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Articles > Europe > Spain > Canary Islands > Experience Lanzarote - The Island of Fire
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Experience Lanzarote - The Island of Fire
Over ninety great beaches. Year round sunshine. Unique volcanic terrain. Lanzarote has all of right the ingredients for a fantastic holiday – which is why the island is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain. Attracting around 1.5 million visitors during the course of 2008 alone.
The island was first conquered for the Spanish crown by a French nobleman called Jean de Bethencourt in the early 1400´s. Before emerging to become an important staging post in the nascent Spanish empire. Providing a refuelling post for the galleons that crossed the Atlantic between the New World and the Old.
Today visitors from the UK, Eire and Germany arrive by the planeload instead. As the island is the closest winter sun destination to Northern Europe. Just four hours flying time from Britain. And with cheap flights readily available via low cost operators such as easyJet, Thomas Cook and Monarch.
Yet despite this popularity as a holiday destination Lanzarote is still largely unspoiled by the effects of mass market tourism. There are no high rise buildings or ad hoardings. And the three main tourist resorts of Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise are all well contained.
This is due to the efforts of Cesar Manrique – an artist born on the island in 1919, who then went on to head up the Spanish surrealist movement in the 50´s. Before moving to New York to work and exhibit in the 60´s.
Manrique never lost touch with his island birthplace though. And as Spain started to encourage package tourism under the aegis of General Franco Manrique became concerned that his birthplace would soon be buried under a sea of concrete.
In order to avert this fate he returned and successfully fought for the controlled evolution of tourism on the island. Leaving Lanzarote largely as nature intended today.
Away from the main tourist resorts the island is still very rural – with active signs of agriculture everywhere. Although these days farming makes up only a small parentage of the islands annual GDP. The bulk of which is accounted for instead by tourism.
Nonetheless, it is very easy to connect with the real Lanzarote in these rural areas – and as the island is also very small, measuring just 58km by 38km it is also extremely easy to tour around. Car hire and petrol are very cheap and the roads are quiet.
The island was first conquered for the Spanish crown by a French nobleman called Jean de Bethencourt in the early 1400´s. Before emerging to become an important staging post in the nascent Spanish empire. Providing a refuelling post for the galleons that crossed the Atlantic between the New World and the Old.
Today visitors from the UK, Eire and Germany arrive by the planeload instead. As the island is the closest winter sun destination to Northern Europe. Just four hours flying time from Britain. And with cheap flights readily available via low cost operators such as easyJet, Thomas Cook and Monarch.
Yet despite this popularity as a holiday destination Lanzarote is still largely unspoiled by the effects of mass market tourism. There are no high rise buildings or ad hoardings. And the three main tourist resorts of Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise are all well contained.
This is due to the efforts of Cesar Manrique – an artist born on the island in 1919, who then went on to head up the Spanish surrealist movement in the 50´s. Before moving to New York to work and exhibit in the 60´s.
Manrique never lost touch with his island birthplace though. And as Spain started to encourage package tourism under the aegis of General Franco Manrique became concerned that his birthplace would soon be buried under a sea of concrete.
In order to avert this fate he returned and successfully fought for the controlled evolution of tourism on the island. Leaving Lanzarote largely as nature intended today.
Away from the main tourist resorts the island is still very rural – with active signs of agriculture everywhere. Although these days farming makes up only a small parentage of the islands annual GDP. The bulk of which is accounted for instead by tourism.
Nonetheless, it is very easy to connect with the real Lanzarote in these rural areas – and as the island is also very small, measuring just 58km by 38km it is also extremely easy to tour around. Car hire and petrol are very cheap and the roads are quiet.
About the Author
Nick Ball is the editor of Lanzarote Guidebook. Where visitors can book Lanzarote Villas direct online.
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