Many favourite tourist destinations go through a number of guises in their lifetime. They start as quaint fishing villages and sometimes disappear under urban sprawl. Or the heart of the place disappears, as locals can no longer afford to live and work there.
The original hotspot on Lanzarote was La Tiñosa. It was a quaint fishing village arranged around a harbour, where locals brought in their catch after a day’s fishing. There were a few steep streets surrounding the port but very little else to see.
Then in the early 1970’s it started to become more popular. The first major change was the name, as the new resort was called Puerto del Carmen. Holiday accommodation began to appear. Some of the first hotels in Lanzarote were built here, on rocky promontories with nothing on either side.
As the decade passed and the 1980’s arrived, the resort became more of a town, having exceeded the limits of the little village. Tarmac roads were laid and more hotels and apartments came along. The beaches were improved and enlarged to cater for the larger numbers of visitors.
Then the very first Lanzarote holiday villas were constructed, opening the door to tourists who wanted their own private slice of the island to relax in. The villas were cool and spacious Spanish style homes, the perfect antidote to the hot African sun.
As the next decade arrived, Lanzarote was lucky enough to avoid the worst aspects of timeshare. It didn’t really take off on this island, unlike some of its neighbours. Instead, there was something of a boom in holiday home construction, but planning regulations carefully controlled this.
As the resort entered the twenty-first century, it was still maintaining a low-impact image, with whitewashed villas and plenty of tropical planting. But Lanzarote needed to broaden its appeal and get a different type of traveller visiting its shores.
Independent tourists who eschew the package holiday are now beginning to discover the hidden secrets of this volcanic island. Its many attractions not only include great beaches and lots of sporting activities, but there is also a well-developed cultural side to explore.
As holidaymakers soon realise for themselves, when they opt for car hire in Lanzarote and get out of the resort. Then they find that the island has been guided through the mass tourist market by a very skilful hand. The efforts of a locally born artist who had friends in the Government have helped to ensure that Lanzarote is not like its Canarian cousins.
