The holiday season may be over in mainland Europe. But in one small outpost of the EU the sun continues to shine all year round. And now the Canary Islands, which are located off the coast of West Africa, are gearing up for their busiest time of the year, as the Christmas and New Year season approaches.

Lanzarote is the most easterly of the Canary Islands and is located just 70 miles off the coast of West Africa. On a similar line of latitude to parts of Mexico and Florida. Making it a hot favourite with tourists from Northern Europe, especially the UK.

Indeed, over one million British and Irish tourists are expected to board flights to Lanzarote during the course of this year. Representing a marked increase in tourist numbers lat year. With many opting to visit during the busy Christmas and New Year period.

Many of these visitors end up falling in love with the island and investing in cheap flights to Lanzarote. Which is then either rented out to other holiday makers or used as a base for more permanent relocation to the island. Which has a growing expatriate community of over 6,000 British residents.

Many of these overseas investors find that Lanzarote´s attraction extends beyond just sunshine and great weather alone. Here they can enjoy an idyllic outdoor lifestyle – visit over 90 beaches, explore the islands volcanic terrain and take in unique cultural attractions. All in an environment that remains largely unspoiled by the advent of tourism.

For this, they have an island born artist and architect called Cesar Manrique to thank. As Manrique strove to protect his birthplace from the sort of over development that has since blighted many other Spanish sunspots. Returning home from his studies in New York just as tourism started to take off on the island.

Manrique had some important and powerful friends who occupied positions of power in the island government. He was able to persuade these contacts that the island future would be best served by conserving, rather than squandering its natural beauty. And as a result high rise hotels and advertising hoardings were banned. Whilst the islands main resorts were well contained.

The artist and architect also sought to create an alterative to the water parks and golf courses that were built as tourist attractions elsewhere in Spain. By instead using Lanzarote´s volcanic landscape to fashion sites such as the Jameos del Agua – where he turned a collapsed lava tube into a breathtaking underground grotto.

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