Volcanic vistas. Beautiful beaches. Pretty pueblos. Lanzarote really does have it all – making it the ideal location for anyone seeking a sun and fun filled vacation. And all just a four hour flight from the UK and Germany, the islands two main tourist markets.
Where exactly is Lanzarote? Follow the coastline of West Africa down past Morocco and you´ll soon come across the Canary Island chain just sitting offshore around 80 miles away. But these seven islands are part of Spain despite this location – which means that EU tourists don’t need a visa or any special papers to enter. The island enjoys temperatures of around 22 degrees all year round, with the weather getting much hotter than that during the summer months. And there´s also very little if any rainfall here – creating the ideal conditions for holidaymakers.
Lanzarote was the first of the Canary Islands to be conquered by Spain during the 1400´s and is still home to lots of historic buildings today as a result, particularly in the ancient capital of Teguise which was the seat of government until the 1850´s. When that mantle was passed on to today’s capital city of Arrecife.
For centuries fishing and agriculture sustained a small island population but that has swelled enormously since package tourists started to arrive here in serious numbers in the 70´s. With the islands now home to over 140,000 people – along with an additional one million plus foreign arrivals every year.
Where are the best places to stay? There are loads of Lanzarote villas and apartments for rent in the main holiday resorts. Along with a wide selection of hotels. And prices here are usually cheaper than in other Spanish island chains such as the Balearics. Expect to pay upwards of €180 for a week’s accommodation. Whilst flights to Lanzarote are available from about €100 return.
The island is small but best explored by car, as local bus services are not reliable outside of the main resorts. Fortunately Lanzarote car hire is as good value as accommodation – enabling visitors to book simple two door vehicles from as little as €15 per day.
Where should they explore? Visitors must not miss the volcano park, known locally as the Mountains of Fire. Or some of the breathtaking beaches such as Famara and Papagagyo. César Manrique, a local artist, also created some seriously surreal attractions such as the Cactus Garden. And these should feature on any visitor’s itinerary too.
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