SurfersParadise

Holiday in Lanzarote the Most Unique of the Canary Islands

By: Manrique

Lanzarote, despite being the fourth largest of the Canary Islands, is only 36 miles long and 13 miles wide at its greatest. Tourism has been king here for fifty years now and is the island`s major source of income.The Canary Islands including Lanzarote is where timeshare was born in Europe. Many Scandinavians and Germans took advantage of the timeshare concept to purchase holiday homes here.Lanzarote attracts over 5 million visitors a year nearly half the total visitors to all the Canary Islands altogether.So, what is it that makes Lanzarote so popular as a holiday destination?

First of all Lanzarote has an all year round season because of its southerly latitude and its proximity to Africa. With an average Summer temperature of around 82 F and an average Winter temperature of 70 F it has been described as the island of permanent springtime. Lanzarote is only a four hour flight from the UK. The only other places to get Winter sunshine are all long haul and therefore more expensive. The cooling North East trade winds ensure there are no severe extremes of temperature in the height of Summer as can afffect mainland Spain and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Accomodation on the island suits all budgets. Lanzarote is therefore readily affordable for everyone. You can stay in 5 star hotels overlooking the Atlantic in Playa Blanca for example or hire a luxury private villa anywhere on the island.There are also many self catering complexes with communal pools. Cheap package holidays have been available for  a long time now. The advent of the internet has seen a rise in the numbers booking independent holidays.

Lanzarote`s unique volcanic landscape is another factor in its popularity.The Canary Islands were formed approximately 30 million years ago when the Atlantic Ocean was being opened up as the African and American plates seperated.. The area is referred to as the Canary Hotspot by geologists and is still actively volcanic. As recently as 1730-1736 and to a lesser extent  in 1824 the island was subject to volcanic eruptions with almost a third of the island covered in viscous lava. Rich fertile agricultural land was covered several metres deep in lava which then cooled to form the badlands or malpais you can see in the Timanfaya National Park. Ironically the fertile lands that were destroyed, along with 13 villages including Timanfaya, are now the most visited tourist attraction on Lanzarote.

Lanzarote`s unique landscape was utilised to the full by Cesar Manrique the famous Spanish artist who was a native of the island. He was concerned that Lanzarote would not be over developed as some of the other Canary Islands were. Together with the Lanzarote Cabildo or government he developed natural attributes of the island into tourist attractions to generate income for the island and also to help preserve the natural environment.Examples of his works can be seen all over the island probably the most famous being the Monumento El Campesino which is located near to the Manrique foundation whcih was his original work place and home. The sculpture was an epitaph and tribute to the natives of Lanzarote who eeked out an existence from the harsh windswept and arid landscape. There are seven main tourist attractions with Manrique`s stamp. They are all unique and all worth a visit. They include Mirador del Rio, a converted fort looking out over the high cliffs of Los Riscos to the neighbouring desert island of Graciosa.The National Park of Timanfaya also includes a restaurant designed by Manrique which sits on the point where the last volcanic eruptions in 1824 occurred.Here you can eat roasted chicken or grilled steaks which have been cooked over the heat generated from under the ground. temperatures reach 600c just 10 feet below the ground!

Another reason for the popularity of Lanzarote is its attraction for outdoor pursuits enthusiasts. The north west of the island at Famara is a very popular destination for surfers. The Atlantic swell and strong currents here ensure a minimum swell of four to five feet.Many professional clubs and athletes use Lanzarote as a Winter training base. There is a purpose built sports resort at La Santa which includes football and rugby pitches. swimming pools, athletics tracks, gymnasia and professional coaching for a multitude of sports. Major surfing and kite surfing championships are held here on Lanzarote and its neighbouring island , Fuerteventura. Lanzarote is also the home of the famous Ironman competition which attracts visitors from all over the world.As well as surfing and kite surfing another increasingly popular activity is hang gliding using the height of the cliffs at Los Riscos and the warm thermal winds that prevail here. being an island , water sports are very popular, Scuba diving , sailing and windsurfing are popular pastimes. The Spanish government and the local Cabildo have been instrumental in developing the island even more to attract visitors. New marinas at Puerto Calero, Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen have all been developed in the last 5 years. The global credit crunch has affected visitor numbers to Lanzarote in the last few years but the trend has now been bucked and visitor numbers are now decreasing less and showing signs of increasing. All in all Lanzarote is an ideal holiday destination with great weather, great and unique scenery and something for everyone.

 

About the Author

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are my two favourite holiday destinations. As a hobby I have developed http://holidaylanzarote.net to give a more personal and informal view of the pluses and negatives of Lanzarote as a holiday destination. HolidayFuerteventura will follow.

(ArticlesBase SC #2783028)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Holiday in Lanzarote the Most Unique of the Canary Islands

No its not Hawaii 5 O but damned close!! Dont ya luv camels?

Well the weather in the Canaries at the moment is scorchio!!! I believe it is the same in the UK well not quite as scorchio, but at least its short sleeeves weather. If you are into outdoor sports I want to mention a little bit about surfing in Lanzarote , my favourite Canary Island. Although there are whales and dolphins in these Atlantic waters there is no need to worry about ::these little fellahs,

As friendly as this guy looks it IS only a cartoon, cute though eh???Anyway where was I ?? Oh yes , surfing in Lanzarote. There is a great beach called Famara, very dramatic over a Kilometre long and over 100yds wide. It is backed by cliffs called Los Riscos which tower about 500 metres above this famous Lanzarote beach.If you know Lanzarote you will know Famara is tucked away on the North West coast of the island and is a bit of a hippy (and naturist ) hang out (no pun intended there) If you can bare (there I go again) the strong winds and you can stand the bracing Atlantic you will love this place. There is a smashing little village called Sa Caleta with shops and bars , restaurants , that make this part of Lanzarote unique.You can stay in apartments right in the village or there is a collection of private holiday villas at the back of the beach about 500 yards from the village.

The waves here are great for surfing and there are surf schools here too. One is run by a Dutch guy who is very experiennced and a great guy too. He is ably assisted by Pedro. They have a surf rental shop in the village.They can arrange for holiday accomodation for you in and around Famara or in Costa Teguise if you prefer (nightlife is busier here)If you are staying in Costa Teguise they can arrange pick up and transport to Famara, its only about 25 minutes drive.They cater for both experienced and inexperienced surfers. One day, three day or one weeks courses can be arranged .from 30 euros upwards For more info about the service Famara surf have to offer check out their website here
and if you want more information about Famara the place and Lanzarote , the island go to holidaylanzarote.net

Lanzarote -Perfect outdoor sports holiday base

By: Manrique

The Canary Islands were the original package holiday dream. Long lazy days by the pool getting that all over tan. This was the badge of the British affluent society. Wash all the sun down with long cool drinks, (alcoholic of course). Eat out every night and generally make pigs of themselves at BBQs lovingly and (lashingly) laid on by the tour reps.

The dream has now turned into a nightmare. Obesity, heart disease, cancer , arthritis. Most if not all of these conditions are exacerbated or caused by our over indulgences in our increasingly "do less" society.

Now people are getting the message. Gyms are booming , healthy foods are on the menu. Joggers are everywhere and .....outdoor sports are becoming increasingly popular. God`s fresh air is the aphrodisiac we all need to love ourselves.

What better place is there for outdoor pursuits than Lanzarote? Although smal,l the island is surprisingly unoccupied mainly because the 5 million visitors per year are crammed into three main resorts while the rest of the island is virtually deserted. Once out of ther main resorts it is a real pleasure to drive on Lanzarote (at least in daylight). There is hardly any traffic at all.This is great if you fancy a bit of mountain biking. What better sight is there in the early morning sun than a great British butt peddalling merrily off into the distance? Lanzarote has quiet country roads and lots of off road experiences too. If you are a bit unfit then try out an electro bike. A neat little motor kicks in when you have had enougfh and you can whiz round with ease. Hire then from the bike guy in Punta Limones commercial centre, Playa Blanca. Too hot to cycle? How about a nice bit of scuba? Sounds good to me. In Lanzarote`s warm waters (circa 21 F) Scuba diving is great fun. The waters around Lanzarote are like crystal because of its distance out in the Atlantic and the absence of a coastal shelf. The waters immediately around Lanzarote are very deep indeed. Ok so Scuba isnt for you. What about a bit of hiking then? The cabildo (thats local council to you and me mortals) has in its wisdom produced walking routes to cover most of the island. Twenty four in all and im sure there will be more to come.

Lanzarote is the lowest of the Canaries so not likely to suffer any vertigo here . You can however trek up a volcano or two.This is great for two reasons. One; the views from the top.Two; its all downhill after that!!. Montana Roja near Playa Blanca is a good one for beginners . Thirty minutes or so gentle stroll to the top and fantastic views across to Fuerteventura . Caldera Blanca is a bit tougher . This is near Soo on the way to Haria. This is the widest Caldera on the island and a good round trip back to Soo and the nearest watering hole.

How about something a bit more adventurous? Ok le`ts pop up to Famara in the North West of the island. Here you can get in some surfing or kite boarding on the biggest and windiest beach on Lanzarote. Tim at Surf School Lanzarote will show you the ropes for a small fee and even pick you up and drop you off to save your little leggies!! Beginners and real surf dudes can be found at Famara a bit of a hippy enclave. Watch out on the beach for naturists!! NO NO NO I dont mean watch out in THAT sense! I mean watch you dont fall over them!! Now hows a bout a bit of real extreme stuff? Where are you going??? You dont need to go anywhere. Famara has these massive cliffs called El Risco (well named if you ask me) that rise up 600 metres from the beach. Jeeez i`m not walking up there for the view , I`ll get a postcard thank you very much!!

It`s ok , we are not walking. We are hang gliding!! Dead easy ..just run like the clappers with this contraption on your back and whoosh ..off you go right off the cliff and up into the warm Lanzarote thermals that rise here. Piece of cake!! What do you mean  "You don`t like cake , get back here now !!"

 

 

 

About the Author

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are my two favourite holiday destinations. As a hobby I have developed http://holidaylanzarote.net to give a more personal and informal view of the pluses and negatives of Lanzarote as a holiday destination. HolidayFuerteventura will follow.

(ArticlesBase SC #2790712)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Lanzarote -Perfect outdoor sports holiday base

Thats it for now, hope you enjoyed the blog and dont forget ,Lanzarote isnt just about the Surf its a great place to visit for all sorts of reasons and most importantly plenty od sun , sun , sun.
ciaow for now: me bus is waiting </a>