Beaches, Volcanoes And Art On Holidays To Lanzarote
In the past, Lanzarote has perhaps been the victim of a reputational injustice. Associated by many with tacky resorts and dive bars, its breathtaking interior landscape, elegant towns and enticing white-sand beaches seem to have been slightly neglected. But, in fact, such notions could not be further from the truth, and the Canary Island is most probably being tarred with the same brush as some of its larger, more commercialised neighbours. With the extensive range of attractive low-rise hotels in Lanzarote and year-round sunshine, many of these visitors find it difficult to summon up the energy to venture far beyond the hotel gates, but for those who do manage to get past such inertia, there’s no shortage of things to do and see on Lanzarote holidays. Such is the importance of Lanzarote’s severely beautiful landscape that the whole island has been declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with local residents taking steps to ensure tourist infrastructure complements rather than mars this environment.
With its relaxed atmosphere, crescent-shaped sandy beach and charming beachfront lined with shops and restaurants, Playa Blanca is the fastest-growing and most glamorous resort on Lanzarote. As well as the old port, visitors can take a stroll along the chic modern marina and window shop in some of the smart boutiques. Holidays to Lanzarote resorts such as Playa Blanca are especially popular with families and couples.
Once the island’s capital the inland city of Teguise is a typically elegant Spanish colonial town, with palm-lined cobbled streets and attractive white-washed mansions. For most of the week Teguise is a fairly sleepy place, but on Sundays visitors from around the island flock to its popular street market, with a host of stalls selling all sorts of touristy bric-a-brac. It’s also a place steeped in history and is the oldest Spanish settlement in the Canaries, dating back to the start of the fifteenth century.
The Canary Islands’ most important architect and artist, Cesar Manrique, was inspired in large part by Lanzarote’s unearthly landscapes. His works are known for reflecting and complementing the contours of Lanzarote’s volcanic landscape and his philosophy was a big influence behind the island’s sensitive and sustainable approach towards tourism. Home to a rare species of white crab, the intricate network of volcanic caves at Jameos del Agua that have been carefully landscaped and added to by Manrique are an example of how his ability to enhance rather than detract from an area of natural beauty. Holidays to Lanzarote, then, offer visitors the chance to explore breathtaking landscapes, stroll along idyllic beaches and soak up the Canarian sun.
