In the late 19th century, the Spanish armed forces set up gun batteries overlooking El Río (the strait separating Lanzarote from Isla Graciosa), 2km north of Yé. César Manrique left his distinctive mark in 1973, ingeniously converting the gun emplacement into a spectacular, cave-like, 475m-high lookout point. The interior is washed in white, with spider-like iron installations adorning the ceiling. Vertiginous views sprawl across sweeping lava flows – frozen in time – falling to the ocean, and Isla Graciosa sparkles across the water.
Shutterstock / Kevin Eaves
Mirador del Río
Lanzarote
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
15.16 MILES
Upon returning definitively to Lanzarote, César Manrique built his spectacular house and creative centre, Taro de Tahíche, into the lava fields just…
21.82 MILES
Lanzarote's most spectacular sight, the eerie 51-sq-km Parque Nacional de Timanfaya sprawls around the Montañas del Fuego (Mountains of Fire) formed by…
4.52 MILES
A yawning, kilometre-long chasm, the Cueva de los Verdes is the most spectacular segment of an almost 7km-long lava tube left behind by an eruption 5000…
4.99 MILES
When molten lava seethed through this volcanic cavern around 5000 years ago, the ocean leaked in slightly, forming the startling clear azure lake that…
Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo
17.06 MILES
Converted into an art gallery in 1976, on César Manrique's wish, the well-preserved 18th-century Castillo de San José houses one of the Canaries' major…
5.2 MILES
Frozen in time, complete with Manrique's clothes in the cupboard and personal art collection adorning the walls, the palm-shaded final home of the island…
5.27 MILES
One of the most magical swimming spots on Lanzarote, this cluster of glittering turquoise natural pools dots the coast in the tranquil whitewashed fishing…
7.63 MILES
One of Lanzarote's most magical beaches, wild, sandy, dark-gold Caleta de Famara is a sweeping all-natural throwback, where surfers tackle some of the…
Nearby Lanzarote attractions
1.01 MILES
One of Lanzarote's wildest and most deserted beaches, sandy warm-gold Playa del Risco clings to the northwest tip of the island at the foot of the Risco…
1.36 MILES
Just 1km west of Órzola, this beautiful unspoilt volcanic-stone and brown-sand beach is flanked by cliffs and famed for its big surf breaks (swimming is…
1.76 MILES
Caleta de Sebo's cream-coloured beach is a small, pretty strip of sand overlooking the harbour.
1.76 MILES
Claiming to be the smallest museum in the world, the Museo Chinijo hosts well laid-out multilanguage exhibits on the geography and history of the…
1.91 MILES
Gazing out on the Risco de Famara, the pretty 2km-long blonde strand immediately southwest of Caleta de Sebo is the most easily accessible of Isla…
2.34 MILES
A natural, untamed beauty graces this series of sheltered and rarely crowded sandy coves scattered around off the LZ1 east of town, with fine white sand…
2.7 MILES
A 3km, 30-minute walk southwest of Caleta de Sebo, little Playa Francesa is a beautiful golden-white strand lapped by turquoise Atlantic waves.
4.52 MILES
A yawning, kilometre-long chasm, the Cueva de los Verdes is the most spectacular segment of an almost 7km-long lava tube left behind by an eruption 5000…