The tiny seaside village of El Golfo is famous for the Charco de Los Clicos (green lagoon), the delicious fresh fish lunches enjoyed overlooking the sea and a location in the film Broken Embraces directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Penelope Cruz.
El Golfo itself has a handful of houses, the old next to the modern, some with blue painted doors and others the traditional Lanzarote green. There’s a lovely atmosphere whilst walking along the Avenida Marítima, the friendly waiters all shout out “hola, buenos días” as you approach to try and tempt you to their particular restaurant, they’re not pushy and appreciated a reply as we passed by. We drove through the village and parked where the road stops and the National Park of Timanfaya begins. There’s a good sized children’s playground here which is handy for smaller children that have been cooped up in the car for a while, the older ones might like to explore the black pebble beach with rock pools just opposite the play area.
If you’re not sure which restaurant in El Golfo to try and youwould like a recommendation, look out for Restaurante Costa Azul. I was introduced to this one by my friends, you won’t find any waiters in the street vying for business, they are simply tucked away on the left as you enter the village with a lovely frontline terrace.
Apart from a good selection of local Canarian restaurants, El Golfo also has a small supermarket, a gift shop and an ice cream parlour.
A trip to El Golfo is not complete without taking in a walk before or after your lunch to visit the beautiful Charco de Los Clicos.
The volcano on the shoreline to the left of El Golfo has been eroded by the elements to reveal an incredible emerald green lagoon.
The colour of the water is a stark contrast to the black sand and red, orange and yellow backdrop of the crater. This unique natural feature of Lanzarote is a photographer’s delight although incredibly hard to capture in one shot!
The actual lagoon is roped off, this landscape is one of the protected areas of Lanzarote so you can’t touch the water – if you wanted to! The intense green colour of the Lago Verde is due to the concentration of Ruppia-Maritima algae present in the water.
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There are two ways to explore the Charco de Los Clicos, the overhead view is found by parking in the first car park above the village on the left as you enter El Golfo, take the path to the left of the gift shop to a viewing balcony above the beach and lagoon.
To access the lower level and beach, the entry is via the car park on the opposite side of the corona, as you approach El Golfo from Yaiza take the road left signposted Los Hervideros.
Pick up a handful of sand when you’re on the beach, there’s lots of tiny gemstones of green olivine in the grains! But don’t take it away with you – put it back.
Visit El Golfo as part of the Lanzarote Grand Tour.
Read about walking in Lanzarote.
