As another summer draws to an end, anyone who has yet to have a week in the sunshine may dread having to wait until next year. But the reality is that there are places that stay hot and sunny all year round within a reasonably short flight time.
One of those places is the island of Lanzarote, in the Canarian archipelago. Located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of north Africa, the island enjoys a warm and dry climate, similar to that of the Saharan desert. Which is hardly surprising as this is only 100 kilometres away across the water.
As a tourist destination, Lanzarote has a lot more to offer than many other hotspots. It doesn´t just have a superb climate, glorious beaches and more daylight hours than parts of northern Europe.
It also has a range of unusual and unique tourist attractions, pristine and unspoilt landscapes and a highly individual approach to tourist development. Strict controls have kept the island from the worst aspects of too much construction, especially in the coastal areas.
Thus, although most of the hotels in Lanzarote are positioned next to the sea, there are no private beaches or areas that are inaccessible to the general public. Nor do any of these establishments crowd out the sea views from buildings behind them.
For first time visitors, perhaps the best way to discover the island´s difference is via car hire in Lanzarote. This is not only an affordable holiday expense but is also the most convenient way to visit the attractions at your own pace.
This is an important consideration, as some holidaymakers find that the unique attractions designed by Manrique, the island born artist, deserve more than twenty minutes to appreciate their many features. The Jameos del Agua, for example, combines gardens, an underground lake, a museum and an auditorium which visitors can spend hours exploring.
Manrique´s influence pervades the island and has shaped its tourist sector as well as the infrastructure development. His international reputation helped to cement Lanzarote´s credentials as a cool place to visit during the 1970´s and early 1980´s.
More recently, thanks to the introduction of cheap Lanzarote flights the island is being rediscovered by more independent travellers, who enjoy discovering the island´s many features for themselves. Thus helping to ensure that Lanzarote once again becomes a cool place to visit for a completely new generation of holidaymakers.