Located in the municipality of Tias, Lanzarote, the seaside resort of Puerto del Carmen was formerly just a small fishing village with an attractive harbour. With the growth of the Canary Islands tourist industry in the 1970’s, Puerto del Carmen developed into the largest resort on the island and now attracts many thousands of visitors, who come to enjoy the fine sandy beaches, wonderful seafood restaurants and vibrant nightlife. Perfect for Christmas and winter holidays and breaks, the off-season Puerto del Carmen weather is more pleasant than the hot temperatures experienced during the traditional summer season. From the harbour it is possible to take a trip in a glass-bottomed boat or even a trip to one of the neighbouring islands, the harbour is also where the best restaurants are located, especially if you are looking for seafood, your meal will be so fresh it will be jumping off the plate! For the best beaches you cannot beat Puerto del Carmen, the main beach right beside the town is as good as any on the island, and to the east of the harbour there are an additional 12 km of fantastic beaches great in the sunny weather. For water sports enthusiasts there are plenty of facilities for windsurfing and scuba diving plus other popular activities. Puerto del Carmen is about a 10 minute drive from Arrecife airport.
November 10, 2009
November 7, 2009
La Pineda Costa Dorada
Situated beside the resort of Salou to the south of Tarragona, the quieter resort of La Pineda is more popular with families, it has a superb sandy beach bordered by an attractive palm studded promenade. The coastal section of the town of Vila-Seca, La Pineda is a mostly made for tourism resort with a decent range of facilities. The biggest attraction in the area is the Port Aventura theme park, originally built and owned by Universal Studios, this huge theme park has a great selection of rides, a water park and a beach club. Together with Salou and Cambrils, La Pineda is one of the three big Costa Dorada seaside resorts and attracts large numbers of visitors, especially during the summer months when La Pineda weather is hot and sunny and rain is scarce. Perfect for a beach holiday, La Pineda is also a handy base for touring the city of Tarragona with its many Roman ruins. La Pineda Map.
November 6, 2009
Playa de Papagayo Lanzarote
Boasting some of the finest beaches on the Canary Island of Lanzarote, Punta de Papagayo is a breezy point at the southerly end of the island. Somewhat isolated and not yet developed the area still attracts lots of tourists, seeking quieter beaches away from the busy resorts. The main and most popular of the beaches, Playa de Papagayo is easily accessed by road from nearby Playa Blanca, some of the other beaches are easier to reach by walking or by boat. There are regular boat trips operating from the harbour in Playa Blanca, and many choose this method as a more exciting way to visit. All the beaches benefit from superb views to the nearby island of Fuerteventura, and all are worth a visit if you are travelling around Lanzarote this year. Playa de Papagayo Map.
November 2, 2009
Playa Blanca Lanzarote
Probably the most pleasant of the main resorts of Lanzarote, Playa Blanca was developed from a small traditional fishing village located at the south-western end of the island. Much more laid back than such resorts as Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca has a more relaxed feel and is ideal for a lazy beach style holiday, while still being suitable for the more energetic having some good water sports facilities and some interesting historic monuments, in fact overall it is an ideal base for Lanzarote travel in general. Well known for its beaches, Playa Blanca has several and also the renowned area of Playas del Papagayos just 4km down the coast has some lovely little beaches situated in pretty coves. You should definitely take a boat trip to the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura while you are there and perhaps also a trip to little Los Lobos. Historic attractions nearby include the Castillo de las Coloradas watchtower at Punta del Aguila and the remains of a Norman settlement at San Marcial del Rubicon, nature lovers may wish to visit the Los Ajaches Reserve where birds and wildlife have been protected since 1991. Excellent for holidays all year long, Playa Blanca weather is mostly sunny and pleasant with less than 6 inches of rain each year. Situated quite a distance from the airport at Arrecife, it may be sensible for visitors to hire a car if other transport is not laid on, this gives the added benefit of being able to tour around the island and visit such places as the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya where volcanic lava still bubbles under the surface. Playa Blanca is about 35 km from Arrecife airport.
October 30, 2009
Almoradi Spain
Situated just inland from the Costa Blanca coastline, the historic town of Almoradi lies close to the River Segura and has a resident population of around 18,000. The history of the town is the stuff of legend, as the town was supposedly founded by King Brigo in 1196 BC, firmer evidence exists of settlement by later civilizations such as Greeks, Romans and Visigoths, and the name comes from the Moorish occupation of the town in the 8th-13th centuries and actually means “my will and desire”. Almoradi fell into decline after the Christian reconquest and suffered badly in the 1829 earthquake which devastated the region. Almoradi is the HQ of an ancient water tribunal founded to resolve disputes over water, which is scarce in the region, fines are still dispensed in ancient Spanish coins. Almoradi is located near to Ciudad Quesada and Rojales on the southern Costa Blanca.
October 29, 2009
El Campello Alicante
A small town and coastal resort located to the north of Alicante, El Campello is a popular holiday destination for both Spanish and International visitors. Boasting stunning views along the surrounding coastline, El Campello is in a fine spot, and itself has some wonderful beaches. Dotted with ancient watchtowers dating back to the days when Barbary pirates raided this coastline, El Campello has survived mostly as a fishing village over the centuries and has only found itself as a tourist resort in recent years. Typically for towns of the region, El Campello enjoys numerous fiestas and festivals, perhaps the main one, and the one which local look forward to all year, is the Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians) festival, which takes place in October. The town benefits for a fine climate with El Campello weather, generally sunny and dry for most of the year, though it can get a bit chilly during February. El Campello is situated between Alicante and Villajoyosa, about 13 kilometres from Alicante city centre. El Campello Map.
If you are holidaying in El Campello you may need to get transfers from Alicante airport, you can find details of how to book here: Alicante Airport Transfers. If you are driving you can view a map of Alicante here: Alicante Map.