 The peaceful island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands has long been a favourite
region in which to buy Spanish property. A tourist-magnet throughout the year, the
island has built up a reputation as the #1 resort destination in the Canary Islands for
families in search of beach holidays / vacations during the summer and winter
months.
Lanzarote owes much of its success to its all-year-round warm climate. The island's
southerly declination and position at the eastern-end of The Canary Island chain
protects it from the worst of the North Atlantic weather. Average maximum daytime
temperatures during the height of the summer are around 25°c, whilst in January they
fall back only to around 17°c.There is also plenty of sunshine on offer throughout the
year, keeping sea temperatures in a range between 15°c and 24°c.
As with the other islands of the Canaries, Lanzarote is volcanic in origin. The
contorted rocky lava headlands that abruptly cut into Lanzarote's numerous beaches
and lunar landscape-like interior are beautiful reminders of this volcanic past, making
for a diverse range of scenery on the island. This is most spectacularly captured in the
colours of the ancient lava flows. Reddish-browns, ochres, lime-greens and creams
dominate the skyline above fields of black lava on which farmers cultivate crops.
Arrecife is the island's main town. Located on the southeast side of the island Arrecife
is best known for its museum of contemporary art in the Castle of San Jose. Built
between 1776 and 1779, the castle-fortress is a reminder of the island's past and a
connection to the mainland, as its founder was King Carlos III of Spain. Further
around the coast to the southwest is Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca. Both are
popular tourist resorts, being host to a plethora of restaurants, bars and many of the
finest beaches on Lanzarote.
Further inland from these resorts is the Timanfaya National Park. This is where
Lanzarote's volcanic past comes alive! The town of El Golfo with its array of fish
restaurants can also be found just outside the park on the northwest coast. On the
north side of the island, Lanzarote's old capital - Teguise - is very popular amongst
Spanish property buyers. Old mansions that throw out wooden balconies over the
cobbled streets below add to the 'uniqueness' of Lanzarote as a whole.
Lanzarote property for sale can be found all over the island. Purchasers should
consider whether they want a property near a beach, in or close to the volcanic
landscape or in some of the inland towns, like Teguise. All locations offer Lanzarote
property buyers a unique take on the island, although being small (it takes less than an
hour to drive from one end of the island to the other), nothing will be too far away
from a chosen location.
Just as when buying a villa in Spain, Lanzarote property purchases are subject to the
same laws as on the mainland. It is also advisable to allocate between 8% - 10% of the
property price to cover additional purchase expenses, such as legal fees and taxes.
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