Surrounded by hills Puerto del Carmen is a long narrow resort. It is one of the oldest and is certainly the liveliest resort on the island. Once a small fishing, it has spread itself out from the harbour to accommodate the ever increasing numbers of holidaymakers to this popular holiday destination.
Puerto del Carmen offers relaxation on a long sandy beach with a range of leisure activities by day followed by a very lively nightlife. It has an enormous number of bars, pubs, restaurants and shops providing visitors with their every need.
A Puerto del Carmen holiday has widespread appeal offering sand, sea, water sports, shopping, restaurants and large number of attractions. It has something for everyone, from families to the eighteen to thirty party seekers.
Puerto del Carmen is a year round holiday destination having pleasantly hot summers and warm winters. Those seeking winter sun need look no further than the Canary Islands where the temperature lies in the low twenties.
Puerto del Carmen is on the east coast of Lanzarote only ten miles from the airport. It spreads along the coast for several kilometres and has no high rise buildings. The working harbour remains from the days, before the advent of tourism, when Puerto del Carmen was a small fishing village. The harbour and the narrow streets surrounding it have many fine restaurants serving traditional cuisine.
Puerto del Carmen has a long sandy beach sloping gently into the sea. Although this is a sheltered area it must be remembered that it is the Atlantic Ocean and there can be strong undercurrents. Swimmers should swim parallel to the shore.
Conditions here are ideal for wind surfing and sailing as well as a range of other water sports including banana boats, jet skiing and diving.
A promenade with shady palms borders the beach and extends to Playa de los Pocillos in the north. The promenade has many cafes, small family run restaurants and a variety of gift and souvenir shops.
The nearby Rancho Texas Park is popular with children who can pan for gold, ride horses or watch the crocodile, parrot or eagle displays. There is also a go-karting track which caters for a wide range of ages.
Lanzarote is an island of outstanding natural beauty with wild extremes of landscape. An excursion to the National Park of Timanfaya with its huge volcanic craters and stark lunar landscape should not be missed. As the coach winds its way around this alien barren landscape on a twisting tarmac road you will be overawed by the huge craters and lava formations. At the restaurant in the National Park your food can be cooked on a grill using heat from within the volcano. A contrast to Timanfaya is the fertile Valley of a Thousand Palms best seen when viewed from the hills.
Another very popular attraction are Los Verdes caves in the north of the island, with their massive stalactites and stalagmites, underground lake and illuminated caverns.
The nightlife in Puerto del Carmen is the liveliest on the island with its enormous number of pubs, disco bars, clubs and restaurants. Young people flock to the town from neighbouring resorts to join in the fun from dusk until dawn.
One of the attractions of shopping in the Canary Islands is that goods are virtually tax free. Puerto Del Carmen has hundreds of retailers selling an enormous range of goods including designer fashion wear. The Sunday market at the old capital Teguise has a huge assortment of stalls and attracts many hundreds of visitors each week. It offers the opportunity for haggling over the price of gifts and souvenirs.
There are hundreds of bars, pubs cafes and restaurants providing a wide variety of food to cater for all tastes. There are English, Irish and Scottish pubs serving cooked breakfasts and roast dinners for those with less adventurous palates. The old harbour has some excellent fish restaurants and tapas bars where you can enjoy your meal while watching the boats bobbing up and down in the ocean. From fast foods to gourmet meals Puerto del Carmen serves them all.
