The town of Haría in Lanzarote

Haría is also the chief town of one of the seven municipalities of Lanzarote, the city occupies the north of the island. The municipality of Haría includes some farming villages such as Máguez, Guinate, Yé, Tabayesco and Mala, a few fishing villages, such that Órzola and Arrieta and newer resorts such as Punta de Mujeres and Charco del Palo, known for its nudist beaches. The municipality of Haría has about 5,000 inhabitants, the town of Haría about 1200 residents.

One of the most famous inhabitants of Haría was the artist and environmentalist César Manrique; his tomb is in the cemetery of Haría.

Haría has many of the major tourist attractions of Lanzarote: the cave of Los Verdes, the chasms of Jameos del Agua and the lookout Río.

From the foot of the mountain of Peñas del Chache, the highest point of the island (671 m), another valley, perpendicular to the valley Malpaso, hand towards the east to the villages of Tabayesco and Arrieta; it is the valley Temisa whose hillsides are covered with abandoned crop terraces.

From the viewpoint of Los Helechos, about 565 meters, the LZ-10 scenic drive down into several loops to the center of the small town, located 270 meters.

In the north of the municipality is located northern cape of the island of Lanzarote, the Punta Fariones.

LZ-10 road connects Teguise to Haría in 17 km; from Arrecife, the capital of the island, you can reach Haría in 29 km (about 40 minutes), the LZ-1 road then the LZ-10 highway. From Playa Blanca, on the southern tip of the island, the distance to reach Haría is 58 km (1 hour 10).

The village center is organized around two places:

• the Constitution Square (Plaza de la Constitución), a flowery place bougainvillea and poinsettias, where the neo-classical building of the City Hall (Ayuntamiento), dating from the nineteenth century.
• the Plaza León y Castillo, a long pedestrianized square shaded by eucalyptus and banyan Malaysia (Ficus microcarpa); Saturday mornings it holds a handicraft market.

The village of Haría is pleasant enough but does not have many tourist attractions. At the end of the Plaza León y Castillo is the parish church of Our Lady of the Incarnation (Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación). Nearby, on the Plaza León y Castillo, there is a small Museum of Sacred Art (Museo de Arte Sacro), which retains some religious art of the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.

In 1618 Haría was a victim, as Teguise, an attack the Barbary pirates of the arráez (captain) Tabac and Solimán; during this attack the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación was largely destroyed. In 1625, it was decided to rebuild the parish church elsewhere, where Our Lady of the present church is located; the gate and the roof of the old church of Our Lady were integrated into the new building.

In 1678, the old church was restored and placed under the patronage of St. John the Baptist. The ceiling Ermita de San Juan Bautista is Mudejar, and the interior houses a statue of the Virgin of the Assumption (Virgen de la Asunción), the work of Luján Perez, a renowned sculptor of the eighteenth century, a native of Great Canary, who realized works throughout the archipelago.

During the festivals of Saint John Summer (Feast of St. John the Baptist, patron of the city of Haría) from 24 to 27 June, the ground of the city streets is decorated with colorful carpets of salt representing various reasons ; the evening of 23 June, a large bonfire is lit, and the next day the procession of Saint John clears these salt decorations.

A particular craft, which developed in Máguez early twentieth century, the craft of the fiber of sisal agave.

Tienda y Taller de Artesanía

Address: Calle Barranco de Tenesía, a parallel street to the Plaza de la Constitución.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 13: 30 pm and 16 am to 19 pm (in summer); closed Monday afternoon.

Admission: free admission.

César Manrique lived in Haría from 1988 until December 25, 1992, day of his tragic death in a traffic accident on the outskirts of its Foundation. His house in Haría is now a museum César Manrique: the Museo César Manrique is in the street that now bears his name.

The grave, simple, of César Manrique is in the cemetery of Haría; it is generally flowery fresh flowers by all those who did not forget his contribution to culture and the preservation of landscapes of his native island.

• after 4 km, and some curves hairpin, we reach the viewpoint Haría (Mirador de Haría), 503 meters; there is a side view of the valley Malpaso and the village of Haría.
• a kilometer away, and two rotating later we arrive at Mirador de los Helechos which lies at the foot of the Montaña de los Helechos (Mountain Ferns). The Belvedere Ferns is located 557 meters above sea level and offers a magnificent view of the “Valley of 1000 Palms” and towards the east, the valley Temisa, the village of Tabayesco and the eastern coast of Lanzarote between Arrieta and Mala. The Mirador de los Helechos is a small restaurant - often crowded - and a gift shop.

Legend has it that this important palm population is due to the custom - which had during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries - to plant palm trees to the birth of a child: two palm trees for a boy, a palm tree for a girl - feminists appreciate.

Another legend claims that the valley owes its nickname to a school teacher who asked her students to count the palms of the valley; they would have counted 10000; the valley is sometimes called “Valley of Ten Thousand Palms”. This is certainly the most important palm Canarian population.

The vegetation is not limited only to the palm trees and we also meet many euphorbias and cacti (tuneras), and a small population of the Canary pine (Pinus canariensis), named “El Bosquecillo” (The Grove).

Go to the Mirador del Río.

The resort is located at the intersection of the road LZ-201 and LZ-203 road to the Mirador del Río, when it comes to Arrecife via Arrieta or Órzola by the LZ-204 road. Shortly before the intersection of the road LZ-201 and LZ-204 road from Órzola, there is a strange building with the appearance of a castle, with a square crenellated tower: it is the winery the Torrecilla de Domingo (Dominique Turret).

This is from the village of Yé that can be most easily climb the Monte Corona (609 m). It is possible to park near near the church of Yé; then follow the LZ-201 road for about 200 m towards Arrieta, then take the dirt road to the right; This road leads directly to the volcano. Arriving at the edge of the crater, it is possible to go around, but the trail is steep. The bottom of the crater is located at 525 meters above sea level.

The village has over 1100 inhabitants and has no beaches; Holiday apartments however we found there and a few restaurants, including the restaurant El Lago (Address: Calle Los Morros, 27, phone: 00 34928848176).

The resort of Charco del Palo (Puddle of Cane) is close to Guatiza and Mala; at the entrance to Mala, the LZ-1 road, take a small road on the right, Calle El Rostro, just before the Restaurant Don Quijote; the road leads over 2.5 km to the station.

Detailed schedule at: www.arrecifebus.com.

Address: Calle El Palmeral, 6

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 17 pm; Sunday from 10 am to 17 pm.

Price: main dish around € 12.

Phone: 00 34 928 835 686

Site on the Web: elcortijodeharia.blogspot.fr