Book A Break In Lanzarote This Summer

The annual school summer holiday exodus will shortly be underway in the UK. And despite the current economic climate millions still plan to hit the beach aboard. Trading the uncertainty of the weather in Britain during the summertime for golden sands and sunshine.

Spain looks set to be a major beneficiary once again – with the Canary Islands one of the most popular holiday hot spots with British tourists. Thanks to it´s great beaches and a perfect climate, with cooling breezes tempering the summer heat.

Lanzarote is the third most popular of these seven islands and the journey time from the UK is four hours long. Just bearable if you are planning a holiday on the island with young children. Cheap flights to Lanzarote are available via low cost airlines – or alternatively check flight comparison websites such as Flightline and Skyscanner to view the very best deals. Package holidays in Lanzarote are also available with a number of leading tour operators, such as First Choice, Monarch and Cosmos.

The bulk of the best accommodation in Lanzarote is located in the main holiday resorts. The largest and best known of which is Puerto del Carmen. Which is situated fairly centrally on the islands south east coast, close to the airport at Arrecife. Playa Blanca in the south is also emerging rapidly as a rival – thanks to its excellent beaches and wide range of good quality hotels.

During the summer months families can expect to pay from around €600 per week for a villa break on the island, plus the cost of flights. With hotels charging a similar amount of money. So it really can pay to visit the websites of the main holiday companies to check out their special offers and deals. Especially if you are planning a break on a budget. Alternatively plump for a stay in one of the islands many apartment complexes. Which also offer very reasonable rates throughout the summer.

Summertime is all about the beach on Lanzarote and there are loads of these to explore. Most of the beaches in the main resorts have been created using sand imported from the Sahara desert. But there are plenty of all natural playas such as Arrieta and Playa Quemada to enjoy. Just hire a car and head off the beach of your choice for the day.

Temperatures on Lanzarote stay well into the late 20´s even during September and October. So it’s also possible to enjoy a late summer break here after the children have gone back to school.

Holidays In Puerto del Carmen

Puerto del Carmen is the spot where tourism first really took off on Lanzarote,

the fourth largest of the Canaries. Transforming what had until then been a tranquil little fishing village called La Tiñosa into the most popular holiday destination on the island.

Package holidaymakers first started to visit Lanzarote in serious numbers in the early 1970´s. And at this time they would all head for the old harbour area of Puerto del Carmen. Where the first apartment complexes and hotels were constructed. Since then the resort has expanded enormously and now extends some 8km to the east to encompass Los Pocillos and Matagorda.

Puerto del Carmen is nominally divided into two main zones. The Old Town, which is clustered around the harbour. And the New Town – which basically runs parallel with the main beach of Playa Grande and the resorts main thoroughfare of the Avenida de las Playas.

The resort enjoys a sheltered and well projected location on Lanzarote´s tranquil south east shoreline and its popularity is largely based on the quality of it’s beaches. Boasting around 8km of fine golden sands. The largest of which is Playa Grande – where visitors can enjoy excellent facilities such as showers and sun loungers. Although there are plenty of other smaller beaches to explore around the resort such as a Playa Chica, close to the Old Town.

There are plenty of accommodation options available for visitors. Puerto del Carmen is served by two main hotels – the Los Fariones and the San Antonio. And is also home to one of the largest selections of holiday villas in Lanzarote .

The best of which are located in areas such as Risco Prieto above the Old Town Harbour and Los Mojones.

The resort has been undergoing something of a transformation over the last year. As local tourist authorities have invested millions of Euros in improving the resort’s infrastructure and facilities. As a result the Old Town harbour area now plays host to a luxury marina. And the seafront promenade as been part pedestrianised – making it a far more attractive area for tourists to stroll long and enjoy. In addition a new golf course, only the second on the island, has opened recently on the outskirts of the town.

Puerto del Carmen is ideal for anyone who likes to combine quiet days by the pool or on the beach with nights on the town. As the resort boasts the best selection of bars, clubs and restaurants on the island.

Holidays in Costa Teguise

Costa Teguise is the most northerly resort on the island of Lanzarote. It was designed by the famous architect, César Manrique, as a purpose-built destination and it’s heart still revolves round the charming replica fishing village of the Pueblo Marinero. There are five beaches in total and the town acts as a great base for visitors who wish to explore the northern half of the island.

Things to do

Much of the resort’s activity is concentrated on the large beach at Las Cucharas. Not only popular with families thanks to its safe waters and golden sand, this beach is also a firm favourite with windsurfers, as the weather conditions here make it an ideal place to practice the sport.

Elsewhere in Costa Teguise, there is a subterranean aquarium, where there are interactive tanks so you can get up close and personal with some of the sea creatures on display. And for those who enjoy getting wet, Lanzarote’s only water park is based in the resort, with plenty of slides and chutes (a word of caution, though, the water is not heated). Golfers can get a round in at the Campo de Golf which is situated on the outskirts of the town.

Restaurants

The Pueblo Marinero is home to many of the restaurants to be found in Costa Teguise, although there are a couple of exceptional eateries further afield that are definitely worth a visit. Oscars, themed on the Hollywood awards ceremony, can be found close to the Coronas Playa Hotel and Meson La Jordana, a favourite of King Juan Carlos, is in Calle Los Geranios, close to the Lanzarote Bay hotel. Also worth a visit, especially after a trip to the golf course or water park, is La Masia, with its pretty terrace and entertainment facilities for children.

Accommodation

There´s no shortage of good quality accommodation in Costa Teguise. As the resort is home to the five star Gran Melia Salinas, widely regarded as one of the leading Lanzarote hotels.

Costa Teguise also boasts a decent selection of apartments, villas and aparthotels for those who prefer to holiday on a self catering basis.

Beaches

The five beaches run from one end of Costa Teguise to the other. Apart from the main beach at Las Cucharas which has good facilities, there is a small stretch of sand at El Jablillo, in front of the Teguise Playa hotel. And just around the corner, to the south, is Playa Bastian, which is fringed with coconut palms and has amenities such as public toilets and showers.

Getting There

There are no buses running between the resort and the airport, so visitors either take a taxi for the fifteen minute journey or hire a car. For those who travel under their own steam, on leaving the airport, select the Arrecife exit. Follow the dual carriageway until the left exit marked ‘circunvalacion’ and take this ring-road round the outside of the capital. It is then only a short drive, again on a dual carriageway, into the centre of Costa Teguise.