Lanzarote - A Compelling Paradise

As the plane makes its descent into Arrecife the first thing you notice out of the window is crater upon crater, historically established into a dry, orange landscape. Dotted around the island you see clusters of white speckles - buildings that make up the small villages and towns. Surrounding the island is the vast blue Atlantic Ocean, foaming white as it crashes against the volcanic shores of Lanzarote.

As the plane comes in for its final descent, look left and you see the beaches of Los Piccolos and Matagorda, before the final touchdown onto the Arrecife airport runway. No matter if there are clouds in the sky the first thing that hits you when you get off the plane is the heat.

After you sort out your luggage and jump on your bus, or in your car, the roads seem sparse. Even the main dual carriage ways are quiet compared to the madness of the UK roads. If you have never driven a car outside of the UK before, Lanzarote is a great place to start. The locals are relatively forgiving and the small number of cars on the roads makes it a very reassuring starting point.

As you make your way to your accommodation or resort, you get a close up view of the white washed buildings that you saw out of the plane window. One man, Cesar Manrique, is responsible for the fact that all the buildings on the island are white, along with blue or green doors and shutters and they give the island an air of freshness and cleanliness.

En-route you may come across some of the unusual vineyards. The Vineyards are usually found on the west side of the island, mainly surround the Timanfaya National Park. This iconic park was the place of violent eruptions during the late 1800's. Whilst devastation reigned for a number of years the resulting minerals have created a unique farming environment that produces some of the best wines to come out of Spain (although not many do!)

Lanzarote is compelling thanks to its unique combination of nature, art and simplicity. The way of life is reasonably down to earth and 'grass roots' and yet the initiatives of things such as generating power from the 'trade winds' and sheltering crops from these winds using small semi-circled walls is true form of genius.

Of course, Lanzarote wouldn't be Lanzarote without the weather. The year round sunshine and warm climate is mainly thanks to the location of the island, just a throw over from the African coast and the Sahara desert. At times the heat can, maybe, be a little overwhelming, but a breeze that blows most of the year helps to keep things a little more comfortable.

Put all these things together and, for me, you have an island of paradise.

Lanzarote is a popular holiday destination with tourists from all over Europe. If you are thinking of visiting, or due to visit Lanzarote then head on over to Destination Lanzarote before you fly for an online guide and insight into the island.