The little island of Lanzarote offers big value for money for anyone seeking a self catering holiday on a budget. As it is home to a very large selection of privately owned accommodation – normally available at prices that just cannot be matched in other parts of Spain. As here owners enjoy a year round rental season – as well as a reliable flow of tourist guests.
Along with the other six Canary Islands Lanzarote enjoys a fantastic semi-tropical climate, delivering clement weather whatever the time of year. Thanks to its geographical situation close to the Tropic of Cancer and just off the coast of Africa. This is married with very low levels of rainfall, together creating a dry and arid terrain – desert like in places – which is largely devoid of trees and vegetation.
The scenery here is made even more surreal and strange by the fact that Lanzarote was rocked by enormous amounts of volcanic activity some 250 years ago. Leaving much of the interior of the island looking like a scene from a science fiction film.
Away from the volcanic region Lanzarote´s beauty is more conventional and in keeping with other holiday islands. With around 100 beaches sprinkled around the coastline and three modern and well developed holiday resorts for visitors to enjoy. All of which boast a good selection of Lanzarote villas ,holiday apartments and holiday bungalows.
The biggest resort on Lanzarote is called Puerto del Carmen and is home to some great beaches – just a short drive from Arrecife airport. These fine stretches of sand are the main reason why it is so popular with tourists – along with the fact that visitors can also enjoy great nightlife here and plenty of good quality bars and restaurants.
Typically Holiday Private villas in Puerto del Carmen are a popular choice with tourists and offer good value for money too – with prices starting at about €500 per week.
Second in terms of visitor numbers to Puerto del Carmen Playa Blanca is the islands fastest growing destination. And this has expanded enormously since the first hotels and villas were built here back in the 1990´s, the resort has become a byword for good value accommodation. You can find plenty of Playa Blanca villas can be found here.
Lanzarote can be enjoyed as a holiday destination at any time of the year. But some months are better than others – with the most unreliable weather usually experienced during February and March.
Not all holiday activity is restricted to these main areas and additional resort areas include Costa Teguise which is actually by far the most northerly resort throughout the island and is almost certainly just a pleasant 17 minute cab or coach ride from the main airport, and not forgetting the islands newest high-class resort of Puerto Calero which is very much unashamedly targetted towards the exclusive end of the holiday break marketplace with an exceptional selection of boutiques. not to mention as normally would be expected from a resort of this visibility a remarkable 400 plus berth marina if you are fortunate enough to be able to vacation here on an individual’s very own personal motor or sailing luxury yacht.
You’ll never be stuck for a day wondering what to do if you need a break from the beach, places to visit include for example The Cactus Garden -The site here was formerly a quarry – but today it is home to over 1,000 different species of cacti. All artfully arranged in terraces around this bowl shaped ampitheatre-like space.
More @ www.myhotelvideo.com Location: The hotel is an impressive and easily accessible hotel which combines elegance and comfort, providing the ideal setting for a business or leisure stay in Valladolid. The bus and train stations, shopping opportunities, the cathedral, San Pablo Church, Santa de la Antigua Church, the Plaza Mayor and the Calderon Theatre can all be reached easily by car. Facilities: This business hotel, which opened in 2008, offers 70 suites, as well as a highly-versatile and stylishly-designed event space making it the perfect venue for a business meeting, wedding or celebration. It isair-conditioned and has a lobby, 24-hour reception and check-out service, currency exchange facility, cloakroom, lift access, café, breakfast room, Internet and WLAN access, as well as room and laundry services. Parking facilities are available to guests arriving by car in the form of a car park and parking garage. Rooms: The spacious and luxuriously decorated rooms are all exterior. The rooms come with double or king size bed, en suite bathroom, hairdryer, direct dial telephone, air conditioning, heating, safe deposit box, a minibar, satellite TV, radio, CD-player, WLAN access and a pillow menu. Balconies and terraces also feature. Meals: Breakfast is available. Payment: The following are all accepted as methods of payment at the hotel: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and VISA.
More @ www.myhotelvideo.com Location: This apartment hotel is lies in the tourist area of Maspalomas and is located around 1.5 km from the beach and the centre of the town. Links to the public transport network, a lively nightlife, bars and restaurants are all to be found in the immediate vicinity. Facilities: The wheelchair accessiblehotel has a total of 186 double rooms and 48 apartments/ studios spread over 5 floors. The building offers a lobby with a 24-hour reception and a bar. Guests are invited to make use of the air-conditioned restaurant. Those arriving by car may make use of the hotel car park. Laundry services complete the amenities on offer at this hotel. Rooms: The comfortable en suite rooms and apartments/ studios are fitted with a hairdryer, a direct dial telephone, a kitchenette, air conditioning, central heating, a safe (for an additional charge) and a balcony or a terrace. Sports/Entertainment: In the tropical flower grounds, guests will find a freshwater pool and a sun terrace. Guests may take advantage of the indoor swimming pool and a Jacuzzi. Sports enthusiasts may enjoy a game of tennis or a work out in the gym (additional fees apply). The seasonal entertainment programme also adds variety to guests leisure options. Meals: Guests may choose their breakfast, lunch or evening meals from individual buffets. It is possible to book a half-board stay.
Spain is certainly somewhere that is a great place to visit no matter what the season and the problem with the country is that when people are there thinking about it they are usually thinking about those villas and hotels but there are so many other things there to do.
Villa
Although there are many types of holidays you can take in Spain there is nothing better than renting a villa for a couple of weeks, or is there. The great thing about a villa is that it can give you a lot of freedom and will also give you privacy wherever you are which is always very nice. One of the major problems with staying in a hotel is that you always get that annoying family that just love to be the centre of attention and to be honest it is just a pain in the ass and it can really wreck the holiday.
Anything Else?
Spain of course has many other things to offer like self drive holidays and these can be very relaxing indeed. There are so many holidays out there where you can go out walking and although it doesnt sound like one of the most exciting things to do it can be very relaxing. If you are actually thinking about doing something like this then I would certainly say getting a guide is well worth doing. It just makes a nice change from the usual things that you can do in the country.
As the summer season comes to and end across Europe there’s one southern outpost where the sun continues to shine. Although in fairness Lanzarote – and the rest of the Canaries – are in fact located many hundreds of miles south of the Iberian Peninsula and mainland Europe, off the coast of Africa. Whilst retaining European Union membership as part of Spain.
As a result the Canaries welcome visitors throughout the year and after Catalonia are the second most popular holiday destination in Spain. Arrivals have fallen by around 20% during 2009 thanks to the current economic crisis. But millions of tourists will still be booking holidays in the region this autumn, despite the downturn.
The journey time to the islands is also an important plus factor. With flights at a bearable four hours. Shorter than any competing mid-haul destination such as Egypt. And usually at much cheaper prices too – thanks to growing completion on the route between low cost flight operators such as Ryanair and easyJet. With both airlines offering cheap flights to Lanzarote this winter from all major airports in Britain.
What sort of weather can visitors expect to enjoy during the winter months?On Lanzarote the temperature averages at around 20 degrees Celsius. With hardly any rainfall at all. The days are also longer than back in the UK – with the sun not setting before 6pm at the earliest. Whilst the Trade Winds that normally buffet the island from March through to August have dampened down.
The island offers high standards of accommodation too. Covering all of the bases from high quality hotels through to simple studio apartments. A growing number of visitors now prefer to book their own accommodation online too – thanks to the growth in internet usage. And as result interest in – and bookings for – Lanzarote villas have increased enormously over the last decade.
Of course the increase in demand for Lanzarote apartments and villas is good news for visitors to Lanzarote as property owners are being driven to ensure standards are very high, and all mod cons and traditional extras are now included gratis
The resort of choice during he winter months is Playa Blanca, which is located right at the southern foot of the island. And consequently enjoys the best weather. Playa Blanca has rapidly evolved over the last decade to become the second most popular destination on the island. With a wide range of villas in Playa Blanca available for rental with prices starting from around £400 per week. As well as a fine selection of good quality four star hotels lining the shoreline such as the Princesa Yaiza and the Timanfaya Palace.
Lanzarote is a exceptionally well visitied all year holiday destination with an excellent range of places to stay. Follow the links for even more information about villas in Playa Blanca in particular or other Lanzarote villas and apartments.
Nerja is one of the resort towns along Spain’s Costa del Sol or Sun Coast, aptly named for its clement weather and beautiful beaches. Because of this, it is a good idea to stay in a Nerja apartment and spend your holidays in Nerja while trying out the exciting activities it has to offer, like those listed below.
Spelunking at the Caves of Nerja
The approximately five-million year-old cave complex of Nerja is a must-see attraction for tourists on holidays in Nerja since it offers natural wonders such as the largest calcite column in the world and various remarkable stalactite and stalagmite formations. It also has a show gallery with exhibits of the skeletal remains that were unearthed inside the caves, although most of them are displayed at the museum outside, as well as prehistoric wall paintings, many of which can be seen by joining special tours. There is also a concert hall, where a summer music festival and various concerts and ballet performances are held each year.
Make a Splash at Burriana Beach
Like the towns along the Costa del Sol, Nerja has its share of idyllic beaches, which is why spending a day on the sand or in the warm Mediterranean waters is one of the things to do in Nerja. The most famous beach is Burriana Beach, located just fifteen to twenty minutes from the town centre, a blue-flag beach with many restaurants and excellent facilities, including a water sports centre. Take the plunge and go scuba diving or get your dose of excitement by surfing or jetskiing. You can also simply take a stroll along the coast, too, which is particularly a good idea if you’re staying at one of the apartments in Nerja nearby.
Enjoy a Stroll through the Balcony of Europe
The Balcon de Europa or Balcony of Europe is a wide palm tree-lined promenade built on the site of a 9th century fortress. If you want to enjoy the most stunning views of the city or the ocean, or catch glimpses of the surrounding mountain ranges and even the coast of Africa on a clear day, there is no better place to go to than here. You can also stop by the El Salvador church, dine at one of the fine restaurants on the Balcon or hire a horse-drawn carriage from here to see the rest of the town.
Volunteer at the Nerja Donkey Sanctuary
The Nerja Donkey Sanctuary is dedicated to caring for rescue and retired donkeys, although you will also find horses, mules, goats, pigs, dogs and other animals in the sanctuary when you visit. This is one of the most rewarding things to do in Nerja since you can get a chance to help out by feeding, grooming and walking the animals, particularly the donkeys and dogs, aside from simply petting them. If you want to help out further, you can even adopt a donkey for a year. Don’t worry, you won’t have to bring the donkey home. You just have to make a donation.
Nerja Nightlife
The nightlife in Nerja may not be as dynamic as that of other Spanish towns, but it is still something to enjoy during your holidays in Nerja. If you’re staying at a Nerja apartment near the Balcon de Europa, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding a good bar or pub where you can drink, dance or simply interact with the locals, although you will eventually have to head out to Tutti Frutti Plaza or Antonio Millon. If you’re staying in Playa Capistrano, though, you will need to go to Burriano Beach or make your way to the town centre, where you’ll have a better chance of catching a flamenco show.
Learn Spanish in Nerja
Like many towns and cities in Spain, Nerja has several language centres where you can learn Spanish. This is an opportunity you should seize during your holidays in Nerja since this will help you understand and get along with the locals better. Some language centres even offer excursions at the end of the course, which gives you a chance to practice your Spanish as you tour the town and the best attractions around.
There are certainly many activities you can do during your holidays in Nerja which will help you truly enjoy your vacation. To have more chances of trying them out or make your own discoveries to add to the list, stay at a Nerja apartment during your stay. There are many great ones available, all of which can help you make the most of your trip.
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