Mirador del Río
Mirador del Río is a viewpoint situated on an approximately 475 meters high escarpment called Batería del Río in the very north of the Canarian island of Lanzarote.
The location was created in 1974 by the local artist César Manrique in his typical style, consisting of a balustraded cafe, a souvenir shop and a platform on its top which are integrated in the lava rock. The building has the peculiarity that is barely visible from the outside thanks to a subtle and ingenious camouflage maneuver of hiding its structure under a heavy stone skin that blends in with the environment.
After accessing inside the building through a winding corridor, there are two spacious vaulted rooms with two large glass windows - the eyes of the Mirador - that allow contemplating an extraordinary panoramic view over the strait of "Río" (naming the viewpoint) towards the archaic island of La Graciosa.
From here guards watched for secretly landing ships in former times. Its interiors and balcony areas were used as a location for the BBC television programme Doctor Who's serial, Planet of Fire, representing an alien planet and culture.
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Mirador del Río
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family watching the abyss
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bar at Mirador del Río
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cafe at Mirador del Río
Coordinates: 29°12′52″N 13°28′52″W / 29.21444°N 13.48111°W