Haría lies in a green valley in the north of Lanzarote, which is a surprise on an island that is mostly black and brown. The valley is full of palm trees, thousands of them, planted over centuries, so that from the hills above, the village looks like a settlement in a North African oasis. The whitewashed houses with flat roofs sit among the palms, and in the middle is a quiet square with a church and a few cafés. It is known as the Valley of a Thousand Palms, and the number is not far from the truth.
The village is also associated with César Manrique, the Lanzarote artist and architect who shaped the modern look of the island from the 1960s onward. He pushed for low, white buildings, no billboards and respect for the volcanic landscape, and the island's character owes a great deal to him. Manrique spent his last years in a house in Haría, which is now a museum and gives a good sense of how he lived and worked, with the typical mix of black lava, white walls and bright colour. On Saturday mornings, a craft market fills the village square.
For riders, the road from Teguise to Haría is one of the best on Lanzarote. It climbs gently across the plain, then curves up into the Famara massif, with sweeping views of the valley and the sea, and drops into the palm-filled basin of the village. The surface is generally good, corners are open and the traffic is light, though a procession of tour coaches heads for the viewpoint at Mirador del Río. Wind is a factor, particularly on the ridge, and fog can come in over the cliffs. Take it slowly, and look out for goats.
Haría has about five thousand inhabitants and a few shops, bars and restaurants, which are enough for a coffee or a lunch. For fuel, the safer option is Teguise, about eleven kilometres away, where there are stations and supermarkets. The surrounding landscape is farmed with stone walls and terraces, and the soil is covered with volcanic gravel that holds moisture, a method used for vines, figs and sweet potatoes, and the local cooking draws on these.
Early morning light on the valley, with the palms backlit and mist on the hills, is a good reason to start early.