If you are going to renting a private villa in Lanzarote next summer you might be wondering what places of interest to see when you are there. Well, the capital city of Lanzarote is Arrecife and that is an interesting city to visit.
Arrecife is a lively port city that took over from Teguise as the Island’s capital. It is sited on the south coast of the island, nestled between Costa Teguise and Puerto Del Carmen. Arrecife is also the home to the island’s airport and a slight diversion on the way to Puerto Del Carmen will give plane enthusiasts a real treat as they can stand almost at the end of the runway and, experience how close the airplanes pass overhead as they arrive and depart at the airport.
Arrecife is home to half of Lanzarote’s inhabitants and the site of Lanzarote’s only multi story building. From miles around the island’s only high rise hotel can be seen as a giant over the city. Cesar Manrique’s vision for the future of the island put paid to the building of any more such buildings and for 30 year this hotel, the Arrecife Gran Hotel, was a mere shell mid construction as authorities debated completion or destruction.
As already mentioned, the traditional capital was Teguise, some 6 miles further inland. This was selected as protection from the regular pirate raids of old and was the capital of the island for 4 and a half centuries. It was only in the mid 1800s, when the importance of the port was recognized for the marine trade that the capital status was moved to Arrecife.
This piratical history is still remembered today as there are two castles standing guard over the harbour. Although, these days they mainly stand and watch the biggest fishing fleet in the Canaries setting to sea and returning with their catch.
Lanzarote’s most southerly and most westerly tourist resort is Playa Blanca. It is also a newer resort than Puerto Del Carmen and Costa Teguise and there is a continuing program of building work still in progress, but many holiday makers still find it quieter than its two earlier resorts. It is just under 40 kilometers from the island capital of Arrecife and a little under 35 kilometers from the airport.
Playa Blanca began as a fishing village and more recently has seen service as the embarkation point for the ferry to near by Fuerteventura. There is even a rumour that the harbour will be enlarged to take in cruise ships to draw in more visiting tourists.
The Playa Blanca coastline consists of a 9 kilometer wide bay, split into 3 smaller bays, including the best known of the 3 bays, Papagayo. This has the result of producing neat beaches with white sand that are safe for swimming and soaking up the sun’s rays. Scuba diving is also possible with the English speaking dive centres dotted around. Although the aquatic life is looks pretty much the same as the whole of Lanzarote, diving over the white sands does make an unusual change.
There are plenty of restaurants and shopping opportunities in Playa Blanca, but nightlife is said to be a little quieter than its sister resorts near to the island’s capital. Most of the accommodation in Playa Blanca consists of holiday villas rather than hotels and apartments and there is a good number to choose from. Finding a Playa Blanca Villa is commonplace and there are an excellent choice of villas available.
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