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'Join us in Paradise!'

Unique Lanzarote

The development of Lanzarote for tourism was advised by the local artist, César Manrique, so there there are no high rise buildings that often spoiled tourist expansion on mainland Spain. He campaigned for traditional and environmentally friendly development, and even controlled the use of colours used on buildings.

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Out and About

Most tourists stay in Puerto del Carmen and this is a well established centre with plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. There are good links to beaches nearby and this centre offers the best entertainment facilities for tourists. There are other newer developments in Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise where all inclusive hotels offer complete holiday entertainment, and holiday makers seldom leave their complexes as everything is provided.

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A good excursion away from the beach and pool is the Timanfaya National Park where visitors can see volcanic landscape that has changed little over the years. There is a museum explaining past volcanic activity on the island and even a chance to take a camel ride.

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For those fascinated by caves, a visit to Jameos del Agua is a must. These are lava caves from an extinct volcano, Monte Corona that were landscaped by César Manrique into a restaurant, swimming pool and visitor centre that also included a cave auditorium for concerts. Nearby is also the Cueva de los Verdes that offer guided tours of these 6 km caves.
Exploring and Walking in Lanzarote

The striking volcanic scenery on Lanzarote is best described as “out of this world”.

Timanfaya National Park is the best place to see the lava fields, salt marshes and volcanic cones that dominate the surreal landscape.

The coast of Lanzarote provides unique walking opportunities, with the northern coastline being more rocky and rugged and the south coast offering sandy beaches and gentle hills.

Did You Know?

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Lanzarote is 125 kilometres off the coast of Africa and about one thousand kilometres from the Iberian Peninsula.

The island is ranked the 4th largest among the seven islands that make up the Canary Islands. Early records show that the island’s name was originally ‘Insula de Lanzarotus Marocelus’. This name comes from the Genoese navigator, Lancelotto Malocello.

Another attraction of this island is the ‘Tunnel of Atlantis’, which is one of the largest underwater volcanic tunnels on earth.

Although the island currently has the accolade of being a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve protected zone, this prestigious title may be forfeit because of the actions of some local politicians who have been arrested for allowing illegal building along the beautiful Lanzarote coastline.

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César Manrique grew up in the area of San Ginés lagoon and at the age of 23, he participated in his first exhibition in Arrecife.

Manrique had a major influence on the planning regulations in Lanzarote, when he recognised its tourist potential and lobbied successfully to encourage sympathetic development of tourism.

One aspect of this is the lack of high rise hotels on the island. The many that are there are in keeping with the use of traditional colours in their exterior decoration.

Manrique was tragically killed in a car accident near the Fundación, his Lanzarote home in 1992. He was aged 73.

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© 2023 The Canary Islander Publishing