Check out the new Destination Lanzarote YouTube Channel

The new Destination Lanzarote YouTube channel is now online.

We have just put up a couple of videos for now, but this collection will grow over time.

Have a look and see what you think.

Destination Lanzarote on YouTube

Lanzarote - The family destination

Lanzarote is a popular holiday destination with Europeans.  It is a small island that forms part of the Canary Islands, just off the coast of Africa, and is governed by Spain.  The year round sunshine is one of the major factors that the island is popular with tourists for 12 months of the year but it also holds a number of 'secrets' that some holiday makers may never discover if they tend not to venture far from their resort.

Lanzarote is the perfect location for family holidays.  With a number of golden beaches, sunshine and family friendly hotels it has something to offer for every age group and generation.

Many families that visit Lanzarote simply enjoy the chance to relax on the beach whilst soaking up the sun.  This is probably very likely if you are a family with young children.  However, as the kids grow older they are more likely to want to explore the island and what else it has to offer.

Lanzarote is an island steeped in turbulent history.  The fiery mountains of Timanfaya Park were formed as part of years of ongoing volcanic eruptions and today it stands as a protected national park.  

As well as the natural attractions on the island there are a number of attractions that were created out of natural landscapes by the late Cesar Manrique.  Manrique was an artist who lived on the island, where he also tragically lost his life in a car accident.  Visitors to Lanzarote will see the Manrique Legacy quite apparent in everything from visitor attractions and architecture to logo designs on tourist guides.

If the kids are feeling a little more adventurous then Lanzarote is also a great place for the more 'extreme' sports such as windsurfing, kite surfing and surfboarding.  To the north of the island lies Famara.  Famara is shadowed by huge cliff faces but the sea conditions at Famara are perfect for the extreme sports community.  There are often regular international  extreme sport competitions held on Lanzarote!

Sometimes a holiday is about soaking up local culture, and there is plenty of that on Lanzarote.  Families can enjoy local craft markets at all the major resorts and then there is the large Sunday morning market at Teguise where you will find local crafts, produce, clothes and more all on sale at very reasonable prices.  The market boasts a great atmosphere as local and international musicians line the streets and perform from the rooftops to entertain the shoppers and tourists.

One of the main things that I have found about Lanzarote is that it portrays a very safe environment - this is something that is extremely important to families.  The hotels and aparthotel complexes are all supervised 24/7 and there are very rarely any major reports of crime that affects holiday makers.

Overall, If you are struggling to find somewhere for you next family holiday location I would strongly recommend Lanzarote.  

Putting together your perfect Lanzarote Holiday

Lanzarote is a Spanish island just off the west coast of Africa. It is a popular beach holiday destination thanks to its year round warm weather and blue sky, especially during the winter months suffered by Northern Europe.

What's more. Lanzarote is very easy to get to these days with regular flights coming from all over Europe. It may seem strange that in just over four hours you can go from freezing temperatures to a very pleasant 24 degrees whilst lying on the beach!

With so many holiday companies around these days, if you look around you can find some really good deals, especially if you are prepared to put the package together yourself. Booking online provides a convenient way of reserving your flight and accommodation as you dont even have to leave your own home.

If you are going to book your Lanzarote holiday yourself, rather than purchasing a package deal you should think about the following things:

Your Flights.

The flights should be the first thing you check. Essentially the flights will make up the dates for your holiday as you need to make sure that you can get to and from the island. When booking your flights consider any extras that you might need such as inflight meals or extra legroom. These extras often come with an additional price but sitting cramped or hungry on a plane for four hours can sometimes take its toll!

The accommodation.

There is definitely no shortage of accommodation on Lanzarote. The three main resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca have a diverse selection of luxury hotels, self catering apartments and private villas and bungalows. Once you have got your flight dates sorted you can start to check the availability of the accommodation. When booking your accommodation consider things like the distance from the beach, the main town area and local supermarkets. There can be nothing worst than having to walk miles just to get a bottle of water!

Transportation.

With the accommodation sorted you need to think about how to get there from the Airport. Lanzarote airport is between Arrecife (the capital) and Puerto del Carmen, which is just a 10-15 minute drive away. Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise are a little further. If you are thinking about getting out and about whilst on your holiday in Lanzarote then it might be worth booking a hire car. You can easily pick this up from the airport and use it for the duration of your stay. Alternatively, you need to consider a resort Hoppa / airport transfer service to drop you off and collect you from your accommodation at the end of the holiday.

Travel Insurance.

Before you travel dont forget your insurance. The chances are the holiday will go smoothly without drama, but its always worth paying a small amount to cover for illness or hospitalisation whilst you are there.

With the choices available to holiday makers these days its really easy to put together the perfect Lanzarote holiday, at the perfect price.

Keeping the kids entertained in Lanzarote

Lanzarote is a favourite holiday destination for families. With families of multiple generations coming to the island it is important that there is something for everyone to do.

One of the hardest things to do on holiday, while the adults are trying to relax from the day to day pressures of work, is keep the kinds entertained. Sometimes the sun, sand and sea just enough and the demands on the parents can become quite stressful ensuring that the kids are happy (and quiet!).

Like many family orientated holiday destinations Lanzarote offers many different activities and attractions for the kids, and if you are staying in a hotel or complex there is also a very strong chance that daily kids clubs are available. Kids clubs are great and provide a range of activities, both on land and in the pool to keep the kids occupied whilst you chill out on a sun lounger. The kids are safe and you have the peace of mind that they are being supervised with trained first aiders usually on hand.

If you don't mind putting your hand in your pocket and you want to venture outside your hotel or complex there are also other activities that the kids might enjoy, such as Submarine Safaris in Puerto Calero or Camel Rides just outside Puerto del Carmen and in the Timanfaya National Park. These activities are something that the kids probably don't do everyday so the chances are that they will be interested and excited in what is going on.

If your kids are generally easily pleased (lucky you) then there are many different beaches that you can choose from in Lanzarote. Some of the main beaches in the resorts are managed and have life guards on hand. It is strongly advised that you keep your kids topped up with sun protection creams, even if its cloudy, as the Lanzarote Sun can be very unforgiving!

Kids into animals? Great - then head on over to the Rancho Texas Park. This animal reserve, just outside Puerto del Carmen has many different animals including white tigers, skunks, deer, Cougars and Sea Lions. There are also themed areas of the park, such as the Gold Mine and Gardens and with the recently opened Water Park Rancho Texas Park could keep your kids occupied all day long!

Speaking of Waterparks, Aqua Lanza, in Costa Teguise, is another great attraction for the kids. With slides and water based attractions for kids of all ages its a great way to keep them entertained and out of your hair!

These are just a few things that can help to keep the kids entertained. Depending on the age of the children there are other things such as Quad Biking, Horse Riding, Karting and Cycling. Maybe even Golf for the young teenage enthusiasts, but generally there is plenty to do in Lanzarote for families and kids of all ages.

Enjoy your holiday!

Why I would recommend hiring a car when you visit Lanzarote

Lanzarote - a very popular holiday destination, thanks to its year round warm climate, long hours of sunshine and gorgeous beaches. The first thing you think of when some one mentions Lanzarote is the beach and the weather but with the use of a car you can see and sample so much more of the island and what it has to offer.

Lanzarote is an island with an impactful history. In the late 1800's volcanic eruptions shaped the area that we now know as the Timanfaya National Park. It is unfortunate that many people who visit Lanzarote might not even know about this magnificent national reserve. Stemming from the volcanic activity there are other attractions around the island that have been created out o lava bubbles and tunnels. These creations, made by man from natural events are very popular and you wont find anything quite like them anywhere in the world.

With a hire car you can also venture out to other events taking place around the island, such as the weekly Teguise market. This takes place every sunday morning until 2pm and you can literally spend hours looking at the local crafts, leather goods and other products that are on sale. There is local entertainment on aswell, which all comes together to make a great atmosphere.

If you or your family likes animals then you can jump in your car and visit the Guinate Tropical Park in the North of the island, where you can see all sorts of wild birds, or visit the Rancho Texas Park just outside Puerto del Carmen, where they have also just introduced a new water park area - great fun for all the family!

Of course, having a car just means that, if you want to, you can get out of your resort and go and sample the different areas of Lanzarote. Imagine that you are staying for two weeks, and one day you wake up and its cloudy. If you fancied doing something a little different you could head over to Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote to find out how the locals really live - or simply see what the other resorts are like and how they differ from the one you are staying in.

Having a car means you can stretch your mind further afield. You can try different beaches, sample the foods of restaurants in other places, and if you are in Lanzarote at the right time of year you could even go and see one of the local carnivals.

Car Hire in Lanzarote isnt expensive, especially if you book before you travel. Whats more, the cost of diesel and petrol on the island is also very reasonable, and with Lanzarote being such a small island you could find that you experience much more without a huge additional cost.

Lanzarote - an island defined by art and nature

Lanzarote, the fourth largest of the Spanish archipelago, the Canary Islands, is a very popular holiday destination with tourists flocking from all over Europe.

Lanzarote is a tourist favorite thanks to its year round climate, thanks to its location and close proximity to the Sahara desert. Even during the winter months Lanzarote enjoys 8 hours of sunshine and temperatures that rarely drop below 20 degrees celcius.

However, whilst the tourist industry plays a major part in the economy of Lanzarote, there is much more to it than hotels, nightclubs, restaurants and beaches. Lanzarote was thought to have been named “The Red Mountains” after the it was born out of fiery volcanic eruptions around 35 million years ago! It is said that Lanzarote, along with the other Canary Islands was formed as part of the break up of the African and American continental plates.

One of the most magnificent natural attractions on Lanzarote is the Timanfaya National Park. The park that is sparse in vegetation and distinctly identifiable by air from the number of large craters on show, tells the story of volcanic eruptions that took place during 1730 and 1736. The eruptions of the 1730’s are known as the greatest in Europe and saw many residents on Lanzarote take refuge in Gran Canaria.

To this day areas around the Timanfaya park still measure temperatures of 600 degrees just 13 metres below the ground that you stand on. You can see demonstrations of how hot this is within the park, through geyser demonstrations and watch straw set on fire as it is pushed just metres underground.

Whilst the eruptions helped to forge Lanzarote’s natural landscape, in more recent times a local artist, Cesar Manrique, helped to shape Lanzarote as we know it today in terms of the style of buildings, local sculptures, paintings and genius natural attractions that are scattered around the island. You could say that Manrique used Lanzarote as his canvas.

Some of the Manrique creations that are open as visitor attractions on Lanzarote include Mirador del Rio, a lookout built into the northern cliffs with amazing views over La Graciosa (a neighboring island) and Jameos del Agua, a lava tunnel containing a natural pool that is home to albino crabs (said to be the only place in the world where they can be found). Jameos del Agua also has an auditorium / concert hall built into the lava landscape. The lava based rock formations that line the walls of the auditorium are said to creating amazing acoustics that really bring classical music alive.

The legacy of Manrique is still very much alive today. Apart from a few large hotels, there are no high rise buildings and all buildings are painted white with either blue or brown door and window frames. It is because of this, along with the barren landscape that Lanzarote stands out from the other islands that make up the Canary archipelago.

Getting the most out of your Lanzarote Holiday

Lanzarote is a gem of an island that sits just off the coast of Africa within the Canaries Archipelago and is owned by Spain. It is an island that was formed by Volcanic activity, most of which is still evident in todays magnificent landscape.

Holidays in Lanzarote are very popular, especially with Europeans. The Canary Islands offer a warm climate 12 months of the year, with very little rain. With that said it is easy to see why they are such a popular choice when it comes to vacation time.

Holidays in Lanzarote can offer so much to some many different people. Wether its just taking time to relax, soak up the sun and enjoy some fine dining, or if you are looking for a full on adventure holiday with scuba diving and wind surfing then Lanzarote is the place for you. Got a young family? No problem. There is always plenty to do for the youngsters, from organised activities in Kiko Land in Playa Blanca, to entertainment provided by hotels in other resorts. There really is something for everyone.

Fancy a bit of shopping? Lanzarote can offer that aswell. Throughout the week there are different craft markets that take place around the main resorts and towns of the island with the 'mother' of all markets taking place in Teguise every Sunday morning between 10am and 2pm. If you have a hire car then get yourself up there - its a sight to be seen. If you don't then don't miss out. There are plenty of excursions available from different resorts that will get you there.

Interested in the history of Lanzarote? Then take a trip over to the Timanfaya National Park. This gem of an attraction takes you through the path of the volcanoes that shaped the landscape and you can even order food that has been prepared on a natural grill, heated from just meters under the surface.

There are many different types of accommodation in Lanzarote, and some suite people or families better than others. You might want to stay in a luxury hotel for example where typically you just get a room with a bed and you would visit the on site restaurant for meals. Or for those that fancy a bit more freedom why not consider staying in a self catering apart-hotel, or a holiday villa. Whilst holiday Villas can be a little more pricey for smaller groups, the larger the group the cheaper they come as they tend to be priced per villa and not per the number of people staying in them.

To get the most out of your holiday you need to know what you want from it before you go. For example if you want to get around and see the sights you should, in our opinion book a hire car. Lanzarote may only be a small island, but with your own wheels you can discover hidden gems that you would never know about if you were to stay within your resort.