@Lanzarote

History, Culture & Hotels in lanzarote.

Lanzarote is an island located in the Atlantic Ocean by the African coasts and part of the archipelago of the Canary Islands. The capital of the island is Arrecife. Lanzarote belongs to the province of Las Palmas, which is part of the Canary Islands.

The name of the island may be derived from the sailor Lanceloto Malocello, who visited the island in 14th Century. One of its cities, Chapo del Vallo, is entirely nudist.

At the East of the archipelago, Lanzarote is characterised by the volcanic rock which extends along the entire grounds, due to the great volcanic activity of the beginnings of the 18th Century.

Lanzarote is located about 1000 km from the Iberian peninsula and about 140 km from the African coast. Its surface area is about 845.93 squared kilometres and its population is about 123,000 inhabitants (Instituto Nacional de Estadistica de España, January 2005). Close to the island of Lanzarote are the minor islands of Alegranza, Graciosa, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste.

Las Peñas del Chache, with an altitude of 670m, is the peak of the island. Lanzarote's national park of Timanfaya - known locally as el parque nacional de Timanfaya - is a popular attraction, and the island is considered an official UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The Tunnel of Atlantis - Lanzarote's underwater volcanic tunnel - is the longest of its kind in the world.

The maximum temperatures oscillate in Lanzarote between 22º and 25º, the minimal temperatures rarely fall below 12º in winter, and the average of precipitations is of 200ml annually. Precipitations vary between 250mm with Famara and only 50ml in the region of the Côte du Rubicon. The climate is much more moderate than its geographical latitude would suggest. Two climatic elements take part in this atmospheric softness: trade winds and the cold current of the Canaries. The wind is practically present permanently on the island. In the summer months, storms can be generated and charged with sand from the desert - the sirocco (also called calima in the Canaries) - with temperatures going up to 46º and very reduced visibility.

Lanzarote is located in the hot and dry climatic zone corresponding to its latitude, included in the belt of high subtropical pressures. Its climate is semi-arid, and is characterised by a weak pluviometric mode (with annual rainfall less than 200mm per square metre), ascribable mainly to the specific orography of the island, owing to the fact that its low altitude prevents the retention of the moisture contained in the winds, except for the highest zones (Los Ajaches and Los Riscos de Famara). This characteristic prevents the existence of orographical rains, if abundant in the Western islands, because of absence of mountainous obstacles of scale able to retain the sea of clouds.

The island has been inhabited for at least two millenia. The inhabitants of the island are known under the name of Mahos or Mahoreros, and belong to the Berber people. The most probable assumption on the settlement of the island corresponds to successive migratory waves from North Africa. The original name of the easterly island was Tite-roy-gatra, which means Red Mountain.

Descriptions made by the first Europeans who visited the island describe men of white race, large, muscular and of great beauty. Information available the island's aborigenes is indirect and hardly reliable. Although there are certain aboriginal inscriptions in Tifinagh writing, they currently remain untranslated.

The old Mahos lived with shells from edge of the sea, collections of fruit and very limited agriculture. They didn't know metal and had lost knowledge concerning oceanic navigation. They lived in caves or huts of half-sunken stones (Hondas), untanned goatskins and fed with gofio - the meat of goat and fish. Almost all chronicles speak about their peaceful and hospitible nature and their taste for music and dance.

Society was adapted to the conditions of the island, low in resources. A hierarchy was exerted by kings or menceyes who were elected by the noblemen. Their justice system was extremely hard according to first European visitors, and it was managed in a public place called a tagoror.

Since ancient days, the island of Lanzarote was visited by many who came to seek the orchids there - the invaluable red dye which washed on the rocks toward the north of the island. The only written testimony from medieval times, which is rather unreliable, is from the voyage of San Borondón. In 1312 the navigator Lanceloto Malocello rediscovered the island of Lanzarote for Europe, and the island became named after him. It appeared for the first time on the chart of Angelino Dulcert in 1339. During the fifty years which followed, several raids were organised in search of slaves, skins and dyes. The indigenous population then began to decline. In 1377 Ruiz de Avendaño, commander of his Castilian fleet, became shipwrecked on the island of Lanzarote after a storm, where he received offers of hospitality by King Zonzamas and began a relationship with Queen Fayna. From this relationship, Princess Ico was born with white skin and fair hair - mother of Guardafia - the last king of Lanzarote. In 1393, the nobleman Almonáster Castilian arrived in Lanzarote. When returning to the mainland he brought back with him agricultural produce as well as native islanders.

The first European explorers who came to search for slaves initially sought refuge in Lanzarote and Graciosa - the Canary Islands closest to the Iberian peninsula. This contributed to a demographic fall during the 19th century, so by the time the first conquerers invaded, the population was already in clear retreat.

The final conquest of the island occured with the forwarding of mercenaries and Norman adventurers Jean de Béthencourt and Gadifer de la Salle, on service to Henri III de Castille. On their arrival on the island in 1402 there remained only 300 autochtones and the expeditionary ones are established on Côte du Rubicon. Following the unfruitful test of the Fuerteventura Conquest, Béthencourt returned to Castille and was bestowed with leadership of Lanzarote. On his return, the resistance of the natives was repressed into blood and fire by Gadifer de la Salle. After the successive failed invasions of the other islands, and then being given Lanzarote which was of little commercial interest then, Jean de Béthencourt yielded seigniory of the island to his relative Maciot de Bethencourt. Thense saw the conclusion of the Spanish Conquest of Lanzarote and the Canary Islands.

On 1st September 1730, between 9PM and 10PM, the ground opened in Timanfayan Yaiza, and an enormous mountain rose from the ground; according to the testimony of Priest Lorenzo Curbelo. The island entirely changed. Ten villages were buried including Jaretas, Maretas, Montaña Blanca, Peña de Palmas, Rodeos, San Juan, Santa Catalina, Tingafa and Testeina; and over a duration of six years the lava gradually extended to the south, covering a quarter of the island and covering the surrounding plains with volcanic ash. In 1824 the erruptions began again in Timanfaya. These were followed by terrible famines and much of the population had no choice but to emigrate. Since then the landscape has changed thanks to the agricultural techniques of the Conejeros, who manage to retain the moisture of the winds. The National Park of Timanfaya offers a beautiful outline of the eruptions' flow.

The latter half of the 18th Century saw the first cultivation of soda and crawling plants rich in alkali which was used in the manufacture of soap. From America to Lanzarote the came the cultivation of potatoes, tomatos and cochineal on prickly peartrees, and the cochineal soon became one of the greatest industries of the island. One can still see the plantations in the villages of Guatiza and Mala. Europeans brought vine stocks with which Wine of Malvoisie was made. This was the preferred wine of Sir John Falstaff - a character in three plays by William Shakespeare.

These days, island of Lanzarote is divided into 7 municipalities: Arrecife (the Capital), Haría, San Bartolomé, Teguise, Tías, Tinajo, and Yaiza.

Hotels in Lanzarote

The Best Hotel in Lanzarote

Papagayo Arena in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

Papagayo Arena Beach Resort and Spa is perfectly located on the beach front of Las Coloradas, between the village of Playa Blanca and Papagayo Beach, in the south of Lanzarote. From the hotel you can enjoy the excellent views of the islands of Fuerteventura and Lobos and some of the most spectacular sunsets of the area can be viewed from each room terrace. Guest rooms are clean and spacious with all of the amenities you would expect of a hotel of its class. Ideal for sports enthusiasts an array of sports activities are organised during the day by the hotel's entertainment team these include aerobics, football, archery, tennis and basketball. There are four restaurants in the complex all serving a selection of culinary delights from around the world and the three bars offer a selection of cooling refreshments throughout the day. Those looking to unwind and be pampered can enjoy a trip to the spa centre which features three Jacuzzis, two saunas, a Turkish bath and a massage service, in addition to a gym. Ideal for couples, families and groups of friends alike the Papagayo Arena Hotel offers excellent service and a wide range of amenities which are sure to satisfy even the most demanding of guests.

Address

UR PLAYA DE LAS COLORADAS S/N , YAIZA, PLAYA BLANCA, LANZAROTE, 35570

That's a wrap.