Puerto del Carmen Holidays

Puerto del Carmen’s one of the old hands when it comes to holidays in the Canary Islands. It’s been in the beach break game for years, so everything’s arranged with sun-seeking tourists in mind. Traditional whitewashed apartments are set just inland, and the waterfront’s made up of restaurant-and-bar-brushed promenades, where souvenir shops spill onto the pavements. Culture’s not forgotten, though, and you can get a glimpse of the past in the old town.

Three’s the magic number when it comes to sunbathing spots here. Playa Grande Beach lives up to its name as the biggest of the three sandy sweeps, and comes with a park and gardens tucked up beside the shoreline. The waterfront blends into Playa Los Pocillos Beach a little further down, and just around the headland you’ll find palm-lined Playa de Matagorda Beach.

Lanzarote’s natural showpiece, the Timanfaya National Park, is 20 minutes’ drive from Puerto del Carmen. This vast volcanic space looks like it’s been pinched from another planet, and covers almost a quarter of the entire island. There’s a restaurant here that uses geothermal heat to cook your dinner, and camels plod across the scorched earth. Look east, and you’ll see the island’s modern side – courtesy of the capital, Arrecife. This one-time fishing village is 15 minutes away by cab, and lines up a top shopping set-up, a pretty harbour and an art scene that’s on the rise.