Tías

Tías is a municipality in the centre-south of Lanzarote, which lies facing out over the sea and whose coastline includes the island’s largest tourist resort, Puerto del Carmen (other settlements in the municipality are Tías town, Mácher, La Asomada, Conil and Masdache). Tías municipality was the location of the first hotels ever built on the island.

The municipality of Tias has a resident population of around 4,000. But since the borough includes Puerto del Carmen, the island’s most popular tourist resort, the figure jumps to around 10,000 when including visitors.

Tías is the chief town of the municipality of the same name. For this reason, many of the administrative centres for Puerto del Carmen’s local services are located here.

Tías boasts some typical Canarian bars and restaurants which are great places to sample some traditional food, as well as several shops. In Tías, there is a big ex-pat british community that has grown considerably in recent years.

The historic monument of the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, built in the 16th Century, which has a peculiar double bell tower, can be found in the centre of town and is the focus point of activities every February during religious celebrations.

An interesting point about this lovely little community is that it was home to acclaimed Portuguese author and Nobel Prize awarded José Saramago, who lived here with his wife.