Explore Lanzarote – The Fire Island
May 9, 2009 by Nick Ball
Filed under Destinations
Great year round weather. Over ninety beautiful beaches. Breathtaking, raw volcanic scenery. And some of the most unique tourist attractions anywhere in the world. Lanzarote really is a destination with a difference – and boasts all of the right ingredients for sunshine break, at any time of the year.
Lanzarote is the eastern most island in the Canaries – the seven specks of Spain that are located just off the coast of West Africa. A location that ensures plenty of sun hours all year round. With temperatures rarely falling below 20 Celsius. Even when Northern Europe is shivering though the winter months.
Since package tourism first took off in Spain in the 1970´s the island has established itself as hugely popular destination. With around 1.5 million tourists taking their holidays in Lanzarote every year. The majority hailing from the UK and Eire.
Despite this popularity the island remains surprisingly unaffected by the impact of tourism. And this UNESCO protected biosphere retains a strong rural identity. Especially away from the three main holiday resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise. Which is where the bulk of the best hotels and villas in Lanzarote are concentrated.
This is all thanks to the work of Cesar Manrique, the islands favourite – and most famous son. Manrique was born in the island capital of Arrecife in 1919 and became a prominent figure in the Spanish surrealist movement in the 1950´s. Before moving to New York to exhibit his paintings and develop his craft alongside eminents such as Andy Warhol.
During the 1960´s General Franco started to encourage mass market tourism in Southern Spain, in a bid to boost his country’s flagging economy. Resulting in a construction boom on the Costas. Which destroyed large swathes of previously unspoilt coastline.
Worried that the same fate could soon befall Lanzarote Manrique returned to the island of his birth and began to campaign for a more considered approach. Resulting in an outright ban on high rise construction and billboards.
Manrique also sought to fuse the islands unique volcanic landscape – created by a violent series of eruptions in the 1730´s – with his own creativity. In order to develop a different type of tourist attraction to the golf courses and theme parks that were being constructed in other Spanish sun spots.
The result was seven unique sites – including the Timanfaya National Park. The most popular tourist attraction in Lanzarote. Where he discerned a route through the spent volcanic peaks and lava fields – enabling visitors to view these incredible vistas up close. Along with his own house and studio – fashioned out of five bubbles in the lava flow.