Los Valles

Still indulging the relaxing views from the Mirador de Haría, on our way to the attractive village of Los Valles, we come past another viewpoint, called Mirador de Valle, also providing splendid views over the surroundings.

Only a short distance away, a minor road to the right leads us to the Ermita de las Nieves, a small, whitewashed chapel, which is worth the detour just for its location at 643 m (2,110 ft) above sea level. From this perfectly tranquil place (except for the winds, which can get quite rough here) you will enjoy magnificent views over the Risco de Famara cliffs and the island’s highest peak, Peñas del Chache, to the north as well as the adjoining El Jable plain in the southwest.

Before we finally reach the village of Los Valles, you will see Lanzarote’s largest wind farm – the Parque Eólico de Lanzarote with around 50 wind wheels – on a draughty hill to the left. Visitors are not allowed on the premises, but even from the outside, the sight is quite impressive.

Los Valles’ full name is actually ‘Los Valles de Santa Catalina’, as in 1730 the inhabitants of the village of Santa Catalina resettled here, after their homes were destroyed by the Timanfaya eruptions. The village is beautifully set in a valley of the same name, which – with its aesthetically designed fields and meadows – looks like an artist’s creation. This beautiful medley of terracotta-coloured terrain and cultivated fields can be seen best from the Castillo de Santa Bárbara perched on the rim of the extinct crater Guanapay (425 m – 1,395 ft) towering over the town of Teguise at the south-western end of this valley.

A mainly agricultural area, where the locals still work their fields in the traditional way with donkeys and camels, Los Valles is the best place to learn about rural life on the island.

---

Return to Costa Teguise

Leaving behind the idyll of Los Valles, continue for about 5 km (3 miles) towards Teguise, and, just before the town, take a minor road to the left passing through the small village of Teseguite. Then orientate yourself towards the coast and after about 15 km (9.5 miles) you will reach Costa Teguise, from where we started this tour.