Posts Tagged ‘things to do puerto del carmen’

Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote has been an established resort for well over 40 years now. Like so many areas of mainland Spain, it developed from its origins as a fishing village mainly in response to the upsurge in popularity for package holidays in the Canary Islands. There is now a wide range of older and newer holiday villas in Puerto del Carmen, as well as holiday apartments and hotels. In fact, the town itself is undergoing something of a facelift currently, with a central feature being a more pedestrian friendly main thoroughfare. This is due to be completed well in time for the main summer holiday season in 2010.

Compared to other towns in Lanzarote, the scale of what is availble in Puerto del Carmen is very large. This applies especially to the beaches (the Spanish name is ‘Playas’), and the main road that connects them, the Avenida de las Playas. Also known as ‘the strip’, this extends for some 6 kilometres, from the Old Town to the South, to Matagorda (nearest the airport and capital Arrecife) at the northern end. This length is just right, in fact, because four complete laps of the Avenida constitutes the route of the marathon stage of the annual Lanzarote Ironman Triathlon.

The Lanzarote Ironman absorbs the whole of Puerto del Carmen and its population (holiday and permanent residents) for an entire weekend in late May each year. The Avenida de las Playas not only plays host to the road race, hospitality, changing and first aid tents, but also some 5,000 racing bikes that the runners have to park up whilst they run the marathon – by the way, this is AFTER cycling a complete lap of the island for 5 hours in the heat of the day. No wonder they are referred to as Ironmen and women!

Puerto del Carmen beaches are very safe for bathing, with a gentle gradient into the water, and they well patrolled by lifeguards. No doubt this is one reason why it is such a popular family holiday destination. Because of the length of the beaches, they rarely get over crowded, even in the peak summer holiday weeks. You can hire parasols and loungers for the day, and choose from a wide variety of bars and restaurants on the main Avenida immediately across the road from the beach. Jet ski and other boat hire is readily available directly on the beach as well, so there is plenty to keep all ages entertained.

Nightlife is a big part of the attraction of Puerto del Carmen to younger people, and this again centres on the Avenida de las Playas. There is a wide choice of restaurants with cuisines of all types represented, and you can find something for all budgets as well. The bars and clubs often stay open until 6 in the morning – so if this is a problem for you, try choosing accommodation that is away from the Avenida. You will probably be fine in the Old Town and near the harbour, for example.

Of course many people will not want to spend their entire holidays on the beach or at the poolside. If this applies to you, you may want to explore some of the nearby attractions. If your thing is golf, there is now a long and interesting course at nearby Tias. A handicap certificate is not required here, and especially if you plan to play on a weekday, you probably won’t find the course over busy. You will, however, enjoy fantastic views of the Atlantic from most parts of the course. Buggies and clubs can be hired here, so it is not essential to take your own.

More sedate views can be experienced at Puerto Calero, 5 kilometres to the South of Puerto del Carmen, and easily reached by taxi. Puerto Calero has an upmarket marina, with many beautiful boats on display, and a good range of designer boutiques and shops, as well as several excellent restaurants. There is also the Museo de Cetaceos de Canarias (whale and dolphin museum) which is a very popular family attraction. In fact, one of the big benefits of staying in Puerto del Carmen is the ease of getting anywhere on the island – it is really never more than 30 minutes by road from any of the island’s other attractions.

In terms of holiday accommodation in Puerto del Carmen, there is a wide choice. Because the town slopes down to the sea, this has encouraged the development of holiday apartments in Puerto del Carmen itself, but there are also many high specification villas in Puerto del Carmen and the surrounding areas just outside the town. For those preferring a more formal environment (or as much formal as you get in Lanzarote!), there are also many good hotels in Puerto del Carmen, again to suit all budgets.

In summary, Puerto del Carmen is a big resort, with big aspirations to match. It fully intends to retain its position as Lanzarote’s number one resort, even with stiff competition from newer resorts such as Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise.

John Spire writes for All Things Lanzarote, an information web site about Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The site contains extensive details about villas in Puerto del Carmen, apartments in Puerto del Carmen, plus things to do, and places to go in and around the town.