All About Spain

Panoramic views of  mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, indoor water features, swimming pool and spa facilities, and great food, are just some of the aspects to be enjoyed in many of the hotels in Lanzarote.

All of the main resorts: Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca, Costa Teguise and the capital city, Arrecife, have excellent hotels to choose from, but if you prefer something a little more traditionally Canarian, there are also some great finca-style hotels to be found.  These are often a bit further off the beaten track, though on Lanzarote, you are never more than 15 minutes’ drive from the main towns and resorts.  Renting a car on Lanzarote is a good idea, especially if you are planning to stay at one of the rural hotels or at one that is away  from the main resorts, but it’s not expensive – you can get car hire on Lanzarote from as little as 15 euros a day, depending on the time of year.

There are also a lot of budget style apartments on Lanzarote, often styled as ‘aparthotels’.  These typically have a Reception desk and other central facilities like a swimming pool, bars etc.  Your ‘apartment’ or room might also have a small kitchenette so that you can prepare your own light snacks, just don’t expect to be able to prepare a 3 course meal for 6 people with what you have!

There are also a few new ‘spa-style’ hotels on Lanzarote, offering a wide range of pampering treatments.  Given the laid-back style of the island in general, this is perhaps not a surprising development, and may continue to grow in prominence.

You can see a wide range of hotels in Lanzarote by paying a quick visit to the All Things Lanzarote website, which is also packed with ideas of places to go and things to do on the island, as well as details of flights from the UK to Lanzarote, and car hire.

The Canary Islands are the second most visited region of Spain after Catalonia and whilst the rest of the country is now packing away the sun loungers for another year, these seven specks of Spain are just gearing up for their busiest time of the year as hundreds of thousands of sun starved Northern Europeans will be planning and booking holidays in the Canaries over the coming weeks.

Lanzarote is the most easterly island in the archipelago located closer to the coast of Morocco than the rest and boasting very low rainfall and temperatures that will hit 20 Celsius plus throughout the winter months. 

Whilst there are three main resorts on the island the best choices for anyone keen to maximise their sunshine hours are the two main resorts of Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca.  Which both enjoy a more southerly location.

Playa Blanca is situated right at the bottom tip of the island – just across the Bocaina Straits from Fuerteventura – offers some of the most breathtaking beaches on Lanzarote, such as the all-natural set of bays at Papagayo, which are located around fifteen minutes walk from the town centre.

Until around fifteen years ago Playa Blanca really was no more than a quaint little fishing village.  But today all that has changed as it has become the fastest growing resort on Lanzarote and the second most popular destination on the island. It offers high standards of accommodation with a wide selection of four star hotels and luxurious holiday villas for visitors to select from.

Puerto Del Carmen is located around twenty minutes back along the island’s south eastern coastline and whilst the microclimate here isn’t quite as reliable as in Playa Blanca, tourists can still expect to enjoy plenty of days on the beach during the winter months.

Puerto Del Carmen is the oldest and most popular resort on Lanzarote offering a big range of restaurants, bars and clubs.  Accommodation in the resort is dominated by apartment complexes specialising in good value sunshine breaks.

A weeks stay on a typical holiday complex here starts at around £180 per week, which is the price per apartment and not per person.  Factor in reasonably priced flights – with major players such as Ryanair and easyJet now competing on the Lanzarote route – and it’s easy to construct a good value winter break.

Find out more about winter holidays in Lanzarote and book direct online

Costa Teguise is the third largest resort on the popular holiday island of Lanzarote.  It was developed during the 1970´s under the aegis of the locally born artist Cesar Manrique and is located just fifteen minutes from Lanzarote´s sole international airport at Arrecife.

The whole concept of Costa Teguise was dreamt up by Manrique as a sister coastal resort to the former island capital of Teguise located some 10km inland and first started to take shape in the 1970´s – anchored by the five star Gran Melia Salinas Hotel and the Pueblo Marinero, Manrique´s re-creation of a typical Canarian fishing village.

The idea was to create Lanzarote´s first upmarket resort – and for a while this worked well as Costa Teguise attracted moneyed guests from Germany and Scandinavia as well as the UK and Spain, but as tourism developed, prices dropped and the resort became more of a package holiday destination, known for its all inclusive hotels and British bars.

That being said there is still plenty to recommend Costa Teguise.  Not least the beautiful beaches that helped to make the resort popular in the first place such as the main stretch of sand at Playa Cucharas, which is ideal for families with small children as the beach here shelves gently into the ocean, along with the small bay at Playa Jablillo and the well appointed beach at Playa Bastian,all of which are now united by a seafront promenade.

Costa Teguise makes an ideal base for anyone who wants to explore Lanzarote´s leading tourist attractions as the bulk of these – such as the Jameos del Agua, Cactus Garden and Mirador del Rio are all located within twenty minute drive of the resort.  Shopaholics are also well served by the two weekly markets in Costa Teguise and the major market that takes place in Teguise every Sunday.

The resort itself has a well planned and spacious feel and although as it is entirely man made, it is sometimes difficult to discern where its organic hub lies. 

Accommodation standards in the resort are high – with no less than five good quality hotels for visitors to choose from whilst there are also plenty of self catering options for those who prefer the privacy of a villa or apartment break.

Find out more about the resort and view a selection of holiday villas in Costa Teguise for rent.

Holiday let in Denia

Luxury air-conditioned villa on the exclusive La Sella complex offering an 18 hole championship golf course, tennis, horse riding, swimming, hiking, mountain biking.

A communal luxury pool is adjacent to villa. There are spectacular views from the terrace over the golf course, Mt.Mongo and the Mediterranean. Bars, restaurants, supermarkets and pharmacy are nearby. A short walk takes you to the 5* Marriot Hotel with its top quality restaurants and spa..

The lively town of Denia with its beautiful beaches and water sports is 7 minutes drive away and has a variety of bars, restaurants, shops. Ibiza can be reached by ferry from the port. A 10 minute drive will bring you to the picturesque town of Javea and its lovely beach, port, Old town with selection of restaurants. La Sella is situated mid-way between Alicante and Valencia.

The beautiful Jalon Valley is nearby with magnificent views and wine bodegas or a 30 minute drive takes you to the new water theme park.

Click here for more holiday lets in Denia

Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain. It includes the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz which are, respectively, the largest and second-largest provinces of Spain. Extremadura borders Portugal to the west, and it is an important area for wildlife, particularly with the nature reserve at Monfragüe, or the project of International Tagus River National Park (Parque Natural Rio Tajo internacional).

Some important cities are Cáceres, Badajoz, Plasencia and Mérida, the capital of the autonomous community and one of the most important cities in the whole of the Roman Empire.

The mountain ranges Cordillera Central, Montes de Toledo and Sierra Morena, along with the plains and fertile valleys of the rivers Tajo and Guadiana characterize Extremadura’s landscapes and the plain lands of Low Extremadura. Its climate is continental, with summer temperatures well over 30ºC, and quite cold winters.

This region has yet not been discovered by mass tourism, but it has plenty of offers if you are looking for something off the beaten track: its original popular customs and traditions, typical dresses, great artistic works of ceramics, metal works (especially those of Guadalupe) and embroideries and an outstanding gastronomy particularly trout, game, sausages, cheeses and the excellent wines.

Music of Extremadura

The folk music of this area is recognized by its distinctive, melancholy sound, as well as the predominance of the zambomba drum. There is also a rich repertoire of gaita (local name for tabor pipe) music. Jota is also common, played with triangles, castanets, guitars, tambourines, accordions and zambombas.

Extremadura has, for a long time, been one of the poorest regions in the country. As a result, many of its native people left to go to Latin America during the colonial era, and subsiquently leaving their mark on Latin music.

Traditional Extremaduran dances include:

• El baile de la pata
• El perantón
• El pindongo
• El son brincao
• El son llano
• La Zajarrona

Major Attractions in Extremadura

Merida

Merida preserves some of the most outstanding Roman monuments, including a colossal theatre, an amphitheatre, two aquaducts and a bridge, not to mention the Museum of Roman Art.

Caceres

The capital of Upper Extremadura has a beautiful old quarter, enclosed by Moorish town walls with great watchtowers. Additional attractions include some exceptional Renaissance palaces.

Trujillo

The birthplace of famous conqueror Pizarro is well known for its beautiful main square. There are also a great medieval castle and the well-preserved town-walls with seven doors.

Guadalupe

This beautiful town is dominated by a colossal Mudejar style monastery, which preserves valuable works of art.

Plasencia

A beautiful town with a Gothic-Plateresque cathedral, medieval town-walls and several palaces.

Badajoz

The capital of Lower Extremadura is worth a visit if only to see its Moorish Alcazaba, town-walls and watchtowers. The mountain ranges Cordillera Central, Montes de Toledo and Sierra Morena, along with the plains and fertile valleys of the rivers Tajo and Guadiana characterize Extremadura’s landscapes and the plain lands of Low Extremadura. Its climate is continental, with summer temperatures well over 30ºC, and quite cold winters.

This region has yet not been discovered by mass tourism, but it has plenty of offers if you are looking for something off the beaten track: its original popular customs and traditions, typical dresses, great artistic works of ceramics, metal works (especially those of Guadalupe) and embroideries and an outstanding gastronomy particularly trout, game, sausages, cheeses and the excellent wines.

Music of Extremadura

The folk music of this area is recognized by its distinctive, melancholy sound, as well as the predominance of the zambomba drum. There is also a rich repertoire of gaita (local name for tabor pipe) music. Jota is also common, played with triangles, castanets, guitars, tambourines, accordions and zambombas.

Extremadura has, for a long time, been one of the poorest regions in the country. As a result, many of its native people left to go to Latin America during the colonial era, and subsiquently leaving their mark on Latin music.

Traditional Extremaduran dances include:

• El baile de la pata
• El perantón
• El pindongo
• El son brincao
• El son llano
• La Zajarrona

Major Attractions in Extremadura

Merida

Merida preserves some of the most outstanding Roman monuments, including a colossal theatre, an amphitheatre, two aquaducts and a bridge, not to mention the Museum of Roman Art.

Caceres

The capital of Upper Extremadura has a beautiful old quarter, enclosed by Moorish town walls with great watchtowers. Additional attractions include some exceptional Renaissance palaces.

Trujillo

The birthplace of famous conqueror Pizarro is well known for its beautiful main square. There are also a great medieval castle and the well-preserved town-walls with seven doors.

Guadalupe

This beautiful town is dominated by a colossal Mudejar style monastery, which preserves valuable works of art.

Plasencia

A beautiful town with a Gothic-Plateresque cathedral, medieval town-walls and several palaces.

Badajoz

The capital of Lower Extremadura is worth a visit if only to see its Moorish Alcazaba, town-walls and watchtowers.

Find holiday lets in Extremadura

Puerto del Carmen was the birthplace of the package tourist industry on Lanzarote, as this is the spot, formerly known to locals as La Tiñosa, where the first visitors to the island stayed, in and around the Old Town harbour area, some forty years ago.

Today much has changed, as the resort has expanded enormously since those early days, now extending some 8km towards Los Pocillos and Matagorda.  The Old Town Harbour, however, remains the central heart of Puerto del Carmen – and is home to many of the best bars and restaurants in the resort.

Puerto del Carmen is now split into the Old Town and New Town areas. The latter has grown up alongside the Avenida de las Playas, which is the main beachfront thoroughfare through the resort and this is where many of the best apartment complexes are located in close proximity to the beaches. These golden stretches of sand are the main reason why Puerto del Carmen has become such a popular holiday destination.

The most popular beach is Playa Grande, which is aptly named as it measures around 4km in length offering visitors great facilities such as showers and sun loungers as well as providing very safe bathing for children as the beach here shelves gently into the ocean.

There are less crowded and more picturesque beaches at Playa Chica and in front of the Los Fariones hotel as well as plenty of little coves located just behind the shop fronts on the Avenida de las Playas. Puerto del Carmen offers a wide range of accommodation options. Apartment complexes dominate – but there are plenty of private villas available for rent throughout the resort whilst two main hotels – the Fariones and the San Antonio provide good quality beachfront accommodation.

Puerto de Carmen is renowned for it nightlife – and rightly so as this is by far the liveliest resort on the island. There are hundreds of restaurants for visitors to choose from – covering every type of cuisine imaginable from traditional Spanish and Canarian through to Thai and Japanese. Bars and nightclubs are concentrated in the area known locally as Centro, which lies right in the heart of the Avenida de las Playas. There´s plenty of things to do during the daytime as well as Puerto del Carmen is also home to the new Lanzarote Golf Resort (only the second course on the island) as well as the Rancho Texas Theme Park, which is absolutely ideal for families.

Boat excursions are also available from the Old Town harbour area and tourists can take a day trip to the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura.

View a selection of villas in Puerto del Carmen

Ronda is a Spanish town around 100km from the city of Malaga in Andalucia with a population of just over 35,000 inhabitants. The Ronda area is very mountainous and the town clings to the cliff faces of the Rio Guadalevin gorge, which slices the town in two.

It is often said that this town (and others in the area such as Arcos de la Frontera or Antequera) with its quiet streets and white painted houses are the ‘real’ southern Spain, a whole world away from the madness of the Costas.

Rondas’ first settlers were the Celts but in later years it was the Romans and then the Moors that left their mark most predominantly on the towns architecture. The impressive three bridges spanning the gorge are a tribute to their builders both in their design and build quality. The Puente Romano (“Roman Bridge”), the Puente Viejo (“Old bridge”) and the Puente Nuevo (“New bridge” – built in 1793!!) rank among the towns most impressive features.

Bullfighting in the Plaza de Toros – the oldest and most beautiful bullfighting ring that is still in use in Spain – is deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of Ronda and the site, built in 1784, is one of the most important within the town. You can visit the museum, which is dedicated to the whole toro culture within the grounds of the bullring or just stroll the streets of this friendly and very clean town.

The parador holds a very privileged position within the town, located right next to the bullring and overlooking the Rio Guadalevin gorge. If you want a room here, it is advisable to book in advance, as it is very popular with tourists from both Spain and overseas.

The best time of day to experience the beauty which Ernest Hemmingway and Orson Wells (residents of the town for many years) wrote about, and which helped to promote its popularity, is in the early evenings when the day trippers have gone and peace and serenity returns to the town allowing for uninterrupted views of the sunset over whitewashed houses.

Holiday homes to rent near Ronda

The Spanish town of Salamanca can be found in the province of Castilla y Leon. In the mid west of the country, and just one hours drive from the border with Portugal, it is a town that has 165,000 residents with a climate varying from cold and susceptible to rain showers in the winter months to one which is dry and more comfortable (in terms of temperature) during the rest of the year.

The town is famous throughout Spain as being the most popular of the university towns where more than 40,000 students migrate to each year to study. Dating back to 1218, the “University of Salamanca” is noted as being the university which is the third oldest in Europe. Salamanca is not just known for its university however, as there are many other monuments and architectural sights to see.

The buildings in the centre of town are all built from the golden “Villamayor” sandstone creating the feeling that they are of some other era – a time which has long since passed.

The town has forged itself a new identity in these more modern times and a mix of modern city, small village and university town all sit together in harmony. This gives the towns numerous visitors the advantage of a good, modern infrastructure coupled with a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Named as European Capital of Culture in 2002, the town also has the accolade of being a UNESCO World Heritage City and is an extremely popular destination for tourists from all over the world offering them a wide variety of fascinating things to see or do.

It is said that the Spanish spoken in Salamanca is the purest form of the language in the whole of Spain, making the town a popular destination for language students from foreign countries.

The fact that Salamanca is a university town means that there are no shortages for somewhere to go out at night. Students meet to chat, drink or eat tapas in the many squares or café bars and the relaxed daytime atmosphere of the city centre is continued into the night where it is combined with music emanating from the bars.

The Castilla y Leon region of Spain is renowned for its agriculture and the quality of the locally grown products. Many different types of sausage and the variety of Spanish ham, ‘Jamon Serrano’, are some of the more favoured of the regions delicacies. Other products include the cheeses of the region and the ‘specialities’ such as the Alberca beans and almonds grown in and around Alba de Tormes.

Due mainly to the variation of climate, the dishes served in Salamanca are largely dependant upon the seasons. Winter months see the serving of stews made with chicken, pork and meatballs, or other filling dishes such as “Morucha” beefsteak. The warmer temperatures in summer make the lighter tapas style dishes more popular especially the sausage or ham varieties.

A typical Salamancan meal is the ‘Hornazo’. This is a salty pastry made with ham, bacon, sausage and egg or you could try ‘Chanfaina’, rice which is mixed with sausage.

Apartment to let in Mosa Trajectum

This luxury apartment is set in the exclusive resort of Mosa Trajectum.

The apartment is on the ground floor and it has a beautiful landscaped garden with water feature, cacti, friut trees and Hisbiscous plants as well as large shady patio with dining table and chairs where you can relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

Tha apartment has two bedrooms with twin beds, paddle fans and air conditioning.

The master bedroom has a large en-suite with Jacuzzi bath and over head shower. 

The open plan lounge is very spacious with white leather sofas, tv, dvd player, dining table and two patio doors leading out to the garden.

You have two fabulous pools to choose from right on your doorstep as well as the magnificent 18 hole championship golf course and 9 hole challenge course.

In addition to the golfing there are tennis courts, mountain biking, basketball, table tennis or even trampolining.

Mosa is a quiet, relaxed resort where you can enjoy the all year round warm climate without the noise and crowds of the costal areas. If your ideal is to chill out in beautiful surroundings then look no further!

More holiday rentals in Murcia, Spain are listed here

With the best beaches on Lanzarote, a wonderful microclimate and an idyllic location right on the coast, seemingly within touching distance of near neighbour Fuerteventura, Playa Blanca boasts all of the right ingredients for an ideal holiday in the Spanish sunshine.

Lanzarote´s fastest growing resort takes its name from the small white sand beach that still lies at its heart and which remains a popular spot for sunbathing and swimming with holidaymakers today despite the resorts rapid transformation from small fishing village to bustling tourist destination.

Indeed some of the most striking stretches of sand in the Canaries are located in and around Playa Blanca.  Such as the stunning set of coves and bays at nearby Papagayo, or the many other excellent beaches located within the resort itself such as Playa Dorada and Playa Flamingo.

Playa Blanca was developed some time after the resort rivals of Costa Teguise and Puerto del Carmen to the north but is now home to the best selection of hotels and villas in Lanzarote.  With new four and five start establishments lining the promenade that runs from one end of the resort right through to the other providing a delightful environment for a leisurely seafront stroll.

The harbour area remains the central hub of the town.  From here visitors can catch one of the regular ferries that criss-cross the Bocaina Straits to the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura or hop onto one of the beach taxis or excursion boats that embark throughout the day.

Whilst at the other end of Playa Blanca the relatively new Marina Rubicon adds a touch of class providing mooring for luxury yachts and an atmospheric backdrop for the many bars and restaurants that line the quayside.  Here tourists can also learn to sail and scuba dive as well as enjoying a day out at sea on board the Rubicat – a giant luxury catamaran that transports guests to the beaches at Papagayo.

Playa Blanca is also handily located in close proximity to Lanzarote´s leading tourist attraction – the Timanfaya National Park which is just a ten minute drive away and which is located right at the centre of a series of violent volcanic eruptions that rocked the island during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Fortunately all of the volcanoes are now dormant but the surreal scenery here is simply unforgettable and is often likened to the surface of the moon with solidified lava, punctuated by spent volcanic cones, stretching for as far as the eye can see.

Villas in Lanzarote