The island of Lanzarote is one of seven Spanish owned Canary Islands located just 80 kilometres away from the African mainland, and four hours flying time from the UK. One of Lanzarote’s main draws is its fine weather as it experiences year round sun shine with temperatures rarely dropping below 20 degrees, making it a great winter escape. Here are some of the places to go see, eat at and sleep on the island.
Beaches
One of Lanzarote’s more famous attractions is its beaches. There are plenty to choose from and all of them offer something a little different from the others. El Golfo is one such beach that is a sight to behold due to the sand being black which is unusual for the island as most of the beaches are golden.
Playa Grande is one such beach with golden sands and rows of striped umbrellas sitting in front of the palm trees. This beach is largely used by the package holiday tourists who are staying at the nearby Puerto Del Carmen.
The locals prefer Playa de la Garita which has calm shallow waters making it perfect for families with small children to come and enjoy the sun shine. The beaches along the east coast are great spots for all kinds of water sports such as surfing and wind surfing.
Restaurants in Lanzarote
There are plenty of great restaurants on the island but some in particular are worth a visit more than others. On the outskirts of Arrieta you will find Amanacer bar which offers a menu that has different daily fish dishes and delicious tapas dishes such as the fiery chorizo and the fried squid all at local prices. As it is also a bar you can order yourself some great tasting cocktails from the experienced bartenders and enjoy the sun set from the balcony.
Further inland to Mancha Blanca you will find the newly renovated Restaurante Las Cadenas which has a menu featuring traditional Canary island cuisine and its speciality is roasted and barbecued meats at reasonable prices.
There is also LagOmar which was once a holiday villa for Omar Sharif and was designed by the islands most famous resident Manirque. This restaurant is a local favourite but tourists tend to stay away for some reason, missing out on some great dishes in a contemporary atmosphere.
Accommodation
Newly constructed eco yurts at the family run Finca de Arrieta is part of an environmentally friendly green estate that sits right next to the coast. The landscape that surrounds it exemplifies its eco friendly nature with exotic fruit trees and impressive volcanic stone formations. The eco yurts can sleep two to six people or more when combined.
For an upmarket choice look no further than Princesa Yaiza Suite Hotel Resort which offers five star accommodation on Playa Blanca’s beach along the south east coast. The Spanish hotel group Rusticae have a branch on the island as well in the form of Finca de las Salinas near Yaiza. The converted 18th century mansion offer rooms from 94 pounds a night for a double in a fine location.