Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote: Holidays to Suit Just About Everyone
Established over 40 years ago as a holiday resort, Puerto del Carmen is still the biggest draw for holidays in Lanzarote. Much as with resorts of mainland Spain, it developed from its origins as a fishing village following the upsurge in popularity for package holidays in the Canary Islands. There is now a wide range of new and older holiday villas in Puerto del Carmen, plus holiday apartments and hotels. The town itself is undergoing something of a facelift currently, with a central feature being a more pedestrian friendly main thoroughfare. This is expected to be complete well in time for the main summer holiday season in 2010.
Established over 40 years ago as a holiday resort, Puerto del Carmen is still the biggest draw for holidays in Lanzarote. Much as with resorts of mainland Spain, it developed from its origins as a fishing village following the upsurge in popularity for package holidays in the Canary Islands. There is now a wide range of new and older holiday villas in Puerto del Carmen, plus holiday apartments and hotels. The town itself is undergoing something of a facelift currently, with a central feature being a more pedestrian friendly main thoroughfare. This is expected to be complete well in time for the main summer holiday season in 2010.
The first feature you notice about Puerto del Carmen compared to other towns on Lanzarote is the scale, especially the length of the beaches (Playas), and the main road that connects them, the Avenida de las Playas. Affectionately known as 'the strip', this extends for some 6 kilometres, connecting the Old Town to the South, with Matagorda (nearest the airport and capital Arrecife) to the North. It is so long, in fact, that four complete laps of it constitutes the route of the marathon stage of the annual Lanzarote Ironman Triathlon.
The Lanzarote Ironman Triathlon basically takes over the whole of Puerto del Carmen for an entire weekend in late May each year. The Avenida de las Playas not only plays host to the swimming and road races, but also some 5,000 racing bikes that the runners have to leave behind whilst they run the marathon - and this follows after cycling a complete lap of the island for 5 hours in the hottest part of the day. No wonder they call them Ironmen and Ironwomen! Incidentially, and in case you think that you're too old for such a feat, the two eldest competitors in 2009 were both 71 years old!
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.
For many people,a holiday in Puerto del Carmen will be about more than spending the entire time on the beach or at the poolside. If this applies to you, why not explore some of the nearby attractions? If you like golf, there is now a long and interesting course at nearby Tias. A handicap certificate is not required here (but it's a good idea to take one with you if you have one), and especially if you plan to play on a weekday, you probably won't find the course over busy either. 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. It's a good idea to book in advance -just search on 'lanzarote golf tias', and you will quickly find the contact details.
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.
Puerto del Carmen, has a wide range of holiday accommodation to choose from. The town slopes uphill from the sea, and this has encouraged the development of a number of multi-tiered holiday apartment blocks in Puerto del Carmen itself, but there are also plenty of 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.
Established over 40 years ago as a holiday resort, Puerto del Carmen is still the biggest draw for holidays in Lanzarote. Much as with resorts of mainland Spain, it developed from its origins as a fishing village following the upsurge in popularity for package holidays in the Canary Islands. There is now a wide range of new and older holiday villas in Puerto del Carmen, plus holiday apartments and hotels. The town itself is undergoing something of a facelift currently, with a central feature being a more pedestrian friendly main thoroughfare. This is expected to be complete well in time for the main summer holiday season in 2010.
The first feature you notice about Puerto del Carmen compared to other towns on Lanzarote is the scale, especially the length of the beaches (Playas), and the main road that connects them, the Avenida de las Playas. Affectionately known as 'the strip', this extends for some 6 kilometres, connecting the Old Town to the South, with Matagorda (nearest the airport and capital Arrecife) to the North. It is so long, in fact, that four complete laps of it constitutes the route of the marathon stage of the annual Lanzarote Ironman Triathlon.
The Lanzarote Ironman Triathlon basically takes over the whole of Puerto del Carmen for an entire weekend in late May each year. The Avenida de las Playas not only plays host to the swimming and road races, but also some 5,000 racing bikes that the runners have to leave behind whilst they run the marathon - and this follows after cycling a complete lap of the island for 5 hours in the hottest part of the day. No wonder they call them Ironmen and Ironwomen! Incidentially, and in case you think that you're too old for such a feat, the two eldest competitors in 2009 were both 71 years old!
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.
For many people,a holiday in Puerto del Carmen will be about more than spending the entire time on the beach or at the poolside. If this applies to you, why not explore some of the nearby attractions? If you like golf, there is now a long and interesting course at nearby Tias. A handicap certificate is not required here (but it's a good idea to take one with you if you have one), and especially if you plan to play on a weekday, you probably won't find the course over busy either. 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. It's a good idea to book in advance -just search on 'lanzarote golf tias', and you will quickly find the contact details.
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.
Puerto del Carmen, has a wide range of holiday accommodation to choose from. The town slopes uphill from the sea, and this has encouraged the development of a number of multi-tiered holiday apartment blocks in Puerto del Carmen itself, but there are also plenty of 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.
About the Author:
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, and apartments in Puerto del Carmen, plus things to do, and places to go in and around the town.