This wonderful weather is definitely one of the major draws for visitors, along with a varied selection of holiday rental properties.  With loads of Lanzarote villas and apartments available for tourists to book.  The outstanding landscapes and all year round weather also make the island an ideal location for purchasing a holiday home. Attracting a variety of investors trying to find solid returns or alternatively a sunshine holiday home.

Whether you need a holiday break or a reasonably safe and secure sanctuary for your savings the island has a wonderful assortment of resorts, such as Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen.  As well as a wide variety of holiday hotels and loads of points of interest.  Given the sheer diversity of what is on offer hiring a car or a mini bus if you are in a group is definitely the easiest way to get round the island.  But if this is not for you then there are loads of guided tours covering the key attractions such as the Timanfaya National Park and the many creations of Cesar Monique.  Visitors can book these at the reception desks of their Lanzarote hotels or direct online.

Anyone seeking a more active break will also love Lanzarote, as the weather makes it possible to pursue an outdoor lifestyle whatever the time of the year.  And there´s scope for indulging in a wide variety of sports from cycling through to surfing.  As a result lots of athletes choose to over winter here, enabling them to train through the toughest months of the year.

One of the greatest things about Lanzarote is the clarity of light during the winter months. Which is in part due to the lack of industrialisation on the island and also its location. As well as day photography, night photography is also un-miss able as the Canary Islands are regarded world wide as one of the top locations for astronomy, so you can image the sort of shots you could come away with.

Making your way to the island of Lanzarote today is comparatively easy, and the flight duration is just four hours or so.  Prices have fallen a lot over the last year and flights to Lanzarote now start from about €100. This is probably down to the overwhelming competition between the main players servicing this area.

The island was conquered by Spain in the early 15^th century and became a bit of a magnet for pirates and privateers such as Drake and Raleigh.  Who attacked Spanish galleons docking here laden with Inca silver and gold in a bid to disrupt the growth of the Spanish empire.

Today British visitors tend to arrive by plane instead – all of which land at the only airport on the island which is named after the capital city of Arrecife which lies about 3km away.  From here visitors are transferred to their accommodation in the islands three main holiday resorts, Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise.

Where are the best places to stay?  There are hundreds of hotels and thousands of villas in Lanzarote.  With something available to suit all tastes and budgets.  Apartments in Lanzarote also offer excellent value for money with a week’s rental on a typical complex starting from as little as €180 for seven nights.

Puerto del Carmen is the largest of the three resorts and attracts the bulk of visitors.  It is home to a number of very good quality golden sand beaches as well as great nightlife.  The resort evolved around the Old Town harbour which still lies at its heart.  But these days you are more likely find pleasure craft and excursion vessels there than fishing boats.  Although it´s still a great place to head for if you fancy a  fish supper as there are a number of good quality restaurants here.

Villas in Puerto del Carmen are very popular as a result, with the best properties located in areas such as Los Mojones and Risco Prieto.  Both of which manage to retain a very villagey feel despite the fact that they are located just a few minutes from the heart of the resort.

It´s certainly a great time to visit Puerto del Carmen it has just enjoyed a 16 million euro cash injection.  As the local tourist body bring it up to date in order to maintain it´s edge against newer destinations coming onto the market, such as Egypt and Dubai.  With improvements to the Old Town harbour and main strip along the Avenida de las Playas planned.

The Arrecife Gran Hotel stands head and shoulders above the rest – quite literally.  As it is housed in the only high rise building on the island.  Which was originally constructed in contravention of local planning laws during the 1980´s. And which then lay idle for years as the local government wrestled with what to do with the edifice.

For a while it became a real eye sore as the structure was burned out by arsonists and then surrounded with ugly corrugated iron sheeting.  A real shame given its great location right next to the beach at Playa El Reducto which lies in the heart of Lanzarote´s capital city.  But pragmatism finally won through and a few years ago the island government decided that it would be better to utilise the building than demolish it.  Granting permission for the creation of the Arrecife Gran, which gives guests great views across the island from its seventeen floors.

Despite this heritage though the best known hotel on the island is still the Gran Melia Salinas, which is located in the resort of Costa Teguise – a ten minute drive from Arrecife – and which was developed with the help of the famous local artist César Manrique.  His objective was to create an upmarket resort using the Gran Melia as the anchor for the development.  And the resulting creation contained a number of trademark flourishes which haven been copied by many other hotels since.  Such as the lush internal garden which occupies the hotel’s central atrium.

Today some visitors have suggested that the Gran Melia´s glory has faded somewhat.  But there is still plenty to recommend it and the recently opened Salinas Villas extensions also gives guests access to some of the best holiday villas in Lanzarote.

Playa Blanca in the south of the island is home to a huge range of four star hotels – as well as the Gran Melia Volcan.  Which has been modelled after Lanzarote´s most famous tourist attraction, the volcanoes of the Timanfaya National Park.    The hotel is located right next to the luxury Rubicon Marina and offers high standards of accommodation.  With five main blocks, each of which is named after one of Lanzarote´s best known villages.  Making this one of the best hotels in Playa Blanca by some distance.

The Canaries are close to Africa, which explains why they enjoy such good weather.  And Lanzarote is the third most popular of these island with tourists guests after Tenerife and Gran Canaria.  Attracting millions of visitors every year.

Puerto del Carmen is the jewel in the crown of the island’s tourist industry and is located handily close to the only airport on the island at Arrecife.  With transfers from the airport taking just ten minutes.  Making it nice and easy for holidaymakers to get to their accommodation.

There are hundreds of villas in Puerto del Carmen available for rental.  Most of these have their own private pools and gardens and a minimum of two bedrooms.  Along with other home from home comforts such as high speed internet connections and satellite TV systems.  Like all of the properties on the island they are painted a uniform white colour and often have thick walls in order to keep the heat out.  As well as outdoor BBQ´s so guests can enjoy dining under the stars or by the pool.

For tourists looking to spend less money there are plenty of holiday apartments in Puerto del Carmen too.  These are usually located on complexes and therefore have lots of good communal amenities such as big shared swimming pools and manned reception desks.  As well as on site bars, shops and restaurants.

One of the best ways to get to know the resort is to take a stroll along the 6km long seafront on the Avenida de las Playas. This has just enjoyed a recent renovation and there are now many more trees and palms planted here as well as dedicated cycle lanes.  Making this a much safer and more pleasant environment for visitors to enjoy.

The promenade also runs parallel with the resorts excellent beaches one of which, Playa Chica, was recently awarded Blue Flag status, reflecting its cleanliness and safety.  The main beach is called Playa Grande and tourists will find plenty of sun loungers and umbrellas for hire here so they can relax and enjoy the beach in comfort. For those who don’t like to cook whilst on holiday there are hundreds of places to eat in Puerto del Carmen, with some of the best found in the Old Town harbour area.

It also benefits hugely from the location of the Papagayo beaches which are just at its eastern most edge. These six golden sandy coves are generally acknowledged to be amongst the best to be found in the whole of the Canary Islands. They are directly facing the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura and the islet of Los Lobos and have translucent waters lapping at their edges.

Many holidaymakers arrive at Papagayo by boat, as a number of excursions run between the resorts and the beaches. Which is just as well, as the route to Papagayo by land is via a dirt track or coastal footpath. Protected as a natural reserve, the area has managed to escape development so far.

The town has spread itself along the southern coastline in the last ten years. So that now there is a greater number of holiday villas in Playa Blanca than in either of the other main resorts. Not to mention the concentration of four and five star hotels that can also be found here.

In fact, the accommodation in Playa Blanca is newer and has more facilities than elsewhere on the island. Holiday villas here have heated swimming pools as standard, with extras such as Jacuzzi’s and air conditioning in many. Their recent construction means that most have stylish modern interiors, with kitchens fully equipped for self-catering.

And it is this style of holiday in Playa Blanca that has grown noticeably over the last few years. As the freedom that rented accommodation gives is often preferable for families with children, than the rather rigid dining options that prevail in many hotels.

Holiday villas also provide the most flexible base for people who like to get out and explore. And Playa Blanca has one or two attractions almost immediately on its doorstep. With the volcanic park at Timanfaya only a fifteen-minute drive away and the picturesque village of Yaiza slightly closer to hand. Cheap car hire on Lanzarote makes this a particularly good way of seeing the rest of the islan

Amamoor Homestead – Amamoor

Eastwood Farm – Gympie

Gympie Golf Retreat – Gympie

Rossmount Rural Retreat – Goomboorian (near Gympie)

Staple House BnB – Woolooga

Tiaro Tourist StopOver – Tiaro

We have also compiled a list of other accommodation venues operating in the Gympie and South Burnett region including BnBs, hotels and caravan parks.  If you operate an accommodation venue and would like to be listed on these pages, send your details via the form on the Bed and Breakfast Network Contact Page.

Site advertising enquiries may also be made through the Bed and Breakfast Network Contact Page.