MIRADOR DE HARIA - Valley Viewpoint
The Mirador de Haria is a miniature Manrique marvel that has only recently opened – free of charge - to the general public. And it offers visitors vertiginous views of two verdant valleys in the north of Lanzarote. It's located around a 15 minute drive away from Finca Botanico and its private tropical gardens.
This latest addition to Lanzarote’s roster of unique tourist attractions boasts all of the usual trademark touches of Manrique’s larger scale creations – such as the Mirador del Rio and the Jameos del Agua. But on a much smaller scale.
So expect high impact, minimalistic planting – here utilising Canarian palms and the emblematic Draceana draco – blended into a whitewashed reinterpretation of traditional Canarian architecture.
It was originally created under the aegis of Cesar Manrique back in 1966 as a resting point for more intrepid tourists walking this part of Lanzarote. But for years it was left unused and unloved in a state of disrepair. Before finally being refurbished and reopened in 2021.
The Mirador’s main focus are two toughened glass platforms which project out over two beauty spots below. One provides breath-taking views of the Valley of Temisa, the village of Tabayesco and down to the coast at Arrieta. While the other seemingly levitates above The Valley of 1000 Palms and the village of Haria.
The Mirador del Haria is located on a small rocky outcrop on the road that snakes down into The Valley of 1000 Palms and the village of Haria. This sinuous stretch of road, now the LZ10, is still referred to locally as the Malpasso by locals – which roughly translates into English as bad passage. And this remains a fairly fitting epithet even today as it is a slightly more challenging drive than most of the easy to navigate roads on the island.
But don’t let that put you off – as the views in this part of the island are well worth the small amount of extra effort you may have to put in behind the wheel. These vistas start to reveal themselves as you approach the Restaurant Los Helechos. Where you’ll find plenty of camera phone wielding tourists have already pulled over to drink in the views along with their teas and coffees.
There’s very limited parking at the Mirador del Haria. It’s a small-scale attraction which can only accommodate so many visitors at a time – and this helps to keep the numbers down.
So depending on your fitness level and appetite for adventure one option is to park up at the Restaurant and then follow a slightly rocky path down. Some may find the return leg a little more daunting though!
Alternatively, there are two laybys either side of the Mirador where visitors can park up and take a shorter and less taxing walk along the road. The local council also run a free shuttle bus service to the Mirador from the library in Haria on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays – which gives the option of parking in the village instead.
The Mirador de Haria is open daily from 10.30 to 18.00 and entrance is free of charge. It’s located around 15 minutes-drive away from Finca Botanico.
