Lanzarote´s Leading Resorts

The popular holiday island of Lanzarote is home to three main resorts.  With each boasting its own unique character, identity and attractions.  As well as a variety of accommodation options.

Lanzarote is one of the seven Spanish owned Canary Islands – which lie just off the Atlantic coast of West Africa.  After Tenerife and Gran Canaria Lanzarote is the third most popular of the islands with holidaymakers – welcoming around 1.4 million tourists every year.  The bulk of whom enjoy a stay in one of the three main resorts of Costa Teguise, Playa Blanca or Puerto del Carmen.

Puerto del Carmen was in fact the first resort to be developed on the island and is still the most popular today.  Before the advent of tourism this was just a small fishing village called La Tiñosa, with little in the way of beaches, roads or amenities.  But as tourism took off in Spain during the late 1960´s La Tiñosa evolved into Puerto del Carmen – with beaches created by importing sand from the nearby Sahara desert.

Today Puerto del Carmen extends for around 8km and is nominally spit into two separate areas – the Old Town in and around the harbour are and the New Town which runs parallel with the main beach of Playa Grande.  There are two main hotels in Puerto del Carmen for visitors to choose from – the Los Fariones and the San Antonio.  As well as a good selection of apartment complexes.

Costa Teguise was developed after Puerto del Carmen in the 1980´s – originally designed as an upmarket resort with high quality accommodation.  Such as the five star Gran Melia Salinas – still widely regarded as the best hotels in Lanzarote today.

Costa Teguise remains an attractive resort but suffers by comparison with its rivals as the weather in this part of the island isn’t as favourable.  And during the winter months Costa Teguise can be shrouded in cloud whilst Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca are basking in sunshine.

Playa Blanca is the newest resort on the island – developed during the 1990´s.  And is home to some great beaches whilst also enjoying the best weather the island has to offer.  The high quality of the hotels and villas in Playa Blanca has helped to rapidly establish the resort as the second most popular on the island.  Aided further by the fact that Playa Blanca is also in close proximity to Lanzarote´s leading tourist attraction – the Fire Mountains of Timanfaya.