Yoga is one of the most relaxing things you can do, and Lanzarote is a wonderful place to do it outdoors.
Here are some of the best spots on the island.
A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Lanzarote is one of Spain’s finest destinations for yoga, and the sheer number of specialist centres dotted across the island is proof enough. This Canary Island is treasured by yogis the world over, and for good reason: spellbinding landscapes, clean air to breathe, idyllic beaches with crystal-clear water, fine weather all year round, and a sense of calm at every turn. So, if peace of mind is what you’re looking for, set a course for Lanzarote and roll out your mat in any corner of this magical island.
Los Volcanes Natural Park: a moonscape with nothing to break your focus
Los Volcanes Natural Park is an awe-inspiring volcanic landscape, sparse on vegetation, that makes you feel as though you’ve landed on Mars itself. Nothing, then, to pull your focus from the concentration that meditation and asanas demand.
On the wild Caleta del Congrio
This yogi “hotspot” sits within Los Ajaches Natural Park, beside a string of coves known as the Papagayo beaches, all turquoise water and white sand. It’s a thoroughly wild spot, ruled by a magical air that brings instant peace and escape, just the conditions for enjoying your yoga practice. In fact, to lose yourself entirely, our advice is to wander along one of the nearby sand trails and find the perfect spot, with nothing for company but the sound of the ocean’s swell rolling back and forth.
Alone in the world, on Bajo el Risco beach
Seasoned yogis say that, before beginning a sequence, it’s good to ease gradually into a state of all-round calm that culminates in a spell of meditation. Well, our next destination feels made for exactly that. It can only be reached after a good walk along a path known as the Camino de los Gracioseros, which serves up an idyllic, perfectly timed panorama where reddish, blue, ochre and green tones all blend together. This brings us to Bajo el Risco beach, on the coast of Yé; a vast 500-metre stretch of sand at the foot of the spectacular Riscos de Famara cliffs, where the song of the sea mingles with the call of the birds overhead. They say it is the most solitary and peaceful beach in Lanzarote, a place where time seems to stand still, and when you are there, it is hard to disagree. Whether you turn towards the sea or the cliffs, the place has a way of drawing you in so completely that, for a moment, you forget you are still on Earth.
Fancy a ferry hop to La Graciosa?
If you have a little time, a wonderful plan is to hop across to the neighbouring island with your mat. After half an hour on the ferry, you’ll find yourself in an almost untouched natural haven: La Graciosa. With barely 700 inhabitants, most of them living in Caleta de Sebo beside the harbour, the island unfolds in a flat, austere landscape of earthy brown tones, criss-crossed by sandy footpaths and punctuated here and there by ancient volcanoes, true landmarks of the place. Along the coast, meanwhile, you’ll find beautiful, deserted beaches of white sand and crystal-clear water… Yes, by now you'll have grasped it, and probably dreamt of it too: a paradise in which to salute the sun and give yourself over to yoga.
