Lanzarote Holidays or I'm Dreaming of a Bright Christmas

Maybe you're like I was last year and you don't know where Lanzarote is. I'll tell you: it's one of the Canary Islands and it's heaven on earth! I can't think of a better way to escape the winter blues than with a little Lanzarote sun and sand.

Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands. The island chain is located just off the Northern coast of Africa. As the eastern most island, it's probable that Lanzarote was settled first. Phoenicians, Greeks, Egyptians, and then later Spaniards and Italians all passed through and left their mark on the island.

It combines old world charm and new world sentiments. The people who call Lanzarote home are very eco-sensitive. They are pioneers in protecting the island's heritage from over development. The people of Lanzarote have inspired other small island nations to act to protect their ecosystems from over building and over crowding. It's really marvelous to see.

Arrecife is the capital city. It's a bustling city surrounded by amazing natural beauty. The beauty of Lanzarote is a stark beauty, though. It's a volcanic island, to be sure and parts of it, you feel like you've landed on Mars, but it's full of beautiful flowers and native plants.

I really like the combination of city and country side, so staying in Arrecife was perfect for me. I don't know what your Lanzarote holidays will include, but the island is small, so you can be at the volcano park or the country side in just a few minutes drive. I do recommend renting a car. It's not too much and the freedom is worth it. There are only about 4 major roads and many two-lane roads that trace all over the island.

"Broken Embraces" is the new movie by director Pedro Almodóvar.  It's a film noir starring Penélope Cruz and the reason I mention it is that part of it is set in Lanzarote. Lluís Homar and Penélope Cruz play star-crossed lovers and at one point in the film, they run away to Lanzarote.

It sounds like classic Almodóvar and the chance to see Lanzarote again is just a bonus. When you see the movie, you'll understand why I love Lanzarote so much.

I need to make sure I don't give short shrift to the beaches. You can choose between blindingly white sand or the volcanic black sand beaches. The water is, I hear, perfect all year round. The temperature stays in the 70s for most of the year.

Whether you want to kayak, beachcomb, or surf. The winter is the best time for surfing. The waves, particularly in the northern tip of the island, rival Hawaii for size and intensity.

As a side note, the golfing is not too shabby either. I mean you can't sit on the beach all day. In Lanzarote golf is popular and the island finally has a second golf course. The courses are championship quality and the landscaping is breathtaking.

The Cactus Garden, Jardin de Cactus is amazing. Cesar Manrique, who is considered the father of Lanzarote's push to maintain the eco-balance of tourism and ecology,envisioned the garden. It was the last work he did before his tragic and early death in a car accident.

The garden is in the north-eastern part of the island, in the municipality of Teguise. It's just up the LZ1 from the capital.

Started in 1973, the garden makes use of an old mill that still stands. Cesar Manrique was an artist and visionary and he wanted to use the volcanic monoliths as sculptures to dramatically tell a story. The gardens include over 10,000 cactuses. Many of them native to the island chain.

Timanfaya National Park is a huge park -- about 20 miles total -- that encapsulates a volcano. The volcano last erupted in the 1730s but if the geysers and steam vents are any indication, it's still awake.

A lot of the park is inaccessible to humans. This helps protect the flora and fauna and the delicate balance of nature that clings to the lava beds. You can take a fun camel ride through part of the park area. It seems too short, but the thrill of riding a camel is awesome in its own right.

Another attraction of the park is that you can have grilled chicken that's literally cooked over a volcanic steam vent. It's hokey, maybe but also a novel experience.