Travel to Lanzarote

Travel to Lanzarote

The small island of Lanzarote, which ispart of the Canary Islands, is incredibly beautiful. With its rocky coastlines, rugged landscapes caused by years of volcanic activity and stunning beaches with white sand blown in from the Sahara. The island of Lanzarote is charming and the government is striving to balance development here whilst stillmaintaining the natural beauty of the area. The pleasant weather, splendid scenery and beaches, numerous places of interest and activities that Lanzarote offers,plus the warmth of thefriendly locals make this an unforgettable holiday destination.

Transportation to Lanzarote

The airport, north of Puerto del Carmen, handles several charter flights and international flights per week, making it very easy to get here from many major European cities. There are buses departing the airport between 08:00 and 20:30 for the main areas in Lanzarote every half hour. Taxis are also easily available at the airport.

Another option of travelling to Lanzarote would be to take a ferry. Many international ferries dock at ports in Spain and from these it is usually quite easy to catch a domestic ferry to Lanzarote. Many tourists also opt to take the day ferry from Fuerteventura, about 40 minutes away.

Transportation on the island isreadily available,with buses and taxis being the mostcommon.

What to see

Although the island is quite small, it has a few interesting sites to visit. The Timanfaya National Park, situated in the Montanas del Fuego (Fire Mountains), with its rare plants and thecrater-like landscape, caused by volcanic eruptions, is particularly interesting. The mountains were created in the 18th century, when more than 100 volcanic eruptions occurred within a six-year period. Many of the villages in this area were destroyed and in 1968, the area was declared a National Park.

The spectacular caves including the Cueva de los Verdes (Green Caves) were also created by volcanic eruptions. The Guanches used to take refugee from marauding pirates in the caves long tunnels which run under the sea. Los Hervideros (Boiling Water) is another cave which is famous for its blow holes, from which water spouts out.

Families will enjoy visiting the Rancho Texas Park, a western theme park comprising a Red Indian village and shows. The park is also a mini zoo and has crocodiles, iguanas and all sorts of birds and other animals. Other places of interest to visit include the fishing village of Orzoloa, San Jose and San Gabriel castles, cactus gardens designed by local artist Cesar Manrique, Cesar Manriques house, El golfo salt lake and the beautiful beaches, especially Famara Beach with its shipwreck.

Day trips

It is quite pleasant to go from Lanzarote tovisit the nearby islands which are part of the archipelago of the Canary Islands. La Graciosa is easily reached and makes for a pleasant and relaxing daytrip. Once on La Graciosa, it feels like you have entered a time warp and been transported back a 100 years or more. There are few cars on La Graciosa as the streets and roads are unpaved and it is an interesting sight to watch the residents sweep the streets each morningto remove the footprints from the previous night. The island hasmany stunning beaches and some majestic landscapes.

Activities and leisure

Many of the most popular activities in Lanzarote are centred on water-based sports. One of the most popular, but slightly more expensive, is to go sailing on a million dollar glass-bottomed catamaran. Snorkelling, scuba diving, swimming, jet-skiing, windsurfing and motorised parasailing are all activities that are easily available. Deep sea fishing trips are offered by many experienced tour guides.

For land-lovers, there are just as many activities to choose from including mountain biking, horseback riding, hiking, hang gliding, walking and trekking tours, spelunking, golfing and many more land-based activities. Tourists may also want to try a helicopter excursion, giving them an aerial view of Lanzarote.

Safety issues

Lanzarote is generally a safe destination to visit, with tourists experiencing little, if any, of the petty crimes found in larger tourist destinations. However, it is best to always be sensible about belongings and carrying valuables and to always be aware of what is happening. We strongly recommend that all travellers, irrespective of their destination, obtain a comprehensive travel insurance policy as this will give them peace of mind,enabling them toenjoy their holiday.