Mirador del Río

The Mirador del Río is an architecturally attractive lookout point in the far north of the Canary Island of Lanzarote . At the time of its completion in the mid-1970s, it was considered one of the most important modern structures in the world.

History and character

The Mirador del Río is located on a point 475 meters above sea level on the steep coast of the Famara massif, which is over 600 meters high. The viewpoint (officially opened in 1974), designed in 1973 by the Lanzarote artist César Manrique , with the assistance of Jesús Soto and the architect Eduardo Caceres , which is integrated into the rock in the typical Manrique style, consists of a parapet over the abyss, a café with large panoramic windows, a souvenir shop and a viewing platform at the top. At right angles has been omitted; all rooms are round, including the parking lot, the viewing platform and the stairs.

The far-reaching view over the rocky cliffs and over the approximately two kilometers wide, name-giving strait Río ( Spanish for river ) over to the Chinijo archipelago , with the islands of La Graciosa , Alegranza , Montaña Clara , and the rock Roque del Este , made that Mirador del Río a tourist attraction. At the foot of the slope ( Risco de Famara ), with its bizarre washouts that have occurred over the millennia, is one of the oldest salt pans in the Canary Islands. The peculiar red of some of its segments is due to the tiny brine shrimp. To the west of the salt pans you can see the white Playa del Risco . It can only be reached by boat or via a serpentine hiking trail down the steep face.

During the Spanish-American War towards the end of the 19th century, gun batteries were installed in the place where the Mirador del Río is today. Remains of it can still be seen east of the viewpoint.

Trivia

In 1979, the vantage point was one of the central locations of the television series Timm Thaler , which opened the series of multi-part children's Christmas TV series. In the Faustian TV fairy tale, the Mirador del Río houses the villain played by Horst Frank .