Located one hundred miles from the African Coast, Lanzarote is the most eastern and northerly of the Canary Islands. Only 20 kilometres from east to west and 60 kilometres from north to south, this small, unspoilt island can easily be crossed from coast to coast in a short car journey. It is the least mountainous of the islands, being only 670m above sea level at its highest point at Famara in the north-west. Known as the Island of Volcanoes, there are some three hundred craters on Lanzarote, giving the island its distinctive lunar landscape.

Puerto del Carmen. South-west of Arrecife, stretching from Playa de los Pocillos down to Playa de Papagayo, are the wide and sandy southern beaches which attract the majority of the tourists that visit the island. Puerto del Carmen is the most popular resort in the south, with modern hotels, bars, restaurants, shopping and nightlife. The main street of Puerto del Carmen, the Avenida de las Playas, the main street that runs along the coast, is the entertainment hub of the resort with some 200 restaurants catering for every cuisine. There are 12 kilometres of golden sand, palm trees and walkways that take the visitor through the resort. The old town is delightful and well worth a visit. Fariones beach is very popular: long, wide stretches of sand, water skiing, windsurfing and bathing. Sunbeds and shades can be hired on the beach. Playa de los Pocillos - the name means little pebbles which appear only after heavy rain; the beaches are usually golden sands. Sunbeds and shades can be hired. Playa Blanca, with its golden beaches and harbour, has spectacular views and the Playa Grande has endless golden sands with interesting rocky outcrops, and palm trees. Playas de Papagayo, the sandy beaches around Punta del Papagayo on the rocky, southernmost tip of the island is an ideal place for fishing, both from boats and from the rocky seashore with its clear waters.