An overview of Lanzarote and what it offers holiday makers

Lanzarote sits in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the west coast of Africa. It attracts millions of visitors every year, thanks to its all year round warm climate and a yearly average of 21 degrees celsius.

The landscape on Lanzarote is rocky, barren and - well - volcanic. You won't find many trees or greenery (although we do think that due to a slight climate change the island is slowly becoming a little greener) and there are no high rise buildings on the island apart from the Grand Hotel in Arrecife.

One thing that you will find no shortage of on Lanzarote is Restaurants. There is a vast selection to choose from, all offering different cuisines from typical Canarian food to indian!

There are three main tourist resorts on Lanzarote, not including Arrecife which is the capital of the island. The three main resorts are Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise. Each resort is very different in what it offers. Puerto Del Carmen is the largest and most lively resort, which offers nightclubs and bars that open until the early hours. Playa Blanca is a smaller resort built around a fishing port and Costa Teguise is a more modern purpose built resort on the East Coast.

The nightlife on Lanzarote is typically more relaxed than its sister islands within the canaries, which is why it tends to appeal to an older and family orientated audience, however Puerto Del Carmen does break this mold a little bit and tends to be where the younger holiday makers spend their time on the island.

If you are looking for something a little more extreme then Lanzarote won't let you down. From trekking up Volcanoes to diving to the depths of the ocean (both in a submarine and in a wet suite) there really is something for everyone. There are a number of sports that you can take part in on the island, from your usual football and tennis, to cycling and kite surfing.

For the more cultured amongst us there are a number of natural attractions on Lanzarote, the largest being the Timanfaya National Park. This part is situated on the west of the island and is made up of a number of Volcanoes. Within the Timanfaya Park is the El Diablo restaurant where the food is cooked on a natural volcanic grill. There are also regular demonstrations of active guisers. Other natural attractions include the Green Caves and Jameos del Agua, which are based around volcanic lava tunnels.

Many of the attractions on Lanzarote were created by the late Caesar Manrique, an artist who lived on the island. As well as the attractions mentioned above there is also Mirador del Rio and you can also take a trip to Manriques house, built from a Lava Bubble, where you can also sample some of his famous paintings.

Lanzarote - A tale of three resorts

Lanzarote is a popular, all year-round holiday destination. Thanks to its close proximity to the Sahara desert, the temperature rarely drops below 16 degrees Celsius at any part of the year. Add to that, the 16 days of rain a year and its easy to see what the appeal is.

There is plenty to do on the island of Lanzarote, wether its lying on the beach soaking up the sun, visiting one of the many natural attractions such as the Timanafaya National Park, enjoying the night life and huge selection of restaurants,bars and clubs or even taking part in some adrenaline sports such as kite-surfing up at Famara.

When people visit Lanzarote, its highly likely that they will stay in one of the three main tourist resorts - Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise or Playa Blanca (although we hope we are not giving too much discredit to Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote).

The three resorts are actually all quite different. Puerto del Carmen (also known as PDC to those in the inner circle) is probably the most popular resort, especially with the British. The long sea front strip of bars, clubs and restaurants means that there is something for everyone, not forgetting the huge beach that runs virtually all the way down the front of the town. Puerto del Carmen has quite recently undergone some renovation work along the sea front strip, including new lighting and a new one way system. We find that Puerto del Carmen is the ideal resort for young adults or groups / parties that are looking to let their hair down whilst on holiday.

Costa Teguise, on the East of the Island is a smaller, quieter resort ideal for families or couples that prefer to take things a little slower. There is a good choice of bars and restaurants here although as there is no real form of shelter it can get a little windy at certain points in the year. There is also an aquarium in Costa Teguise and a water park nearby so there is plenty to do for all ages.

Playa Blanca, sitting on the south-west tip of the island and sheltered by Mountains, is a little more refined. The once small fishing port has grown into a small holiday resort that seems to be more popular with the Germans. The small strip and sea-front walkway which is lined with some excellent restaurants (and yes, I have sampled virtually every one of them) and the Rubicon Marina is host to a bi-weekly craft market which is a must visit. There are three small beaches in Playa Blanca, all of which can sometimes get a little crowded so some holiday makers make their way over to Papagayo which is a larger beach to the east of Playa Blanca.

So which resort is the best for you? It really depends on your tastes and what sort of holiday you are looking for. All resorts have their positives so before you book your Lanzarote holiday just sit back and think about what you want to get out of your vacation before you commit to anything.

Why people rent Villas in Lanzarote

Lanzarote is a favourite all year round holiday destination in Europe. It is the fourth largest, most easterly of the Canary Islands not far from the coast of Africa. Typically Lanzarote is a 12 month a year holiday destination thanks to the warm climate.

Lanzarote itself has three main tourist resorts – Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca. Puerto del Carmen is probably the largest and most popular with the tourists, although it isn’t for everyone due to its lively night life because some people prefer a more relaxing holiday. Playa Blanca is smaller and more popular with families, couples and older visitors.

There are many Villas in Lanzarote, many of which are booked up all year around. So why are they so popular when there are so many hotels and apartments on the island?

A lot of the time people book villas when they are travelling with a large group. A villa tends to be a fixed cost, no matter how many people are staying in it. This is why they are so popular with families and large groups of friends. A lot of Villas sleep between 8 and 10 people, so image how cheap a holiday could be if you were paying £350 per week for a Villa between 10 people!

A lot of Villas are also built in quiet residential areas, which means they are out of the way of the hussle and noise of the main town areas. This is appealing to many people who visit Lanzarote as they tend to go to the island to relax in the natural surroundings.

Many private Villas in Lanzarote have private pools, which is ideal for those who like to relax away from the hectic atmosphere of pools at hotels and apartment resorts. Many villas also have a private patio or small garden area where you can enjoy a barbeque or simply lie out in the Lanzarote sun.

The whole atmosphere in a Lanzarote Villa is just so laid back. So if you want to save yourself a bit of money and enjoy a quiet, private, relaxing break on a beautiful, unspoilt island then a holiday villa is for you.