The village of Femés in Lanzarote

Femés, which was long the most populous city in the south of Lanzarote, was a separate municipality until 1953, but is now part of the municipality of Yaiza.

Coming from the island capital, Arrecife, or Puerto del Carmen by the LZ-2 road, we arrive at Femés turning on the left on the LZ-702 road, just before the village of Uga. After 1.5 km LZ-702 road through the hamlet of Las Casitas de Femés then rises 4 km to the village of Femés in a fertile valley (Valle del Pozo) which are grown onions and potatoes. The road is panoramic in the last kilometers before Femés.

After Femès LZ-702 road goes down - so steep - towards the plain of El Rubicón; arrival in the plain continuous road towards Playa Blanca, 8.3 km; a junction on the right leads to the West Coast by the LZ-703 road, which runs through Las Breñas then, after crossing the LZ-2 road that goes to the salt mines of Janubio and the coastal village of El Golfo.

On the Plaza de San Marcial, above the door of the town hall, there is a plaque with tiles commemorating its construction with the Spanish Falange emblem and the inscription “Bajo el signo de Franco.Lo hizo la obra social of the Falange.”(“Under the Sign of Franco, he [the building] was built by the Phalanx social work ”).

A stone inscription on the facade of the church commemorates the visit of the bishop of the Canary made ​​to Saint-Martial February 17, 1733: “Aquí estuvo el S[eñor] D[on] Pedro Man[uel] Dávila y Cárdenas Ob[is]po de estas Yslas Feb[rero] 17 de 1733”(“Was here Mr. Don Pedro Manuel Dávila Cárdenas, bishop of the islands, February 17, 1733”). Pedro Manuel Dávila Cárdenas was bishop of the Canary Islands of 6 August 1731 to 19 December 1738.

A first church Saint-Martial of Rubicon was built in 1404 by the Norman conqueror Jean de Béthencourt and Gadifer de La Salle, who had made ​​the conquest of the island of Lanzarote in 1402. This first church was located near the beaches of Papagayo and the castle of Rubicon (Castillo de Rubicón) built there by Béthencourt, due to the existence of good anchorages, of brackish water well and the possibility of hunting monk seals around the Island of the Wolves (Isla de Lobos), north of Fuerteventura. The name of Rubicón is derived from the Latin root “rubeus ," “red,” and was given to this area because of the existence of this coast with a red volcano, Montaña Roja, visible from the sea.

Béthencourt and La Salle were accompanied by two missionaries, Boutier and Leverrier, who asked the papacy - then moved to Avignon - the creation of a diocese, named Diócesis Canariense-Rubicense The first Saint-Martial church was elevated to office Episcopal July 7, 1404 by Pope Benedict XIII, Pedro de Luna. San Marcial del Rubicón only remained the cathedral church of the first diocese of the Canary little time: the bishop was transferred to the see Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The first Saint-Martial church was destroyed by English pirates in 1593.

For that the church was no longer exposed to the attacks of privateers and pirates, the new church was built at the foot of the Atalaya de Femés, 350 m. During major volcanic eruptions of 1730 to 1736 the church served as a refuge for people.

The Iglesia San Marcial del Rubicón is a building with a single nave with a facade of a resplendent white and reddish volcanic stone portals, and topped with a small steeple. Inside the white walls are decorated with an unusual way: instead of the usual biblical paintings are numerous models of boats that are attached to the walls. This symbolizes the prayers of fishermen to avoid the pitfalls of the sea and return safely home.

Above the altar is a statue of the eighteenth century representing St. Martial, the patron saint not only the village but the whole island of Lanzarote. During the celebration of the patron saint of the island - July 7 - the effigy of the saint is carried in procession around the church by many people. This festival, which lasts a week, is the most important religious ceremony of the island; it gives rise to folk dances accompanied by traditional music.

The church of Saint-Martial of Rubicon is open at the hour of worship.

The scenery is spectacular especially at sunset when the land take a tan to orange. One can enjoy the view from the terrace of two modest eateries set on the terrace of the belvedere.

On the opposite side of the village, northeast, a view of the Montañas del Fuego and the National Park Timanfaya.

On the left of the road we see a picturesque house with its quirky design: walls and garden are decorated with various objects. On a wooden sign, the owner gave humorously to his house called “Casa tipica” (typical house). Next to the garden you can see an abandoned helicopter in the Spanish Army.

At Maciot is an exploitation of the pozzolan Caldera de Maciot.

In 1994, the massif of Los Ajaches has been classified as a Natural Monument (Monumento Natural de los Achajes), and is also a bird protection zone (ZEPA). You have to pay an entrance fee when it enters car from Playa Blanca.

Turning right at the sheepfold, a circuit can go around the Pico Redondo.

The PR-LZ-09 path allows him to reach Playa Blanca 20 km (4:30), through the Punta del Papagayo.

A municipal path can reach Las Casitas, through the Pico de Naos .

The author Canary Rafael Arozarena describes the small mountain village with these words:

" Enfrente, al fondo, surgieron de improviso las dos montañas mayores.La Atalaya Tinazor there, creo. Entrambas, blancas y amarillas, subieron juntas al cielo por error, allí están como detenidas Babel. In addition the V that forman laderas, Femés parece una sleep in hammock.”

"In front of me, at a distance, appeared unexpectedly two high mountains. La Atalaya and Tinazor, I think. White and ocher are mounted together in heaven and in error they are arrested, like the Tower of Babel. In the V formed by their sides Femés seems like sleep in a hammock. "

Although the novel déroulât in the 1930s, it is still the view today that have travelers approaching Femés.

Incidentally, a street Femés is named after the tragic history: the Calle Mararía turn right to enter the village when coming to Las Casitas .

The cheese Rubicón also has, on the village square, a small shop which sold different kinds of goat cheese (approximately € 6 per kilo) cream cheese, semi-dried cheese, smoked cheese or cheese paprika coated goat. The shop also sells other regional products such as gofio and wines of La Geria.

Address: Plaza de San Marcial 3, 35570 Femés

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 20 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 15 pm.

Phone: 00 34 649 911 289

Address: Calle de la Vista 34 (Street of the view: the restaurant is located opposite the Balcón de Femés, with beautiful views from its terrace, where you can admire the sunsets over southern Lanzarote) .

Phone: 00 34 928 830 223

Address: Plaza de San Marcial 1, 35570 Femés (behind the Saint-Martial church).

Goat cheese Queseria Rubicón.