In the 1950s most tourists visited during the winter months to escape the cruel northern winters.



The mass tourism boom began in the 1960s when the Canaries became a well-known destination for tourists world-wide, but it wasn't until the 1980s that Lanzarote really picked up as a serious tourist destination - in 1978, with the introduction of vacation packages, Lanzarote tourism really began to boom.

Early tourists to Lanzarote had few choices for accommodation. In 1974, just before the big tourism boom, the island housed only about 2,000 hotel beds and received fewer than 10,000 guests per year.

By the early 1980s the island was receiving more than 90,000 guests per year. Obviously accommodations had to scale to fit the new tourism needs.

Today, Lanzarote is home to three major resorts with more than 53,000 hotel beds. The major resorts are usually at a minimum occupancy of 84 percent. More than 1.5 million tourists visit the island each year.

Costa Teguise is the smallest of the three large resorts on Lanzarote. It is about 6 miles northeast of the capital city Arrecife.

The entire resort is built on former lava fields and saltpans. The resort consists of several apartment blocks, bungalows and villas.

Primary attractions are the golf course, a marina, commercial shops and entertainment. Many visitors enjoy the water park in the outskirts of the resort.

Royalty and celebrities alike enjoy private time with their families nearby. King Juan Carlos of Spain and a few well-known celebrities own private villas near Costa Teguise. One of the most popular beaches at the resort is Playa de las Cucharas, which is very popular with windsurfers because of the steady breeze.

Playa Blanca was once a small fishing port. In recent years it has developed into the second largest resort on Lanzarote.

Playa Blanca is very popular with families due to its size and many family-friendly beaches. Two more beaches were recently added to Playa Blanca to help make up for the lack of space on the main central beach. Along the nicely manicured streets you will find several shops, restaurants and clubs. The resort offers many sports and attractions for guests of all ages.

Puerto del Carmen, located on the southern central coast of the island, is the most popular of the three larger resorts. The resort has approximately 4 miles of tourist attractions, three large beaches and accommodations for up to 30,000 visitors. Nearly one full mile of beachfront property is available to tourists in the form of villas, apartments and hotels.

Many bars, restaurants and tourist shops also line the streets and walkways. All hotels and restaurants near the docks offer up amazing views sweeping the harbor, sea and the volcanic mountains of Papagayo.

All of Lanzarote's resorts offer vacation packages and a wide variety of sports.

Sports enthusiasts can enjoy anything from cycling in the mountains to windsurfing. Duty free shopping is a major attraction on Lanzarote. Electronics, designer clothing and local arts are available at greatly discounted prices. Amazing resorts, exciting attractions, miles of beaches and quality family time are only a few of the things Lanzarote and her resorts have to offer.

More than 300 days of sunshine per year and a year-round temperature of about 73 degrees help add to the island's appeal.

Tours of the volcanic terrain and tunnels created more than a thousand years ago are available from several vendors throughout the island.

La Cueva de los Verdes is one of the island's main attractions. The cave is part of the volcanic tunnel system that runs underneath the island. Near the end of the tunnel is a concert arena that can seat about 500 people. Artificial lighting was installed in the early 1960s to add even more allure and beauty to the cave.