On my first visit to the island, I didn’t quite “get it”.  For some reason large groups of tourists were arriving in buses to either go through a small entrance in the rock, or they were walking a short way down the road to climb over a small wall in order to enter an area that the signs said they should not be in.

Going over that wall is not just a matter of defying an order, but also risking the 475 meter drop down towards the salt flats if you slip – not something that I recommend trying.

But where were all those people going to through the rock entrance?  More to the point, why were they paying for the privilege?

At the time I felt that paying to get a better view of La Graciosa was not really necessary, and being tired probably did not help much either.

The entrance to the viewing complex

Eight years later I finally returned to the Mirador, and this time I was more curious.  What was behind the rock face?

So I paid my €4,50 entrance fee and went in to found out.

At this point I have to admit – yes, the view is stunning!  You cannot compare it to the view from the road, because there is just a shear drop down to the ocean and you are literally standing on the very edge of the island.

But it isn’t just a case of a good vantage point amongst the rocks, the whole complex is fascinating, with the interior in pristine white and sparsely decorated, one might almost say it helps the visitors to focus on the view.

The view across to La Graciosa with the salt flats down below

There is a higher level, accessed through a staircase housed in a glass dome, which allows for an even more exclusive view.  Inside there is a bar, where you can drink a coffee and watch the ferries go back and forth between Orzola and La Graciosa.  There is also a souvenir shop selling, amongst other things, books about the art and architecture found on Lanzarote.

In my opinion, it is a part of the island that every visitor should see at least once.  That said, the price is such that I would probably think twice before paying again on a future visit.

The spectacular views of the ocean in the distance are combined with a drop of several hundred metres on one side of a road that is not always wide enough for two vehicles to pass without slowing.

Here is a short film I made of a journey along the road last year.  It does not contain any sound:

That said, the road is sometimes used for racing:

The menu was easy to operate, and our purchase was delivered quickly.  But I had a feeling, that the 2000 items had been selected to give a wide variety of types of item, rather than trying to offer different brands of the same item.

Trying out the 24 hour supermarket machine

This is obviously an attraction for those who have left something at home, a toothbrush, for example, and are happy to have any type as long as it’s available any time of the day or night.

Since there is a normal type of supermarket in Puerto del Carmen next to the machine, anyone wanting something more specific may need to go there during opening hours instead.

Here are some examples:

We are curious to know why this is.  Can anyone tell us?

But a special mention should be given to the market at Teguise.

Here, even the guidebooks tell you not to accept the first price that the sellers ask you for, and try to agree on a price that you are happy with. This is not only more difficult in a language that is foreign to the seller, but often they will be more happy to go down in price if they are selling to someone who appears to be a bit less of a tourist.

So if you can speak Spanish, it is worth using it straight away for any questions you may have, and increasing your chances of lowering the price. The better you speak it, the more chance you have…