Lanzarote

About Lanzarote

Lanzarote is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 kilometres (78 miles) off the coast of Africa and 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.94 square kilometres (326.62 square miles), it is the fourth-largest of the islands in the archipelago. With almost 150.000 inhabitants, Lanzarote is the third-most populous island of the Canary Islands.Tourism accounts for around 80%, and  Lanzarote welcomes over 2 million visitors per year, mostly from the UK, Spain and Germany.

Weather

Frequently called ‘Islands of Eternal Spring’, the Canaries have warm and sunny weather all year round, with temperatures rarely under 16ºC (61ºF) in winter and 25ºC (77ºF) in summer. This is partly due to their closeness to northern Africa, making them one of the sunniest places on the planet.

Rain is very rare, resulting in a dry climate with an average 16 days of rainfall annually, usually between December and February.

Unlike most of the other Canary Islands, Lanzarote does not have any high mountains (the highest being around 2,198 ft (670 metres), which means there are very few clouds that provide a natural barrier, lower evaporation and a reasonable humidity level.

Lanzarote’s climate can vary depending on exactly where you are – even so, it has the most consistent climate of all the islands of the archipelago, making it a favourite winter holiday destination. The north is usually windier, cloudier and has a little more rain due to the moist trade winds. The southern part is drier, hotter and enjoys as much as 2,500 sunshine hours annually. Central Lanzarote, located between the windier north and the sunnier south, can be said to have the most moderate climate on the island.

Sometimes in the summer the hot sirocco wind – a phenomenon referred to by the locals as “calima” – is prevailing and this can make conditions very hot, dry and dusty. It usually lasts for no more than a few days.

Often called ‘Island of Eternal Spring’ Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands in which has a subtropical-desert climate according to the Köppen climatic classification. The small amount of precipitation is mainly concentrated in the winter. Rainfall during summer is a rare phenomenon (there has never been any recorded rainfall in July) and several summers are completely dry without any precipitation. On average the Island receives approximately 16 days of precipitation between December and February. Sometimes, the hot sirroco wind prevails causing dry and dusty conditions across the island. Average precipitation in June and August is less than 0,5 millimetres (0,020 inches). It closely borders on a tropical climate, with winter means of 18°C (64°F) and summer means of 25°C (77°F).

Geology

Lanzarote is the easternmost island of the Canary Islands and has a volcanic origin. It was born through fiery eruptions and has solidified lava streams as well as extravagant rock formations. The island emerged about 15 million years ago as product of the Canary hotspot. The island, along with others, emerged after the break-up of the African and the American continental plates. The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736 in the area now designated Timanfaya National Park.

César Manrique

César Manrique was a Spanish artist and architect. Manrique had a major influence on the planning regulations in Lanzarote, when he recognized its tourist potential and lobbied successfully to encourage sympathetic development of tourism. One aspect of this is the lack of high rise hotels on the island. Those that are there are in keeping with the use of traditional colours in their exterior decoration.

The César Manrique foundation was set up in 1982 by César Manrique and a group of friends but wasn’t officially opened until 1992 after Manrique died. The foundation, based at Manrique’s home before he moved out for a quieter life, is a private, non-profit organisation set-up to allow tourists access to Manrique’s home. The foundation is also an art-gallery featuring art created by Manrique himself as well as that acquired during his life. The gallery includes original sketches by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. The money the foundation takes from ticket sales goes toward raising awareness about the art of Lanzarote, as well as being used to fund the foundation’s “artistic, cultural and environmental activities”.

Manrique’s home itself is built within a 3,000 m² lot, on the site of the Lanzarote eruptions in the 18th century, and was created upon Manrique’s return from New York City in 1966. The rooms on the first floor, including the artist studios, were created with the intention of keeping with Lanzarote traditions, yet making them more modern with open spaces and large windows. The “ground floor”, more appropriately titled the “basement”, contains five areas situated within volcanic bubbles, the rooms bored into volcanic basalt. There is a central cave which houses a recreational area, including a swimming pool, a barbecue and a small dance floor.