Lanzarote is one of the most popular tourist resorts in the world – and deservedly so. This island – the most easterly of the Canary Islands – offers sandy beaches, enchanting gardens and vineyards and all of the attractions of a sunny Spanish resort. Just like the other Canary islands, Lanzarote has around 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and a temperature that always stays in the region of 70 degrees. They say that the Canary islands are the last remnants of the mythical land of Atlantis and whether or not this is true, they are certainly eerily beautiful islands – and Lanzarote is no exception.

With it’s clear blue skies and endless stretches of beaches, Lanzarote has a volcanic landscape that is dramatically beautiful and unusual. Given the endless variety of sights to see all around the island,you will really benefit from hiring a car. For example, you might visit Timanfaya National Park which has geysers, a volcano and a landscape like something from outer space. Or see the works of artist César Manrique dotted are all over the island. Maybe you’ll go to see El Golfo, a remarkable gulf with weirdly green water, or Jameos del Agus – a warren of interconnecting caves? The choice is yours, especially if you have your own car.

Cheap car hire in Lanzarote is almost a given. With a number of car hire companies operating out of the airport at Arrecife Airport, there is plenty of competition and car hire prices are very attractive. This is an important plus as it means you can not just expect to hire a car but be confident that you get a very good deal in terms of comfort, safety and insurance. The price of car hire in Lanzarote is so attractive that it can even be economical for a solo visitor to take this option. When you are talking about a couple, group of friends or family – there is absolutely no doubt that hiring a car will not only improve your holiday experience but, in all likelihood, save you a considerable amount of money while facilitating a great deal of freedom to explore the island.

If you are thinking of investigating volcanic craters, caves and remote picturesque villages. Or might like surfing, diving, mountain-biking or even just driving around aimlessly to your heart’s content, you will find a good car hire in Lanzarote to be worth every single cent in terms of freedom, accessibility and value for money.

Open your holiday to more possibilities – hire a car when in Lanzarote and start your adventure…

This latest ruling means that the artificial lake becomes public land, even though the company which owns Sands Beach Villas paid for the original works to construct a canal between the beach and the lagoon and used the feature as a key selling point in its promotional literature, claiming to have the ‘only private lagoon and beach on the island’.

Also likely to be affected are the island within the lagoon, on which there is a restaurant, play area and swimming pool. It is unclear whether the front line of villas which overlook the ‘private’ beach are also included in the judgment, as at present there is some doubt about where the borders of the complex end and the public domain begins.

The Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism are the main visitor attractions on Lanzarote and their creation and development was initially overseen by the islands favourite son, the artist César Manrique. Admission figures provide a normally reliable gauge as to the health of Lanzarote’s all important tourist sector, so the numbers for June are a cause for concern, with the quantity of people paying to enter attractions such as the Timanfaya National Park falling from 186,728 in June 2011 to 172,585 last month.

The Fire Mountains at Timanfaya remain the islands number one attraction, with 369,273 visitors. Followed by the Jameos del Agua (284,298), The Mirador del Rio (160,714), the Cueva de los Verdes (144,971), the Jardin del Cactus (122,014) and the Museum of International and Contemporary Art (23,129).

Overall for the year to date admissions are now down at these main attractions by 5.2%, a figure that roughly reflects the fall in tourist arrivals for the same six month period.

Lanzarote Guidebook has been providing tourists with in depth island information since it was first launched back in 2004.  Unlike many other guides to the island it has been created by long term residents with firsthand knowledge of Lanzarote, so ensuring that site visitors can benefit from up to date and comprehensive data.

The new look Lanzarote Guidebook is much easier for visitors to navigate too.  So now it is even simpler to access information about all aspects of your holiday in Lanzarote, whether that’s finding the best restaurant or booking an excursion direct online.

Lanzarote Guidebook also offers a much wider range of accommodation than many other island rental sites.  With rental properties available in all areas and a wide range of choice, encompassing everything from yurts through to luxury Lanzarote villas.

Visitors to the site can also download a free copy of Lanzarote Guidebook, the info packed pocket sized island guide that was first launched in 2007 and which is now in its 5^th year of publication.

The discovery has led scientists from the Catalan Institute of Paleontology to speculate that possibly Lanzarote originated as part of the African continent, because by the Miocene period these birds had already lost the ability to fly, suggesting that the island then became separated from the land mass that forms Africa. This theory is also strengthened by the fact that although there are similarities, the remains of the birds found on Lanzarote are distinct from the African ostrich.

At present, paleontologists are continuing to study the fossils that have been discovered. But there may well be an opportunity for fossil enthusiasts to study these remains in the future, according to the councillor for the Historic Patrimony of Lanzarote at the Cabildo, Sr Juan Antonio de la Hoz.

The swimmer declared that she is ‘in love with Lanzarote’ and was delighted to participate in a promotional campaign to highlight the island´s sporting credentials, with a display of her aquatic skills in the beautiful pool at the Jameos.

The Spanish government recently announced plans to cut sales tax on new homes from 8 to 4% in order to help reduce an estimated backlog of one million unsold residential properties.  This excess stock has been created by a number of factors, including over development and a fall in demand since the onset of the economic crisis.  Home sales in Spain dropped by 26% in June versus the same month last year, prompting the government to take action.

The two flights that were cancelled were destined for Dusseldorf in Germany and Madrid. Four flights were redirected to land at Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, whilst the delays for both arrivals and departures at Lanzarote airport were an average of 57 minutes long.

However, in June 2011 the prolonged period of the heat wave that was experienced between the 21^st and 24^th of the month saw temperatures of 40ºC and above in both coastal and interior regions of the islands. With the maximum recorded at 41.6ºC in the south east of Gran Canaria on 22^nd June. This has pushed up the average temperature across the islands by between 1 and 3.6 degrees for the month.

Arrivals from Lanzarote´s other key markets also showed positive growth, with passenger numbers from Germany rising by 19.4% and from Ireland by 6.5%.  Whilst the islands fourth largest market, Holland, enjoyed 12.8% rise with a total of 4328 tourist arrivals.

Overall a total of 119,020 foreign tourists visited Lanzarote last month – a 14% increase versus May 2011 figures.  As the island´s tourist sector continued to enjoy a positive start to the year.  The only dark cloud in this otherwise sunny picture comes from the Spanish market – where arrivals fell by 16.9% to 21,690 passengers.