Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain)

Lanzarote is the most north-easterly of the seven major Canary Islands. It is located 140 km off the West African coast, and approximately 1000 kms from Spain. It’s the fourth largest island and is 58 km long from north to south, and 20 km wide. In comparison to the other islands, Lanzarote is “The volcanic island”. Its stark volcanic landscape was created by a series of volcanic eruptions that took place in the south west of the island over a period of 6 years from 1730 to 1736, and consists of about 300 extinct volcanoes, craters and lava fields. This unique area of natural beauty occupies a quarter of the island’s land mass and has been declared a national park (Timanfaya National Park). Lanzarote has two mountain ranges, the Famara Massif in the north, and the Peñas del Chache and Los Ajaches in the south, which are separated by the Timanfaya National Park. The rest of the island offers a diverse range of landscapes, with everything from luna style landscapes, barren desert areas, spectacular cliff ranges, and lush mountainous valleys to picturesque fishing villages with beautiful white or black sandy beaches and coves. In 1993 Lanzarote was recognised and declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, due mainly to its unique & diverse volcanic landscape, and the conservation and protection of its natural environments and ecosystems. The sub-tropical climate is best described as being dry and arid, with annual temperatures averaging 22º C. Due to Lanzarote’s geographic position and low lying landscape, there’s virtually no rainfall during the summer months, and hardly any rainfall in spring, autumn and winter.  Although the surface area of the island doesn’t exceed 800 square kms, there are many micro-climates in existence that have a noticeable impact on the local fauna and flora. Lanzarote has been developed as a tourist destination, but much effort has been made to preserve the character of the island. It therefore has no high rise buildings or giant advertising billboards, and the low rise tourist resorts blend in well with the fishing villages and farming communities. The close proximity of the resorts to both water and non-water based activities makes the island ideal for families that want to do different things at the same time. Lanzarote is easily accessible from the major European cities with flight times of about four hours in duration. It has one international airport located on the east coast only 5 kms from the island’s capital Arrecife. Being an island that is popular with northern European package holiday makers, there are many flights, and hence plenty of competition amongst the airlines to provide cheap flights. Car hire is also cheap compared to other locations.

Highlights

• Year round sunshine and warmth
• Volcanic scenery to explore
• Wide range of outdoor activities
• Crystal clear water
• Reliable winds between February and October
• Great windsurfing at Costa Teguise
• Plenty of windsurfing rental equipment
• Wide range of accommodation
• Many sporting options
• Spanish Culture
• Vibrant holiday environment and nightlife in the resorts
• Warm Beach culture
• Suitable also for those looking for quieter areas
• Easy to get to from overseas
• Easy to get around