The Island
Lanzarote, the most easterly island in the Canary archipelago, lies in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 300km (186 miles) west of the African coast of Morocco and is, in many ways, unique. The Island's scenery ranges from volcanic mountains to low hills of volcanic ash and cinder to pretty villages of whitewashed houses, which are surrounded by vines growing in sheltered hollows in the volcanic cinders. Eruptions in the 18th and 19th centuries produced a landscape which is often described as "lunar" - indeed, many scenes from the film "Planet Of The Apes" were filmed there. Despite the volcanic nature of the Island, Lanzarote has many beautiful sandy beaches such as those at Playa Blanca and Papagayo.
The lack of varying altitudes, the volcanic material and the arid climate have not provided an environment for a large range of plant and animal life. Many of the plants that do thrive are indigenous to the Canary Islands (eg the Timanfaya seed and the Famara plantain) and have adapted to the dry conditions. Due to the aridity, trees are scarce apart from the Haria Valley where Canary palms flourish. Public parks and hotel grounds, etc. are bright with introduced plants from all over the world - bougainvillea, hibiscus, geranium as well as small trees such as mimosa and jacaranda. All flourish in Lanzarote and many hotel grounds resemble botanical gardens. The waters around Lanzarote support a large range of marine species. Whales, dolphins, turtles and flying fish can often be seen during a ferry crossing or boat trip.
Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote and half of the island's population live here. It is also home to the international airport.
Lanzarote has more sunshine than any of the other Canary Islands. Daytime temperatures in January and February are rarely below 22°C and rainfall is light and falls on no more than 16 days a year.
The unique combination of the mild temperature, well-preserved landscape and the might of the volcanoes are appealing to discriminating tourists and many return year after year.
