Lanzarote La Calima

Lanzarote is advertised by the holiday companies as an all year round holiday destination. This is not the whole truth. The summer in Lanzarote, May through to September is consistently warm with average max temperatures peaking in August circa 85 F. There are times however when it can be oppressively hot, humid, with visibility reduced. This is due to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura being so close to the African Sahara which is only 70 or so miles away. When an area of high pressure pushes northwards over the Sahara this can extend out to the west covering Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. The result is a phenomenon called La Calima or El Tiempo Africano by the locals. Fine dust particles from the Sahara desert are carried high up in the atmosphere and deposited on the neighbouring islands. This can be noticed on the ground as the sky tends to haze over appearing to be white and the usual wind patterns of Northerly changes to Southerly.

These Calimas can last a few hours or several days and can occur usually half a dozen times over the Summer. The level of dust in the air can also cause problems for people with respiratory problems. If you are in Lanzarote when a Calima occurs it is wise to avoid any tiring outdoor activities.

These Calimas also occur in winter in Lanzarote but they are more welcome at this time of the year as they tend to make it warmer.

Also if you do fancy a winter holiday be aware that although the daytime temperatures are still pleasantly warm it does tend to be cloudy in the mornings and with the constant breeze blowing you will find it quite chilly if you venture onto exposed beaches. Personally if you are looking for a typical beach holiday avoid January and February. These are the wettest and coolest months of the year. Also take note that the winds do decrease in winter as the North East trade winds abate but the North and Central part of the island does have a lot of cloudy days.

In winter I would stay in the South of the island in or near Playa Blanca as this area is protected by higher land rising to the hilltop village of Femes.

Check out weather patterns before you go and dont trust the weather information provided by holiday websites. Enjoy Lanzarote.It is a great place for a holiday but not quite all the year.