessible of the non-show caves that you might explore yourself. You don't need spelunker skills but must have stout boots, at least one companion, and all of you with reliable flashlights. This tube system is 1 km long and if one torch failed, your mobile flashlight won't be enough to get you out. On your own risk, bearing in mind that the cave's name means "false door", perhaps the passage that you hoped would lead you out. Let someone know where you're going, and tell them when you re-surface. Other caves further up the hillside are more challenging and incompletely explored: they include Jameo Cumplido, Jameo de la Gente, Las Cuevas De Maquez and Jameo de Prendes. You need caving skills and equipment, and take specialist advice. Cueva de Los Siete Lagos is accessed near Cueva de los Verdes but is called "seven lakes" for a reason.
- 10 Monte Corona is a 609 m / 1998 ft volcano with the village of Yé on its north flank. Now extinct, its eruption 4000 years ago created the lava tunnels to the east and other dark terrain. To reach the crater rim, park at the church at Yé and take the lane starting 50 m east - reckon 35 min each way, and wear thick-soled boots against the jagged lava.
- 11 La Graciosa is the island seen to the north, reached by ferry from Órzola.
Do
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- 1 Caletón Blanco. An attractive beach with a lagoon enclosed by volcanic rock, so it's warm, calm, shallow and a good spot for kiddy-bathing.
- 2 Playa de la Cantería. Or Órzola has nearby parking and is sandy but often windy. Beware strong currents further out. Hang-gliders launching on the hills sometimes lands here.
- 3 Playa del Risco. A stiff hike from Yé village, about an hour and with a 400 m (1,300 ft) descent of the cliffs. It's a rare expanse of sand but has no water, shade or other facilities; when the wind is from the west the breakers are rough. Then you steel yourself for the return ascent and hike, over sharp volcanic rocks that shred flimsy trainers.
Buy
[edit]- Mirador de Rio has a gift shop.
- Haría supermarkets are Supermercado La Plaza (daily) and Supermercado Juán P de León (M-Sa).
- Haría market is held Sunday 10:00-14:30 on Plaza León y Castillo. It has handicrafts and local produce.
Eat
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- Puerta Verde gets good reviews. It's at C Fajaro 24 in Haría, open daily 13:00-21:00.
- Asadero de Pollos a la brasa does a filling lunch buffet. It's at C María Herrera 9 north edge of Haría, open daily 09:00-17:00.
- Tahoyo is at C Pared del Agua 14 north side of Punta Mujeres, open M-F 12:00-20:00, Sa 12:00-17:00.
- Mirador El Roque is near the ferry pier in Órzola, open daily 12:00-22:00.
Drink
[edit]- La Plaza and El Rincón de Quino are relaxing cafe-bars in Haría serving tapas.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 La Casa de los Naranjos, C Rincón de Aganada 4, Haría, ☏ +34 628 938942. Charming small hotel in a 200-year-old mansion. B&B double €180.
Connect
[edit]As of October 2023, Haría and the coast road to Órzola have 5G from all Spanish carriers, and the inland road through Máguez to Yé has 4G.
Go next
[edit]- Ferries from Órzola sail to La Graciosa, but you have to return the same way.
- The roads and buses run via Teguise to Arrecife the capital and transport hub.