Lanzarote is the easternmost of the Canary Islands and the one most shaped by volcanoes. It has about 167,000 inhabitants, measures some 55 km from north to south and its highest point, Peñas del Chache, only reaches 671 metres. Between 1730 and 1736 an eruption buried almost a quarter of the island in lava: that is where Timanfaya National Park comes from, along with much of what makes the island unique today. Since 1993 the whole island has been a Biosphere Reserve, and since 2015 it has formed a UNESCO Global Geopark together with the Chinijo archipelago.
The other half of the story is César Manrique. The Lanzarote-born artist persuaded the island to build low and white, and designed its most visited places: Jameos del Agua, the Mirador del Río, the Cactus Garden and his own house set in lava bubbles, now the César Manrique Foundation. Most of these centres are run by the island council, and for the Fire Mountains and Cueva de los Verdes tickets are sold online only, for a set date and time.
The north has Haría, the valley of a thousand palms, Famara beach and the port of Órzola, where the ferry leaves for La Graciosa. The centre has Teguise, the old capital, and the vineyards of La Geria. The south has Playa Blanca, the Papagayo coves and El Golfo.
Four or five days cover the essentials; with a week you can add La Graciosa and some beach time. Hiring a car is the practical choice: distances are short, but public transport doesn't reach Timanfaya. The climate is dry all year, with average highs of 21 °C in January and 29 °C in August at the airport, according to Spain's weather agency AEMET, and the trade wind blows hard, especially in summer.