Lanzarote Tourist Guide

Lanzarote is located in the easternmost part of the Canary Island some 125 kilometers of the African coast. It covers an area of 845.9 km² and is the fourth largest of the Canary Islands.

The island, which was initially named as Insula de Lanzarotus by Angelino Dulcert, is a product of volcanic eruptions so comprises mainly of solidified lava and gives rise to it's local name of the red mountains. The Cave of Los Verde is a spectacular system of caves formed by the lava flows and is well worth visiting.

The climate of Lanzarote is one of it's most attractive features for the many tourists that visit being mild and dry with daytime temperatures ranging from 21°C in January to 29°C in August. Little rainfall also makes the island appealing to the sun worshipper taking advantage of the 3000 hours of sunshine a year. Many people have taken advantage of this by buying their own Lanzarote Villas or Lanzarote Apartments

Whilst part of the island has a lunar landscape caused by the volcanic eruptions there are beautiful sandy beaches in the which together with the warm clear water makes the coastline very attractive for watersports and beach activities.

The beaches range from bleached white in the North to golden sand in the Puerto Del Carmen area and black sand at Playa Quemada.

It is only since the 1980s that Lanzarote has been popular with tourists following the improvements to the island's airport and with considerable foresight the authorities prevented the high rise developments that can be seen on other Canary Islands thereby retaining a lot of the original character of the island.

Puerto Del Carmen is on the East coast and is the main resort on Lanzarote having the largest beach on the island and an active nightlife. There is something for all the family to do here from watersports to live music in the evening.

Costa Teguise used to be the capital of Lanzarote and is situated in the north east of the island. This relaxing resort has a selection of four and five star hotels as well as Lanzarote's only golf course and a large water park.

Playa Blanca is a new development on the South of the island built around an original fishing village and has become the island's second most popular resort with a marina packed with luxury yachts and upmarket shops. A ferry to Fuerteventura leaves from Playa Blanca and takes around 20 minutes allowing visitors to see another of the Canary Islands.

Next to Puerto del Carmen are Los Pocillos and Matagorda which front the Playa de Los Pocillos, one of the largest beaches on Lanzarote. A new promenade connects the two resorts which have a large selection of restaurants, bars and shops. Ideally situated these two resorts provide a relaxing break whilst being just a short distance from the bustling area of Puerto Del Carmen.

The capital of Lanzarote is Arrecife after it took over from Teguise and is home to around half the island's population. Being the capital it is the commercial and administrative centre of the island.

Puerto Calero is a smart marina and has become an exclusive area with luxury hotels and exclusive private homes.

There is a wide selection of hotels on the island ranging from budget to luxury and there is also a selection of villas and apartments that can be rented from their owners which provide the independent traveller a high standard of accommodation at economical rates.