The Spring edition of Lanzarote Guidebook, the in-depth island information guide, is out now.  And to mark the occasion readers can enter a competition to win a villa holiday on Lanzarote, worth over £650, courtesy of the island holiday specialists www.lanzarote1.com.

 Lanzarote Guidebook is the comprehensive guide to the popular holiday island of Lanzarote.  The small Canary Island that is a hot favourite with British and Irish tourists.  Who last year collectively accounted for over 50% of the islands 1.37 million foreign tourist arrivals

 The Spring 2010 edition is packed with all of the information tourists need to make the most of their holiday on the Island of Fire. Encompassing in depth guides to all of Lanzarote´s resorts, beaches, museums and attractions, island maps, an introduction to the work of the famous local artist César Manrique and a handy Essentials section covering all of the holiday basics, such as shop and bank opening hours and emergency telephone numbers.

 Copies of the Spring edition of Lanzarote Guidebook can be downloaded free of charge by visiting www.lanzaroteguidebook.com.  Whilst a further 10,000 copies are distributed direct to holidaymakers on the island entirely free of charge via car hire companies, private villas, hotels and official tourist information offices.

 This indispensable, 96 guide is published quarterly so all of the information is up to date and is researched and written by locals, so providing tourists with the inside track to the real Lanzarote.  Featuring some fantastic pictures of the islands dramatic scenery courtesy of photographer James Mitchell.

 The Spring edition also offers readers the chance to win a fantastic holiday at Villa Mirador in Matagorda.  A prize provided by the island villa specialists Lanzarote1, who offer a range of top quality rental properties in key locations across the island, such as the most popular resort of Puerto del Carmen. 

 The competition can also be entered online by visiting the Lanzarote Guidebook website.  Where visitors will find a wealth of information about the island, interactive maps, the latest weather reports and a wide array of flight, car hire and accommodation options.

Global Holidays is the online travel agent for package holidays to Lanzarote. Call them on 0845 299 4450

Related Articles about Lanzarote

Playa Blanca, Lanzarote – I love this place

Lanzarote’s Leading Hotels

Lanzarote’s Top Ten Attractions

Lanzarote – The Island of Fire

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Despite the credit crunch and the ongoing weakness of sterling against the Euro the small Canary Island of Lanzarote still expects to welcome over 1.3 million foreign tourists by the end of this year.

Lanzarote is one of Europe’s only genuine winter sun destinations – at just four hours flying time from the UK – and hundreds of thousands of sun starved tourists are also expected to enjoy a holiday on the island over the coming months.

Now all visitors to the island – or anyone with an interest in Lanzarote – can get their hands on a comprehensive, 96 page Guidebook – totally free of charge.

Lanzarote Guidebook is packed with useful information and some great photos of the island.  The new Winter 09/10 edition can now be downloaded – fast and for free – from the Lanzarote Guidebook website – Researched and written by long term island residents Lanzarote Guidebook contains all of the information that holidaymakers and independent travellers could need to know.  As well as lots of handy inside tips.  And as it is published quarterly the information is always accurate and up to date.  Unlike conventional guidebooks which can be obsolete by the time they hit the shelves.

The Winter 09/10 edition of Lanzarote Guidebook contains comprehensive information about all of the island’s resorts, towns and places.  Including maps, restaurant and accommodation recommendations and sightseeing tips.  As well as detailed information about where to find the best beaches on the island, an introduction to the works of the island born artist and architect César Manrique  and a guide to all of the islands many attractions.

In addition Lanzarote Guidebook contains a handy Essentials section.  Providing useful information about all of the holiday nitty gritty – such as such as bank opening times, hiring a car, driving on the island, duty free allowances, shop opening hours and a list of emergency contact numbers.

This indispensable guide is published in a handy and portable A6 format and is distributed free to tourists on the island via car hire companies, hotels and private villas.

Global Holidays is the travel agent for cheap holidays to Lanzarote. Call on 0845 299 4450

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Playa Blanca on the island of Lanzarote is a great place. It is located at the southern tip of the Canary Island of Lanzarote and is about 40 minutes drive from the airport. If you like your holidays laid back and like great views of the ocean and nearby islands then the resort of Playa Blanca might be perfect for you.

I first visited Lanzarote a few years ago. I was staying on the nearby island of Fuerteventura and I decided to take the ferry for a day trip to Playa Blanca. The journey only takes about 30 minutes or only about 20 minutes if the catch the fast ferry. You catch the ferry from Corralejo and and it takes you to Playa Blanca. That was my first visit to Playa Blanca and I was very impressed.

Playa Blanca has a very long promenade which must stretch about 2 miles. It is wide and perfect for walking or cycling. The promenade runs from the port at Playa Blanca to the marina at the far end of the resort. At the marina you will find plenty of shops, bars and restaurants and there is also a pleasant boardwalk too.

If you carry on walking past the marina you will eventually come to the famous beaches of Papagayo. Whilst these beaches are remote with very few facilities they are very wide and sandy.

Playa Blanca has a good choice of hotels as well as self catering apartments. In addition, there is also a huge selection of villas to rent and many have private swimming pools.

If you are looking for a low cost holiday to Playa Blanca on the island of Lanzarote call Global Holidays on  0845 299 4450

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The small Canary Island of Lanzarote offers visitors a big selection of hotel accommodation.  Encompassing everything from cheap and cheerful aparthotels through to full blown five star luxury and chic rural getaways.

But which are the best hotels in Lanzarote

Rural Hotels

Despite the fact that it is probably best known as a bucket and spade beach destination rural tourism has really started to take off on the island in recent years.  As a growing number of visitors seek to connect with the ´real Lanzarote’.

As a result there’s now a growing crop of rural hotels springing up across the island that cater to this demand.

Amongst the best – and the best known – is the Hotel Finca Salinas – located in the pretty little village of Yaiza.  Which is close to Lanzarote´s leading tourist attraction, the Timanfaya Volcano Park.

This 18th century mansion was once owned by a local salt baron called Don Jaime Lleo.  Who made his pile from exporting the crystals processed at the nearby Janubio salt works to markets across Europe. 

The beautiful terracotta coloured building was restored by the current owners in 1996 – and now boasts seventeen guest rooms.  Which have all been individually decorated by the local architect Angel Garcia Puertas. With double rooms starting from €104 per night, including breakfast.

Resort Hotels

The resort of Costa Teguise was developed under the aegis of César Manrique during the 1970´s.  As the local artist and architect sought to create a coastal sister resort to the former island capital of Teguise.  Located some 10m inland.

Manrique sought to anchor the development with a prestigious five star hotel.  Which he created in tandem with the Gran Melia chain.  Resulting in the opening of the ultra luxurious Gran Melia Salinas in the early 1970´s.  Still regarded by many as the best hotel on the island today.

The Gran Melia Salinas features a whole raft of classic Manrique design flourishes as well as many of the artist’s valuable original works, which adorn public spaces such as the restaurant and bar areas.

The piece de resistance of the Gran Melia Salinas however is a breathtaking internal courtyard garden – featuring tropical plants from the Canaries and around the world.  Which has provided the benchmark for similar hotel designs the world over ever since.

A nights accommodation at the Gran Melia Salinas starts from around €120 depending upon the time of year.

Call Global Holidays on 0845 2994450 for details of holidays to Lanzarote

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Despite the fact that it is a relatively small island, measuring just 58km by 38km Lanzarote , in the Canaries, is surprisingly big on attractions.  Thanks to a winning combination of a number of natural wonders and the unique man made creations of the island born artist Cesar Manrique . If you are going to be visiting Lanzarote soon here we present the top 10 attractions on Lanzarote.

Timanfaya National Park
Visiting Lanzarote without taking in the Timanfaya National Park would be like going to Egypt and ignoring the pyramids.  The raw terrain and hundreds of spent volcanic peaks were formed as recently as the 1730´s – and are often likened to the surface of the moon. 

Valley of 1000 Palms
The north of the island provides a green and lush antidote to the arid volcanic south.  And nowhere is this contrast more pronounced than in the Valley of 1000 Palms.  Where for centuries locals have been planting one palm tree for
every new born girl and two for every boy.

Green Lagoon
The green lagoon at El Golfo is another of Lanzarote´s many volcanic wonders.  Created by an interaction between the mineral deposits from the eruptions and the salt water of the sea.  Resulting in an emerald green lagoon set in a black sand beach.  So striking is the scenery here that El Golfo has been used by numerous sci-fi film crews, such as the makers of One Million Years BC.

Mirador del Rio
The Mirador del Rio in the north of the island provides visitors with breathtaking views down to the neighbouring island of La Graciosa.  Said to be the real life setting for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island.  Converted from a naval gun battery by the ubiquitous Manrique, the Mirador is a real natural high.

Cactus Garden
Get up close and personal with the plant worlds spiniest species.  The Cactus Garden in Guatiza boasts over 1400 different types of cacti – all set within an amphitheatre forged from a former quarry.  In a part of the island that was once the heart of Lanzarote´s cochineal industry.

Jameos del Agua
Probably Cesar Manrique´s most impressive creation the Jameos del Agua was transformed from a collapsed lava tube into an atmospheric underground auditorium and nightclub.  Featuring great gardens, a lagoon and a swimming pool reserved for the sole use of the King of Spain. 

 La Geria Wine Region
The volcanic eruptions of the 1730´s have had a profound impact upon many aspects of island life.  Not least viniculture.  Since farmers discovered that small volcanic chippings, called picon, could be used to successfully mulch their vines.  A discovery of some significance on an island devoid of any natural water sources. 

 Cesar Manrique Foundation
The former home and studio of the celebrated artist is now home to the Cesar Manrique Foundation.  And was built into five underground volcanic bubbles.  An architectural feat that never fails to blow visitors away.

Teguise
The former island capital of Teguise is a treasure trove of colonial architecture and boasts the oldest building in the Canary Islands – the Palacio Marques, which was constructed in the 1450´s.

Caleta de Famara
On an island that boats over ninety beaches the incredible 8km long stretch of sand at Famara really stands out.  This raw, natural beach is flanked at one end by the 500 metre high Famara massif range of cliffs.  Whilst the small island of La Graciosa is situated a few miles off shore.  Providing a picturesque backdrop for sunbathers and surfers alike.

If you are interested in a holiday to Lanzarote or a flight call Global Holidays on 0845 2994450

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The small Canary Island of Lanzarote is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Spain. Attracting just over 1.5 milion tourists during the course of 2008 alone. Thanks to a unique volcanic landscape, ninety plus beautiful beaches and a clement year round climate. And now visitors can pick up a copy of Lanzarote Guidebook – the comprehensive guide to the Island of Fire – entirely free of charge.

Lanzarote Guidebook is researched and written by long term residents. Providing readers with the real inside track to the island. And is published every quarter – ensuring that the information is always accurate and up to date.

The new 96 page Spring edition is packed with useful information as well as some great visuals of the island. And contains a What´s On section, outlining upcoming events such as the annual Iron Man contest in May. Along with an introduction to the works of César Manrique – the island born artist who did so much to ensure the controlled evolution of tourism on the island.

Plus in depth guides to all of Lanzarote´s resorts, towns, places and attractions – such as the Timanfaya Volcano Park and the Jameos del Agua. As well as guides to the island’s beaches, museums and restaurants.

Lanzarote Guidebook is published in an easy to carry A5 format and is available on the island via local car hire companies, hotels and selected private villas. As well as being available as a fast download via the Lanzarote Guidebook website.

Visitors to the Lanzarote Guidebook website will also find a wealth of information about the island online – including fully interactive maps, a tourist advice line and a comprehensive island news update service.

Visit Lanzarote Guidebook  to download your free island guide.

Click here to search for holidays to Lanzarote or call us on 0870 1999038 for all our best deals.

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Lanzarote is one of our favourite destinations. It’s a bit of a strange landscape with all the volcanic rock strewn everywhere, but the holiday resorts on Lanzarote are good places to visit for an enjoyable family holiday. Nick at lanzaroteguidebook.com has kindly written us an article about Lanzarote and some of the attractions that the island has to offer. Here is his article.

Experience Lanzarote – The Island of Fire

Lanzarote may be a Spanish possession.  But this small, volcanic Canary Island, located just eighty miles off the coast of Africa boasts an identity and culture that blends Latin American and African influences with the Iberian.  Reflecting the islands former position as an important trading post between the New World and The Old.

Lanzarote – Background & History

Conquered by the Spanish in the early 1400´s Lanzarote rapidly emerged to become a staging point between the new colonies in South America and the mainland.  As Spanish galleons transported Inca silver and gold across the Atlantic.

Today Lanzarote is best known as a year round holiday destination.  With a clement climate that is often likened to an eternal Spring.  Which helps to attract around 1.5 million foreign tourists every year.  The bulk of them from the UK and Eire.

Hail Cesar

Tourism first evolved on the island back in the 1970´s.  Under the aegis of an island born artist and architect called Cesar Manrique who fought to ensure that Lanzarote would avoid the fate then befalling the Spanish Costas.  Which were being submerged beneath a wave of high rise hotels.

Working in tandem with his close friends in the island council Manrique successfully campaigned for an outright ban on all buildings taller than a Canarian palm tree.  Whilst all advertising hoardings were outlawed.

As a result – and in spite of its popularity with tourists – Lanzarote remains largely unspoiled.  With tourism carefully concentrated in the three main resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca.  Leaving the rest of the island largely as nature intended.

Natural Wonders

Which is fortuitous – as Lanzarote boasts numerous beauty spots.  From the eerie lava fields of the Timanfaya Volcano Park.  Once the epicentre of a six year long volcanic eruption in the 1730´s which earned Lanzarote the sobriquet of the Island of Fire.  Through to the lush palm packed valleys in the north of the island.  Such as the aptly named Valley of 1000 Palms.  Where villagers used to plant one palm tree for every newborn girl and two for every boy.

Key Attractions

Manrique´s influence also extended to the creation of unique tourist attractions.  As he sought to demonstrate that water parks and golf courses were not the most ecologically viable avenue.  Especially on an island with very little rainfall or natural water sources.

Instead he sought to fuse Lanzarote´s volcanic landscape with his own artisistc aesthetic.  Resulting in the creation of seven tourist centres.  Such as the Jameos del Agua – where he turned a giant collapsed lava tube into a stunning underground auditorium. Or his own home and studio – which was constructed out of five underground bubbles in the lava flow.  And which now houses the Cesar Manrique Foundation – still one of the most popular attractions on the island today.

UNESCO Biosphere

Manrique´s campaigning work, in tandem with the islands volcanic terrain, led to Lanzarote being declared a UNESCO protected biosphere in 1994.  The first island in the world to enjoy such status.

Holidays in Lanzarote

The island is serviced by a number of the leading low cost operators in the UK such as easyJet and Monarch.  With flights to Lanzarote costing on average £200 return.  Depending of course on the time of year.

Accommodation standards on the island are high.  With the best hotels and villas in Lanzarote  located in the island’s newest resort of Playa Blanca.  Which is located at the southern tip of Lanzarote – just across the Bocaina Straits from close Canarian cousin, Fuerteventura.

CALL GLOBAL HOLIDAYS ON 0870 1999038 FOR FLIGHTS AND HOLIDAYS TO LANZAROTE

All photographs are copyright of James Mitchell

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