As well as great year round weather and wonderful beaches the holiday island of Lanzarote in the Canaries boasts a whole host of things to do and see, making it an ideal destination for anyone that likes to combine sunbathing with sightseeing.

Timanfaya Volcano Park

The top tourist attraction on the island is undoubtedly the Timanfaya Volcano Park – known locally as The Fire Mountains.  During the 1730´s Lanzarote was rocked by huge eruptions which completely remodelled much of the interior of the island replacing farmland and villages with lava fields and volcanoes.  Today these peaks are all dormant but the region is alive with visitors – as over 900,000 tourists a year tour this surreal scenery which is often likened to the surface of the moon.

Jameos del Agua

Elsewhere on Lanzarote an island born artist called Cesar Manrique worked with this volcanic terrain to create a series of unique visitor attractions the most spectacular of which is the Jameos del Agua.  A project which was undertaken on a grand scale – where Manrique used the backdrop of a collapsed lava tunnel to create a subterranean auditorium, concert venue and nightclub.

This was the creation that really helped to put Lanzarote on the tourist map in the 1960s’ earning architectural plaudits around the world.

 Valley of 1000 Palms

Lanzarote is an island of contrasts and the north is as green and verdant as the south is arid and barren.  Nowhere is this more in evidence than in the aptly named Valley of 1000 Palms where locals plant a palm tree for every new born baby, a tradition which has created a breathtaking oasis – with the crowns of countless Canarian palms swaying gently in the breeze.

 Teguise

Lanzarote is steeped in history – thanks to its former role as a staging post between the New World and the Old – which attracted countless privateers and privates to the coastline in search of Inca silver during the 16th and 17th centuries.

 The former capital of Teguise grew rich on this trade – and was the first Spanish settlement in the whole of the Canary Islands.  As a result the town today still boasts some fine examples of colonial architecture – with some buildings dating back as far as the 1450´s.

Lanzarote is a small island – measuring just 60km by 40km, which makes it easy to tour.  The roads are quiet outside of the main resorts and car hire in Lanzarote is very affordable too with rental rates starting at around €13 per day.

Villa rentals in stunning beachfront properties.

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