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| | | | A guide to the islands
From the Daily Mail
GRAN CANARIA
Not the biggest of the Canaries; it just feels that way when you try to negotiate some of the busiest streets of the capital, Las Palmas.
Most visitors find themselves in one of the purpose-built resorts in the south of the island and fortunately most stay there for the duration, apart from the odd trip into town.
The secret to getting the most out of Gran Canaria, then, is to hire a car and get away from the maddening throng.
While the island can be circumnavigated in a day, it's more fun to push north to explore some of the typical old settlements or into the mountainous centre to visit villages such as Artenara, perched at 1,200m, pausing for lunch on the terrace at the Meson de Silla restaurant to admire its stunning views.
But even those who fail to make it that far from the sun-lounger usually manage a glimpse of Las Palmas's most distinctive stretch of sand, the amazing desert-like dunes of Maspalomas. And no, that camel train crossing it is not a mirage; it's a tourist attraction.
LANZAROTE
A favourite with generations of British tourists, Lanzarote takes pride in its extraordinary volcanic landscape. Black ash becomes a manicured garden, jagged tiny peaks a carefully tended rockery, while the lunar landscape of the island's Mountains of Fire is its most popular natural attraction.
Arrecife is the main town, Puerto del Carmen the principal tourist resort.
Both used to be small fishing ports and, though they attract crowds these days, there are still boats in their harbours and good fish restaurants to visit after the evening passeo.
Those of a cultural disposition should enjoy the troglodyte home and surreal art of Cesar Manrique; those who prefer the seaside will find the best beaches in the south of the island, along the bumpy tracks beyond Playa Blanca.
FUERTEVENTURA
For many people, this is little more than a windy desert just 50 miles from the Sahara. The upside is that at least the sand is good and the windsurfing is among the best in the world.
Corralejo in the north is the best-known resort and is good for families.
One of the highlights for day-trippers is a jaunt inland to Betancuria, founded in a fertile valley in 1405.
However, the best beaches are in the south, particularly the magnificent stretches on the Jandia peninsula.
You will need a four-wheel-drive car to reach the loveliest stretches, such as Playa de Barlovento.
On the way back north, stop for a meal at one of the restaurants in the traditional fishing village of Las Playitas.
Travel Guide: Lanzarote
Sun, sea and lentils
I arrived in Lanzarote all set to practice the noble art of yoga.
My girlfriend and I joined Holistic Holidays (http://www.hoho.co.uk) for a week's yoga at the Villa Isis, which is situated above the town of Puerto Carmen on a volcanic crag with views over the Atlantic.
Though we have both done some yoga in the past, we had some obstinate prejudices.
For a start, people who use the word 'Holistic' often tend to be Holisticer than Thou; and when they are also passionate advocates of yoga they make me feel like running a mile in the opposite direction.
The combination of holistic and yoga conjures up images of open-toed sandals and lentils - and thus it proved as soon as we arrived at Villa Isis. We were immediately given a lunch that included lentils.
Then we got a long speech of welcome from a man wearing open-toed sandals.
The lunch, however, was sensationally delicious - as were all the meals prepared by Anthea, Villa Isis's resident vegan cook.
And the man in the sandals was the amiable Stuart Forster, who runs Holistic Holidays with his partner, Lynne Oliver.
The couple live in the parts of the house not occupied by their guests. Their own rooms, not surprisingly, command the best views of the sea, while guests who pay about £500 per person per week for twin-bedded rooms stay round the back with views of the car-park.
These prices include three vegetarian dinners, all breakfasts and five yoga lessons, but not flights.
Travel Guide: Lanzarote
Hot and happy on Lanzarote
Camel rides, volcanoes, caves, wine and warm winter sun were all part of a great week's holiday on Lanzarote, the Canary island with plenty to see and do, writes Teletext viewer Ian Davies, of Denbigh, Wales.
Just four hours away by plane from the UK, we were lucky to enjoy generally dry, warm and sunny weather - ideal for simply shorts and T-shirts. My partner and I were pleased with our self-catering apartment in the resort of Costa Teguise, popular with couples and families. We tended to eat out at a variety of local restaurants or buy a few groceries at the nearby supermarket to do our own breakfast.
The apartment at the Siroco complex was comfortable and clean, only a base for our seven night mid-January break. We paid just under £400 for the two of us.
The best part of the holiday was an excursion called The Grand Tour which began with a unique experience - riding a dromedary (one hump) camel in the National Park. We later re-visited it to look at the volcanoes and do some wine-tasting at a bodega. The trip was with very accomplished guide Annie and included a traditional meal in the little village of Mancha Blanca and a visit to a set of caves in the north of the island.
We also took the ferry from Playa Blanca in Lanzarote to Corralejo on the neighbouring isle of Fuerteventura. We visited the place a year ago and experienced the awful calima or sandstorm blowing from the Sahara.
This time the weather was a lot better and we went to see our friend Claire, who co-runs a bar called The Blue Rock. As usual it was busy and full of characters.
The Canaries, being so near to Africa, usually enjoy good weather but occasionally the tide can turn and the wind can change all of a sudden. We met plenty of friendly people, locals and tourists, and at Arrecife Airport even bumped into a couple we know who have a restaurant just miles from our home. It's a small world!
During our stay in Lanzarote we took scenic walks along the sea front at Costa Teguise and watched as blue waves crashed against volcanic rocks in the afternoon sun. A haven of scenic beauty with white buildings dotted around, we found the island spotlessly clean and tidy.
We got a local bus to Lanzarote's busiest resort Puerto del Carmen, which offers a more commercialised holiday, boasting miles of bars, cafes, restaurants and shops and is an alternative to the quieter life of the rest of the island.
We will definitely return to Lanzarote, and Costa Teguise. It was fun and superb value for money.
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Travel Guide: Lanzarote
Unspoilt and beautiful
This island is so unspoilt and beautiful, I have been twice and hope to visit again in September 2003.
The food is cheap and very good and the weather and beaches are fabulous.
I love the volcanic lava, it makes a great change from seeing grass everywhere, and no rain!
Fabulous. I thoroughly recommend it as a truly magnificent holiday resort.
Travel Guide: Lanzarote
Lively lava landscape
From the Daily Mail
When you first land at Lanzarote airport, you could be forgiven for thinking the pilot got rather ambitious, and diverted to the moon. The landscape of this Canary Island is unique, a skyline stuffed with volcanoes.
There are vast seas of black rock and lava, of scrub and heathland dotted with whitewashed houses clustered against the severity of the surrounding countryside.
Lanzarote is the land where nature lost its temper, where volcanoes exploded and lava surged through the island for six long years, 250 years ago, and created a landscape little changed, even now.
None of this is what Lanzarote is known for, however. Lanzarote is burger bars, black beaches, bargain basement. It's cheap 'n' cheerful, chips 'n' chicken nuggets.
For heaven's sake, anywhere whose name rhymes with 'grotty', is doomed before it starts.
Yet this perception, both unfair and roughly accurate, is what makes Lanzarote fascinating. It mixes the incredibly stylish with the insufferably naff; sophisticated architecture and ambitious projects with downmarket, low-rent, high-return developments.
One of the best examples of this is in Costa Teguise, location of the Gran Melia Salinas hotel, one of the island's most luxurious.
This is the kind of hotel where chambermaids pop in to puff up your pillows and rearrange your towels every time you leave your room.
Five restaurants within the walls of Gran Melia Salinas and not a chicken nugget for love nor money. Two minutes away, though, you can't get anything but.
Travel Guide: Lanzarote
Explore with a surrealist hero
Think Lanzarote, think boozy Brits abroad, right? Well, not necessarily. Lanzarote is truly a refreshing surprise. It has much to offer culturally, and an awe-inspiring landscape.
In fact, anyone who simply goes for sun and beer and stays in their hotel will be missing out on a holiday destination with a whole lot to offer.
The first thing that hits you about Lanzarote is the landscape.
From the early 1730s to the early 1830s, a series of volcanic eruptions turned the island's lush, green scenery into a grey, undulating environment.
It is like nothing I have ever seen, and you can't help but marvel at the fascinating transition between what it was and what it became.
Timanfaya National Park, towards the south of the island, is perhaps Lanzarote's most interesting attraction.
It's considered one of the most significant volcanic sites in the world. Guided bus tours take you past breathtaking craters, and twisted outcrops. Sections of it are said to be a virtual mirror image of the surface of the moon.
And if you're feeling peckish, a restaurant at the top cooks your food over the heat from the volcano, still gurgling below.
If you are an artistic buff, Lanzarote has a lot to tempt you.
Travel Guide: Lanzarote
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| | | | La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro
LA PALMA
The most tropical and fertile of the Canaries, La Palma, the Green Island, has arguably the best-looking landscape. This is not a place for beach lovers - there are only a handful of black beaches round its shores. Rather it attracts nature lovers looking for some peace and quiet on one of the least-visited islands.
Top on their list of attractions is the great Caldera de Taburiente, a massive, beautiful volcanic crater, which is ideal for hiking.
The town of Santa Cruz has a wealth of old colonial atmosphere and architecture, as well as a lively seafront promenade of cafes and restaurants.
The main draw in the north of the island is the town of San Andres, which is the home of the island's most sacred spot, its 17th-century church.
LA GOMERA
A favourite destination with walkers and hikers, with trails criss-crossing its 370 square kilometre area, La Gomera is, in shape, like a great volcanic meringue pie, with peaks and troughs and an indented crusty coast.
An immensely fertile land, with a thousand different shades of green on every slope - pale young vines, darker banana plants and everywhere the dread-locked silhouettes of date palms dancing on the jagged horizon.
Accommodation options are limited to a couple of hotels and smaller guesthouses, and there's little to attract the beach lover. Instead, the island draws a loyal following from visitors who appreciate its laid-back ambience and a certain innate quirkiness.
La Gomera's best hiking is in the Garajonay National Park at the heart of the island.
EL HIERRO
Definitely a getaway-from-it-all destination - as long as you don't mind the fact that there's not very much when you get there. It's more of a day-trip island really. Once you have admired the view over El Golfo Valley, visited the old church in the capital Valverde, there is not much left to do except to stand by the lighthouse at Orchilla, once the most westerly point of the known world.
Yoga on an empty stomach
By the standards of Lanzarote package holidays, they are elevated prices, but Villa Isis considers itself a cut above 'the Naffia'.
Lynne was formerly the wife of the F1 driver and Le Mans winner Jackie Oliver and was later married to Bruce Welch of The Shadows. Now she and Stuart are creating a home like a retired rock star's groovy retreat.
Manicured gardens fringe a lovely pool that is treated not with chlorine but by an oxygenating process.
Smoking is forbidden anywhere in the house but a trust list allows bottles of wine to be removed from the Villa's store.
The stylish sitting room is stocked with an off-putting array of books about mystical hocus pocus, but also offers a wide variety of Hollywood movies on tape and an excellent synthesiser.
All of these benefits are for the guests to use because 'this is now your home', as Stuart said.
At Villa Isis, they expect you to turn out on yoga parade with an empty stomach at 8.15am.
Lynne, the resident teacher, was absent for the first days of our stay so our sessions were taken by a stand-in called Rod. Nobody appeared to have told him that some members of our group were seriously crocked.
One woman suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and another from ME. A third had recently undergone surgery on her jaw and I had a stiff neck and an injured achilles tendon. At least two members of the group of eight were newcomers to yoga.
We were not, therefore, all in the best condition to sustain the cross-legged, hunched and bowed stances which the otherwise likeable Rod insisted upon and which some of the group described as 'excruciating'.
My previous experience of yoga has always included long periods of gentle warm-up at the start and relaxation to finish.
Volcanic inspiration
Across the road from this laid-back luxury sits a huge plastic tent-shape structure, home to Tex-Mex and pizza restaurants, where the bar is in the shape of a large boat, and a two-piece band (who look spookily like the Mitchell brothers) segue effortlessly from Waltzing Matilda into a little light Bach and the sunburnt diners tuck into fajitas and fried chicken.
It is a world away from the tasteful glamour of Gran Melia Salinas - where women in Chanel glide around the dance floor to the salsa tunes and Beatles covers - yet everyone seems to be having an equally good time.
The classy side of Lanzarote is due, largely, to the generous and gifted Cesar Manrique, a Lanzarote-born artist who has been involved in designing most of the tourist attractions on the island.
His touch is everywhere - from the subtly curved cafe at the Mirador del Rio, which commands stunning views to the neighbouring islands and across the Atlantic, to the little devil who welcomes you to the Timanfaya National Park; from the caves that can be explored to the cactus garden he created in a disused quarry.
Those who live in Lanzarote have grown to love their volcanoes -Manrique built his house among the heat-seared rock, hollowing out living spaces under the surface - the ultimate bachelor pad with leather sofas and lava-blackened walls.
Nature is king on Lanzarote - and nowhere is this more obvious than in the Timanfaya National Park, where fields of black rock stretch as far as the eye can see, interrupted only by the sweep of volcanic craters and the occasional struggling cactus, desperate to inject a drop of colour into the monochrome moonscapes.
The volcanoes are dormant now, but their power remains on show; a guide will pour water into a hole that shoots out as steam ten seconds later, and the chef in the Manrique-designed restaurant cooks his chicken and sausages on a grill that sits over an open hole that tunnels down to the molten rocks below.
There's plenty about Lanzarote that is unique, but equally there is plenty that seems horribly familiar. The seafront English pubs offer Strongbow and Stella and are dotted with TVs showing Man United v Arsenal.
At Puerto del Carmen there is even a bar called Ye Olde Spanish Inn. But, contrary to popular belief, the beaches are long and sandy and, though they may be crammed with sunloungers and the whitewashed streets may lack a certain atmosphere, they are ideal for a cheap week in the sun.
Artistic imprint
The late surrealist artist Cesar Manrique is a hero of the island, due to his cultural legacy. His imprint can be seen in unusual sculptures on roundabouts, and the stylised public buildings he created out of volcanic rock.
One of the most beautiful is his own home, which is now the Cesar Manrique Foundation. It also houses works by other Spaniards, like Picasso and Miro.
If you want to just chill out and enjoy Lanzarote's climate and coast, catamaran rides are offered by Catlanza (telephone + 34 928 513 022), from Puerto Calero, near Lanzarote's capital Arrecife.
For 58 Euros per adult, the ride includes drinks and a meal, as well as jet-ski rides and snorkelling equipment to watch tropical fish once the anchor has been thrown down a few hours out to sea.
You can sun yourself on the cat, or get involved by pulling up sails or taking the wheel.
Food and wine are plentiful in Lanzarote. And some of the best is at Casa Tegoyo, a large Canarian house dating back to 1804 in Conil, (just outside Arrecife), which has been transformed into a sumptuous hotel.
The food is sublime – it's been voted best restaurant in Lanzarote - and served in a beautiful tree-filled courtyard. The luxurious rooms have Mediterranean/Moroccan influences. For details: + 34 928 834 385.
Jameos del Agua is a series of connecting caves at the foot of a volcano. It grew from an idea by Manrique, and bears all his artistic hallmarks.
And Mirador del Rio, a building created by Manrique, offers impressive ocean views more than 450 metres above sea level.
Like Gaudi in Barcelona and Rennie Mackintosh in Glasgow, artistically Lanzarote is well and truly Manrique's island.
While much of Lanzarote's landscape is wonderful, some of it is not – a volcanic island is naturally going to have its share of scorched, barren scenery.
But, all things considered, this really is a minor factor.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
Cadogan Holidays offer trips to Lanzarote. A three-night stay at the four-star Los Jameos Playa costs from £441 per person in January (children under 12 cost from £207). Prices include scheduled flights from Gatwick with British Airways, private taxi transfers and half-board accommodation. For more information contact Cadogan on 02380 828 313, or visit www.cadoganholidays.com.
For general information on the island: www.lanzaroteisland.com
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| | | | Let go of our inhibitions
Rod did not go in for any of that namby-pamby stuff. By 10am, our stomachs were howling for our breakfasts while our joints were screaming for mercy.
When Lynne Oliver returned to teach us, she appeared to belong to the Ab Fab school of yoga - a style best described as slow calisthenics with many exhortations to feeeel the stretch.
She tried to make us let go of our inhibitions by hanging our heads below our knees, shaking them like a wet labrador and making a sound as if we were blowing spray off our lips. But nobody would do it.
Bonded by our pains and our barely suppressed resentments towards our teachers, our group had a good time in the evening when we met for dinner.
Despite the improbability that you would ever find me saying a good word about a nut cutlet, we all loved Anthea's meals - including delectable soups and puddings.
Stuart and Lynne threw a couple of little parties, providing champagne.
On the last night, one of the women claimed that her eyesight, without her glasses, had improved.
This did not happen to me but I noticed that my eyes and hair were shining as they have rarely been wont to do these many decades.
And I did feel better, especially after a week of refreshing sleeps. And, when I got home, I found I had lost nearly half a stone.
So there must be something to be said, after all, for lentils and yoga; but I'm not sure I'll ever come round to the sandals.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
Holistic Holidays: Villa Isis, Los Topes, 35572 Tias, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain http://www.hoho.co.uk tel: 0034 928 524 216.
Thomson Direct (tel: 0870 550 2555) offers Britannia Airways flights from Gatwick.
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| | Available rental properties in Lanzarote |
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| |  | | VILLA JASMIN
Luxury villa in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote with private heated swimming pool, mountain and sea views. Highest quality of fixtures and fittings. NOW WITH HOT TUB SPA.
|  | | Casa las Anclas
Casa las Anclas is situated in the heart of Playa Blanca, 50 metres from the promenade and less than two minutes walk from the nearest beach
|  | | Frontline Luxury detached Villa with Private Pool
Privacy & Luxury, 150 metres from the beautiful coast and with panoramic sea views this villa is less than 1 year old. All mod cons e.g dishwasher, gas barbecue etc. Luxury Linen & Cleaning Included.
|  | | CASA CANELA
Bright and Spacious Family and Friends Holiday Home.
The Private Heated Pool Has a Hydromassage Zone For Serious Relaxation.
|  | | Las Vistas Apartment
A superb one bedroom groundfloor apartment with a large terrace area and sea views located in a small quiet complex within walking distance of the beach and harbour.
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Holiday Rentals in Lanzarote |
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