If you are going to book a Lanzarote villa next summer you might be wondering about where to visit when you are there. Well, the capital city of Lanzarote is Arrecife and that is as good a place as any to start with.

Arrecife is a lively port city that has taken over from Teguise as the Island’s capital. It is located 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 road to Puerto Del Carmen will give aircraft enthusiasts a real treat as they can stand almost at the end of the runway and, dependent on wind direction, have the airplanes passing low level over their heads as they take off or land.

Half of the island’s inhabitants reside in Arrecife and the location of Lanzarote’s only building of above the regulation couple of floors. From miles around the island’s only high rise hotel can be seen as a giant above the city. Cesar Manrique’s vision for the protection of the island put paid to the building of any more such buildings and for decades 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 10km further inland. This was chosen as protection from the regular pirate raids of old and was the capital of the island for 450 years. It was only in 1852, when the importance of the port was recognized for the seafaring 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.

Playa Blanca is Lanzarote’s most southerly tourist resort. It is also a newer resort than Puerto Del Carmen and Costa Teguise and there is a lot of building work still in progress, but many holiday makers still find it quieter than its two earlier resorts. It is just under 25 miles from the island capital of Arrecife and a little under 35 km from the airport.

Playa Blanca was originally a fishing village and more recently started use as the boarding point for the ferry to neighbouring Fuerteventura. There is even a rumour that the harbour will be adapted to take in cruise ships to draw in more visiting tourists.

The Playa Blanca coastline consists of a 9 kilometer wide bay, split into three smaller bays, including the best known of the three bays, Papagayo. This has the effect of creating neat beaches with white sand that are suitable for swimming and soaking up the sun’s rays. Scuba diving is also possible with the English speaking dive centres in Playa Blanca. Although the aquatic life is looks pretty much the same as the whole of Lanzarote, diving over the white sands does make an unusual alternative.

There are a good selection 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 and apartments and there is an excellent assortment to choose from. Finding a villa in Playa Blanca is commonplace and there are an excellent choice of villas available.

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