Lanzarote is a nice little island, part of the Canarian archipelago, it is together with La Graciosa the most eastern islands of the canaries, at 110 kilometres from Africa.
It has found a quick development during the last 30 years based on the arrival of tourism and nowadays it counts with an impressive infrastructure, however it has kept its forms, particularities and charm.
Three points of the island were bound to tourism.
• The oldest of the three is "Puerto del Carmen" situated at the East coast, more or less in the middle.
• Secondly comes "Costa Teguise" also situated at the Eastern coast but further North.
• The last one is "Playa Blanca" southern village of Lanzarote with view over the white sand dunes of the neighbour island of Fuerteventura.
Puerto del Carmen, nice village of fishermen, with typical boats and untamed inhabitants, offers to visitors superb white sand beaches surrounded with coconut trees, the warm temperature during the whole year will encourage you to taste the salt of the Atlantic Ocean.
For further comfort at "food time" you only have to walk along the maritime avenue and choose the restaurant of your taste of cuisine, Spanish, Hindu, Chinese, English, German, Irish and plenty of fast food, including fish and chips. The evenings are very colourful, Pubs and discotheques open to offer you a wide range of music, with options for young and elderly people. For those that want to discover in group the hidden beauty inland, it's colours, perfumes and people, you will find departing from Puerto del Carmen a fair number of organized excursions by bus, to access to them it is as simple as to make a booking.
For those that prefer to drive themselves, a rent a car is due, it is entirely up to you if you have an adventurous spirit or if you prefer a tourist guider. Puerto del Carmen proposes as well to visitors the possibility of discovering it's maritime and marine life, by means of different types of vessels like a submarine, a glass bottom catamaran and sailing trips.
The submarine proposes a trip down under the water to enjoy the particulars of the bottom of the sea at Lanzarote, due to the volcanic eruptions, nowadays inhabited by a lot of exotic fish, sting rays, and ship wrecks.
The glass bottom catamaran proposes a sea promenade along the coastline (beaches) of Puerto del Carmen with a stop next to the cliffs of Puerto del Carmen, which is full of exotic fish, octopuses and sea sponges that you will enjoy through the panoramic windows in the submarine vision compartments, while tasting your favourite appetizer.
Curiosity joints charm to guarantee the success of these excursions. Where to accommodate? Puerto del Carmen and its surroundings offer a wide range of accommodation, basic and cheap or classy and more selected.
Costa Teguise, is the second tourist area in the development chronology of Lanzarote. Situated in the Easter coast of the island, North from Arrecife, the capital, it is a privileged zone for surfers, as the wind blows the whole year round and makes it the best place to practise aquatic sports as surf and windsurf.
A complete infrastructure awaits you there to assure the success of your holidays. Hotels, tourist complexes and quality rural houses guarantee you a pleasant stay. All organised excursions to visit the island have several pick up points in this area, from which you can depart to discover the pearl of the Atlantic, Lanzarote. The restaurants there propose a range of different type of gastronomy, which can be English, Spanish, Irish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Thai, Moroccan, etc. Costa Teguise, belongs to the municipality of Teguise, which was the ancient capital of the island and has become nowadays a haven of peace for those who visit it and those who live there. Nearly all the streets there are for pedestrians only, and the houses around are Spanish colonial style, with a lanzarotean touch, sometimes this constructions are so large that the rooms facing the streets have been changed into little hand made souvenir shops, or small restaurants.
Sunday is the biggest market day in Lanzarote and it is in Teguise where it is found, at about 08,00h in the morning, participants coming from everywhere will show and offer you their variety of colourful articles, from the pair of slippers to the bottle of “Lanzarote Moscatel” (Sweet Excellent wine as appetizer or dessert)
When the time to rest your legs come, there are many bar terraces, in where to enjoy some Tapas (small portions of food, tortilla is delicious)
Don't forget to buy your little holiday souvenir there, there's big choice .
Playa Blanca is the third tourist area in the development chronology of Lanzarote. Playa Blanca means “White Beach”, it is situated in the south point of the island, overlooking Fuerteventura, the neighbour island. In the bay of Papagayo, next to Playa Blanca, are found the nicest beaches of Lanzarote, seven in total, all with white sand and different sizes, from the little cove to the long one where everyone can find a wide place without having to leave deluded, there's also a nudist one. The Atlantic water there is sparkling, and due to the white sand at the bottom it confers a turquoise colour. This area is special for kids, they can play here without limits as the zone is totally harmless and thus they will be able to watch marine fauna. The temperature in Playa Blanca is the highest of the island, it is always hot there, that grants this area an advantage in winter, and for those who are lovers of real heat, 1 st prize during summer. Last generation hotel infrastructure here, that's why you'll find here the best hotels (minimum 4 stars) most of which have their own SPA or Thalasso therapy center, some of them have even a private access to the beach, others many swimming pools surveyed by a security professional guard. Nowadays, thanks to the great request of English speaking tourism over Lanzarote, you will not have problems with the language as at the hotels the personnel are English speaking people or at least they understand it.
In the evening the restaurants open to offer you their cuisine, as a hint fresh fish here is excellent as the fishing boats depart and bring fresh fish every single day, you can also try the Spanish cuisine, traditionally highly elaborated, or just go for some Tapas.
The fashion boutiques, clothes, swimming costumes, and souvenir shops as well are found mainly at the maritime avenue and main street, impossible to miss them, the village is small, that is the charm of this ancient fishermen village transformed into tourist area for the pleasure of the visitors.
Conventional and rural tourism will find in these pages what is more appropriate for each occasion. |