Blessed with fabulous beaches, sunshine and blue skies, Puerto del Carmen is ideally positioned on the south-east coast of Lanzarote. A great place to enjoy your holiday, this resort has grown from a traditional fishing village into one of the most popular destinations on the island, welcoming people from all over the world looking for a fantastic Canarian experience.
Let us start with the harbour area where fishing boats can be seen heading out to sea. Here is where you will find several types of boat excursions, from trips on a submarine to scuba diving. In the square next to the marina there are several restaurants, which are great places to watch the world go by and grab some lunch, while an adventure playground keeps the children amused.
The Avenida de las Playas (Avenue of the beaches) is a long, pretty promenade lined with palm trees and colourful subtropical plants... a lovely place for a stroll in the warm sun and a great spot from where you can choose your beach; the most well known are the golden sand beaches of Playa Grande and Playa de los Pocillos. The former is a perfect spot for families with children because the waters here are usually very calm. There are plenty of facilities including kiosks on the sand selling refreshments, sunbeds, sunshades, places to hire water sports equipment and changing rooms. It is also the setting for Ironman Lanzarote, an annual event where athletes take part in a gruelling test of their strength including a 2.4 mile (4 kilometre) swim in the ocean.
When the sun goes down, take your pick from plenty restaurants, cafés and bars found on this promenade which also features ice-cream parlours, amusement arcades and a selection of shops. In addition, there are many other outlets located in the Centro Comercial Atlántico, which is also home to nightclubs and discos.
Overlooking the sun-drenched Playa de los Pocillos is a superb hotel, which comes with a recommendation from Spain-Lanzarote. Take advantage of the great deals on offer at the VIK Hotel San Antonio, a peaceful retreat which has high-quality facilities and is geared towards keeping every member of the family entertained.
At the eastern end of the town is also Playa de Matagorda. This is a smaller, cosy beach with fewer facilities than the other two, but still a very relaxing place to soak up the sun.
