Sun, Sand and Sea
Puerto del Carmen is a great place for sun, sand, sea, shopping and night life - for getting away from it all and relaxing - having a wonderful time.

Approaching Lanzarote And Puerto del Carmen
The plane taking us to Lanzarote normally approaches the island's airport from the northwest, flying over the brown and arid landscape. As it does so, we are afforded a view rarely seen anywhere else in the world. We look down into lots of extinct volcanoes, of which there are more than 300 in the island's small landmass.

The First Sight Of Puerto del Carmen Is Dramatic
The plane continues to fly out over the island's southeastern coast before banking steeply and returning to make it's approach to the airport. As the plane makes it's final approach, the towns of Puerto del Carmen (on the lefthand side) and Arrecife are spread out below.

Puerto del Carmen
The view from the plane is one of lots of white low rise buildings sparkling in the sunshine, facing onto long stretches of golden sandy beaches. Puerto del Carmen is rightly famous for the six kilometre-long beaches of golden sands. They are the magnet which draws so many holidaymakers to the resort every year.

Leaving The Cold Weather Behind
After the often cold and wet weather which those of us from northern Europe have left behind, we are wondering what Lanzarote's weather will be like when we land. We are not to be disappointed, since Lanzarote has a warm climate the whole year round.

The pilot places the aircraft firmly down on the runway, puts the engine into reverse thrust to brake the plane and we taxi to the airport building. The doors are opened and Lanzarote's warm welcoming climate greets us.

After checkout, we are whisked away by car or bus to Puerto del Carmen which is just a 10 minute ride away from the airport.

Miles Of Golden Beaches
We have been looking forward to seeing the beautiful golden beaches and a sea sparking in the sun and here they are. Six kilometres of long golden beaches which are a delight for water sports of all types, swimming, snorkelling, diving, windsurfing, waterskiing and sailing.

The beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag of the EEC for their cleanliness. They are inspected regularly to ensure that they continue to meet the EEC's standards.

"The Strip"
The beaches are backed by a delightful landscaped promenade, which allows us to wander along without interruption just as our fancy takes us.

A road (the Avenida de las Playas) runs alongside the promenade, and, crossing the road, we can wander along a multitude of shops, restaurants and bars of all kinds.

The shops, boutiques and bazaars are stocked with everything from duty free electronics to local arts and crafts and designer clothes, shoes and jewellery.

The Old Town
Puerto del Carmen has evolved from a small fishing village on the southeast coast of Lanzarote. The original village of La Tinosa, with it's harbour, continues to retain some of it's quiet old world charm, and is a direct contrast to the hustle and bustle of the rest of Puerto del Carmen. Some wonderful restaurants are to be found in this area.

Accommodation
Puerto del Carmen has a wide selection of top class accommodation in hotels, apartments and villas.



Nightlife
Puerto del Carmen is the centre of Lanzarote's nightlife, visitors coming in most evenings from other parts of the island to enjoy the bars and clubs. The bars and clubs offer a wide selection of live and recorded music ranging from rock and roll and jazz to flamenco and Canarian folklore.

A quieter alternative is to enjoy the evening in one of the many restaurants or hotel lounges and cocktail bars, later strolling along the beach promenade in Puerto del Carmen's balmy evening air.