Lanzarote is a popular holiday island, located in the Canaries. Which are the seven strong Spanish owned island group situated off the coast of West Africa. On the same line of longitude as parts of Mexico and the Bahamas. Enabling visitors to enjoy great weather whatever the time of the year. This wonderful weather has helped the Canaries to become the second most visited holiday destination in Spain. With over 1.5 million tourists enjoying their holidays in Lanzarote – the fourth largest of the islands – over the course of last year alone.

So lets check out a little more about the island and island life to see why winter holidays in Lanzarote are such a popular choice and picking one of the Lanzarote villas that the island offers is becoming an increasingly popular self catering accommodation accommodation choice for holiday makers and tourists.

Lanzarote has a unique character and charm. And is much drier, more arid and barren than the other seven islands. Thanks to the fact that it experiences very little in the way of rainfall and boasts a volcanic terrain created by years of violent eruptions during the 1730?s.

Today this region of the island occupies about a quarter of Lanzarote?s total land mass. And is a hugely popular visitor attraction, known locally as The Fire Mountains or Timanfaya. Where visitors can view a lunar like landscape that has served as a backdrop for a number of science fiction films and most recently the latest release from Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, Broken Embraces. Which stars Penelope Cruz and which was shot on location around the island.

There are lots of different accommodation choices available to holidaymakers here. With the island offering everything from cheap apartments through to luxury Lanzarote villas and hotels. Most of which can be found in the main resorts such as Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen. With a growing selection available across the countryside too as demand for rural accommodation grows.

There are over ninety beaches for visitors to explore. Many of these are man made in the resorts – using sand imported from the Sahara. So tourists should head for coastal villages such as Famara and Arrieta to experience the best all natural stretches of sand on the island.

Many first time visitors are surprised by the wide range of cultural attractions on offer too. After all isn’t this supposed to be Lanzagrotty? There’s an abundance of fascinating museums, such as the Emigration Museum which charts what happened to islanders after the volcanic eruptions as they fled to create new lives abroad. A wealth of historic towns such as Teguise – the island capital until 1852. And the various works of the local artist Cesar Manrique – who had a huge influence on the development of tourism on Lanzarote.