Winter Holidays in Lanzarote
The summer season may be over in mainland Spain. But there are still some Spanish sunspots that are basking in temperatures of 20C plus throughout the winter months.
Lanzarote is the most easterly of the Canary Islands and is located some 1500 miles south of the Iberian Peninsula, just off the coast of Africa. On the same line of latitude as the Bahamas and parts of Florida and Mexico. A privileged position that delivers spring time temperatures and sunshine throughout the year.
Add in four hour flights to Lanzarote from the UK and Ireland, over 90 beautiful beaches and a host of unique tourist attractions and it’s little wonder that this small island has long been a big hit with sun starved tourists from Britain and Eire.
Unlike some of the larger Canary Islands such as Tenerife and Gran Canaria, Lanzarote has also remained relatively unspoiled. Despite the advent of package tourism. Thanks to the efforts of a locally born artist called Cesar Manrique, who fought against over development during the 1970s and 80´s.
Manrique believed that Lanzarote´s future would best be served by preserving the island’s natural beauty intact wherever possible. A philosophy somewhat at odds with the property developers and hotel chains that were submerging much of the Spanish coastline beneath a sea of high rise hotels at this time.
Fortunately for Lanzarote however Manrique had friends in high places – as his family had a long standing relationship with Pepin Ramirez, who was had of the island government during this period.
Sympathetic to Manrique´s views Ramirez worked hand in hand with him to ensure that high rise buildings were banned and advertising hoardings outlawed. Lanzarote´s three main resorts were also well contained.
As a result visitors to the island today are often surprised to find that Lanzarote has been left largely as nature intended. Despite the fact that the island still welcomes over 1.2 million foreign tourists every year.
The bulk of these tourists head for the two most popular resorts of Puerto del Carmen in the centre of the island. And Playa Blanca in the south – which has the best selection of good quality hotels and holiday villas in Lanzarote.
Costa Teguise to the north is the best resort for those seeking to explore the islands unique attractions, which include the Cactus Garden, the Mirador del Rio and the Jameos del Agua. All of which were created by Manrique as sustainable alternatives to the water parks and golf courses springing up elsewhere in Spain.
Rural tourism has also started to grow in popularity and there are now a number of good quality country houses and rural hotels catering to the growing demand from tourists keen to connect with the ‘real Lanzarote’.