The island of Lanzarote in the Canarian archipelago at first glance may not seem to have the best of green credentials. But there are a number of ways in which it beats other destinations hands down for holidaymakers looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

To begin with, its location only four hours flight from the United Kingdom means that it is half the distance and therefore half the fuel consumption, of the Caribbean. And it can vie with tropical islands for all year round good weather, with an average of only twenty days rainfall per annum and day time temperatures of approximately 20º Celsius even in mid winter.

Even the Lanzarote villas and apartments make a contribution to lessening the islands carbon footprint.

Across the island many of the apartments and villas on Lanzarote already use solar panels to produce heated water for their swimming pools. Whilst larger consumers of water, such as the island’s two golf courses, use recycled liquid to ensure that demand on the desalination system is kept to a minimum. Wind power is also popular, with several large turbines generating a proportion of the island’s electricity and smaller turbines used individually.

Wind turbines have been in use on Lanzarote since the mid 1990’s and contribute approximately thirty percent of the island’s power needs. These giant turbines make good use of the prevailing winds as they blow in from the Atlantic Ocean. And local residents often choose smaller turbines for domestic use for the same reason.

Even Lanzarote’s attractions themselves blend in to their surroundings as much as possible, illustrating how important it was to the world renowned local artist and natural architecture visionary Cesar Manrique, to create visual harmony between the manmade and the natural. Such as the incredible Mirador del Rio which almost disappears into the rock cliff face it inhabits.

These factors combined have turned Lanzarote into an ideal holiday destination for the environmentally conscientious. There are even several places to stay that run entirely on solar and wind energy, as these alternative sources of power have gained in popularity and effectiveness in recent years. Making eco holidays in Lanzarote a reality.

Additional information about available Lanzarote holiday apartments can be found on the Lanzarote1.com website.

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