There are many fascinating holiday destinations around the world. But few can match the varied cultural delights of little Lanzarote, the small Spanish owned Canary Island that is located off the coast of Africa. Whose development into a modern tourist destination has been largely shaped by the influence of a local artist called César Manrique.

Its not unusual for tourist to simply see this stunning island as a sun kissed beach destination but Lanzarote boasts a quite unusual cultural side which often goes un-missed in the rush to the beaches,and with an excellent choice of holiday villas in Lanzarote there’s always plenty of places to stay

It´s impossible to visit Lanzarote without coming across the name of César Manrique. His presence is ubiquitous – right from the airport which he had a hand in designing through to the white colour that all of the apartments and holiday villas in Lanzarote are painted. And it also thanks largely to him that the island is not covered in high rise buildings and apartment complexes. Whilst advertising billboards are also noticeable by their absence.

Born in Arrecife, the islands capital, in 1919, Manrique fell in love with the island from a tender age. Thanks to the fact that his parents owned a holiday home in the beautiful northern beach resort of Famara, where they would all spend long summers together. With the young Manrique exploring rock pools and splashing in the tide, where he would delight in seeing the reflection of the Famara cliffs that flanked the bay.

Just as many youngsters do, Manrique had itchy feet and wanted to travel the world and study art in Europe and elswhere in the world, where he could gain a much wider experience. He did exactly as planned and became a champion of the island.

However back in Spain along the Costas and in the Canaries tourism was starting to take its toll. Package holidays had just been launched and lots of land was becoming submerged beneath hotels and apartments. A fate Manrique was determined to avert for Lanzarote. So he returned home and began to marshal local opinion for a more controlled approach to tourist development on the island.

It was clear to Manrique when he returned home that the idylic island lifestyle was about to change and whilst wanting to ensure that Lanzarote’s unique volcanic terrain would remain undisturbed Manrique was also aware that tourism was a necessary evil in order for the locals to survive, as until then fishing and agriculture had sustained the population. So he fought to ensure that resorts on the island would remain well contained on the south coast whilst also creating seven unique centres of art and culture around Lanzarote which remain the most popular attractions to this day.

More detailed information about available apartments in Lanzarote can be found on the Lanzarote1.com website.

Posted on July 11th, 2010 by Football
Filed under: Mock Draft