Winter Sun Holidays in Lanzarote

Whilst the rest of Europe starts packing away the suntan lotion and beach chairs the Canary Islands are just gearing up for their busiest time of the year. Thanks to the fact that these seven specks of Spain located off the coast of Africa enjoy year round temperatures in excess of 20C – even in the depths of Winter.

Lanzarote is the eastern most Canary Island – and whilst much smaller in size that neighbouring islands such as Tenerife and Gran Canaria is still a big draw for British and Irish tourists. Who are expected to make over one million visits this year – despite the current economic climate and the falling pound.

Whilst many are attracted initially by Lanzarote´s clement year round climate the island also offers holiday makers much more than just sunshine alone. Thanks to a unique volcanic landscape and diverse range of tourist attractions that keeps visitors coming back for more – with around 40% of holidaymakers returning to the island year after year.

Hail Cesar

The evolution of modern tourism on Lanzarote has been largely shaped by the island born artist and architect Cesar Manrique. Who campaigned tirelessly to ensure that his beloved island was not buried beneath a sea of high rise hotels as package tourism started to take off in the early 1970´s.

Thanks to Manrique the island’s three main tourist resorts are well contained, advertising hoardings are outlawed and all buildings must be no taller than a Canarian palm tree.

As an alterative to the water parks and golf courses springing up elsewhere in Spain Manrique also developed the islands unique range of tourist attractions. By fusing his artistic imagination with Lanzarote´s volcanic landscapes to create sites such as the Jameos del Agua, a collapsed volcanic tunnel transformed into a lush underground grotto. And his own home and studio – built into five volcanic bubbles and by some distance still the most unusual and impressive property in Lanzarote.

Natural Wonders

Manrique was fortunate to have Lanzarote´s stunning landscape as a backdrop for his work. The island was subjected to prolonged eruptions during the 18th and 19^th centuries which covered around one third of the island in lava.

At the time this decimated the most fertile land on the island and created enormous economic hardship. Forcing many islanders to flee. Today however the epicentre of these eruptions is Lanzarote´smost popular tourist attraction. As the Timanafaya Volcano Park attracts close to one million visitors a year. Drawn to the eerie lava scape which is often likened to the surface of the moon.

Beautiful Beaches

The Canary Islands are often associated with black sand beaches. But on Lanzarote the vast majority of the islands playas are comprised of golden grains. And amongst the 90 plus beaches on offer are some of the most beautiful in Europe, such as the coves of Papagayo in the South and the breathtaking horseshoe shaped bay at Famara on the North West coast.

Luxury Accommodation

Lanzarote offers visitors a wealth of top quality holiday accommodation. The island´s hotels account for around one third of the official capacity of 65,000 tourist beds. So many visitors to opt to stay in apartments or holiday villas in Lanzarote. The best of these can be found in the southern most resort of Playa Blanca – which was developed with luxury villas at the core of the accommodation blueprint.

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October 22nd, 2008 Posted by Teguise | Europe | no comments