The small Canary Island of Lanzarote may well be a Spanish possession but it lies just 62 miles off the coast of Sarahan Africa. On the same line of latitude as parts of Florida and Mexico. Creating a year round clement climate that is the key to the islands popularity. As the Canaries are Europe´s only genuine winter sun destination – registering temperatures of 20c plus even during December and January.
As a result Lanzarote attracts over one million British and Irish tourists every year – the majority of whom head for the beautiful beaches in the main resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise.
But Lanzarote has much more to offer than just bucket and spade beach holidays. Thanks in no small part to the work of the island born artist and architect Cesar Manrique.
As tourism started to develop in the 1970s Manrique was determined to ensure that his beloved island was not ruined by over-development. So he abandoned
a successful arts career in New York, returned home and began lobbying for a more thoughtful and sensitive approach.
He taught appreciation of the islands traditional architecture. He successfully outlawed advertising hoardings. And he created unique attractions embedded in the landscape, such as the incredible Jameos Del Agua. It is also thanks to him that the houses can be any colour - so long as it’s white - and no more than two storeys high. Many grumble, but there's no denying that Lanzarote is less spoilt than most other Spanish sunspots.
Manrique created giant sculptural wind toys on roundabouts dotted around the island - and established a modern art museum in Arrecife. Back then Manrique not only grasped that a tourist destination without art or culture would have no future, but recognised the power of celebrity endorsement. Raiding his address book he attracted such high-profile visitors as Andy Warhol, Peter Sellers and the King of Jordan. Adding a layer of glamour that helped establish Lanzarote as a desirable destination.
Without Manrique, Lanzarote would not be what it is today. He sensed intuitively that the island’s natural beauty would become its major source of wealth. But he also knew that due to its great fragility, unwise policies could irreversibly endanger it. His influence and his work shaped the island and set it apart from everywhere else in the world. He strove to discover the beautiful and make it visible to all.
Find out more about Lanzarote – download a free 112 page guidebook to the island.
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