Wanderlust

The newest resort to be developed on the island of Lanzarote is Playa Blanca. With much of its holiday accommodation constructed during the last ten years, it has an excellent range of modern and stylish villas available to rent, with equally good hotels arrayed along its coastline.

The reasons behind this resort’s growth are tied up with its close proximity to the six beautiful beaches of Papagayo. Regarded as some of the best beaches in the whole Canarian archipelago, they consist of coves and larger stretches of golden sand. Surrounded by crystal clear waters that make ideal scuba-diving spots, the beaches remain very unspoilt.

They can still only be reached by a dirt track road, water taxi or on foot along the coastal pathway. And continue to have fairly limited facilities, so visitors are usually advised to come well equipped with food, drink and a sunshade.

In the town itself, there are three sandy beaches. The most central of which also gives its name to Playa Blanca. On the western side there is Playa Flamingo, which is surrounded by lovely mature tropical gardens. And on the eastern side there is Playa Dorada, stretching out in front of the Princesa Yaiza hotel.

Due to its southerly position, a holiday in Playa Blanca will usually feel a couple of degrees warmer than in the other resorts, as the local micro-climate intensifies the sun’s heat. Allowing visitors the chance to make the best use of the private pools and outdoor Jacuzzi’s that nearly all holiday villas in Playa Blanca enjoy.

The town also serves as a good base for exploring the island, especially the southern half, which is home to the Timanfaya National Park. Rather than being a green and verdant space planted with numerous trees, the park is located at the site of the volcanic eruptions that shook Lanzarote between 1730-36.

Tourists therefore get to see any number of craters and cones, twisted fields of lava and molten rock. And if they choose to dine at the El Diablo restaurant, they can also see their food being cooked on one of the most unusual barbecues in the world. Harnessing the geothermal heat that is still extremely intense just below the earth’s surface, the grill hovers over an open fissure in the ground.

Also within close reach of Playa Blanca is the village of Yaiza. Voted twice over Spain’s prettiest village, it is lucky to still be standing at all, having avoided burial under a tidal wave of lava.