From the monthly archives:

December 2008

Taking A Look At The Tourist Spots Of Lanzarote And The Main Resort Of Puerto Del Carmen

by CanaryIslander on December 27, 2008


Most people who go on holiday, especially breaks by the beach in places like Spain, Portugal and France often end up staying in hotels and whilst I have nothing against them, there are plenty of other alternatives.

If you are planning a holiday with a group of friends or with your family, renting a villa can be an excellent idea.

You rent most villas on a weekly basis and when you first look at the price, it can often seem to be a little expensive. What you must remember is that you will be renting what effectively is a whole house and not just a room.

So if you are going on holiday as a family or with a group of friends it can actually work out to be really good value for money.

The most obvious advantage of a villa over a hotel is space, they are usually pretty big houses, this can be a real advantage especially if you have children, giving everyone space to relax and when needed, space to get away and enjoy some time alone and space to entertain.

When you are renting a Lanzarote villa there are lots to see and do, as well as the beaches and Timanfaya National Park.

The island is easy to get around either in a hire car or in organized tours. Take your pick!

There is a restored white windmill to visit within the gardens, which also houses the site’s café for a welcome refreshment or snack.

The crater has been half erroded by the sea, hence not being complete, and filled with sea water that has filtered through the black sand that keeps the sea from the crater.

The water in the crater has created a green lagoon, which is the effect of the algae growing in the water and it contrasts spectacularly with the surrounding black sand.

These are a complex of underground caves that were left in the lava some 3,000 years ago and served as shelter to the early inhabitants when the pirates of old came stealing.

You only get to discover it by visiting the cave and I’m not about to tell you now!

Puerto Del Carmen is located roughly centrally along the southern coast of Lanzarote, only around a short journey from the island’s capital and airport in Arrecife.

Puerto Del Carmen started off life as a small fishing village and the old harbor remains for visitors to explore and visit the many seafood restaurants. It now encompasses around 6km of beaches, including wide beach expanses and small coves.

There are many scuba diving schools in Puerto Del Carmen for both the learner, the experienced and those wanting to further their diving careers. Both PADI and BSAC are generally taught and English is spoken at many diving schools. Most schools use the same small bay from which shore entries and harbor entries are available on a range of dives, including a reef with Pink Coral. Motoring further out are the Los Erizos wrecks in around 20m of water. A collection of boats sunk to create an artificial reef for divers to use just outside of the harbor entrance.

If you fancy seeing the variety of sea-life on offer, but don’t want to learn to dive, there is always the yellow submarine tour, which also visits the wrecks. Watch out for the divers watching the submarines go by… There are also cycle hire stores in the main shops and a new golf course under construction on the out skirts of the town.

With Lanzarote’s strict planning laws there are no high rise apartments in the resort. Finding villas to rent in Puerto Del Carmen is commonplace and there are an excellent choice of villas available.

Also learn about vacation home - how to get one.

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Stay Longer On Vacation With Vacation Packages

by CanaryIslander on December 14, 2008


California is a grand state in more ways than one. Not only is it one of the largest states but it also has more tourist attractions and tourist destinations than any other single state in the Union.

For some people, the only problem with vacationing in the Golden State is that they wish they had more time to take in all the sights. Often, when people are able to get rooms at cheap hotels they can afford to stay a bit longer and explore the state more thoroughly.

cheap hotels
For most people who do not have the luxury of an unlimited amount of time and money to take in all of the sights and cheap vacations that California has to offer, the best way to go is to target a certain area where there are a number of different activities that appeal to everyone who is traveling on the trip.

Finding a cheap hotel is a good option as a “base camp,” not only for the budget-friendly factor but because most of the vacation time is not going to be spent in hotel rooms but will be spent out enjoying the tourist attractions that you came to see anyway.

Many times people spend a lot of extra time fussing about the amenities in their hotel rooms and then end up barely doing more than sleeping, showering and changing clothes in the room. In that kind of situation, it really makes more sense to look for cheap hotels and use the money saved to see and enjoy even more attractions.

cheap vacations
There are many options for vacation home rentals all around California. The majority of these are still very nice, clean and comfortable places to stay. In most instances, the rooms found in low-cost accommodations have everything you need to be comfortable and usually include the extras, such as high-speed internet access as well.

Many of the cheaper hotels, especially in the Golden State, have pool facilities and often have laundry facilities on site. Having access to a washer and dryer to freshen up your wardrobe can be especially nice if you have tried to pack light but are staying for more than just a few days.

The good thing is that the cost of the laundry facilities will be similar to taking your clothes to a Laundromat, but much more convenient, and also much cheaper than the laundry services of some of the more expensive hotels in the area.

When traveling around California, it is quite easy to find cheap accommodations quite close to all of the major tourist attraction destinations. Especially during the off season, rooms are abundantly available and hotels will even be fighting over you to get your business.

vacation ideas
In addition, there are many package vacation rentals that you can find that will include your hotel rooms, your air tickets, your car rental and even the passes for the major theme parks that are nearby.

There is also an increasing number of hotels that offer lower rates when you book a stay for a week or more. Some of these cheap hotels are designed especially for these extended stays. The trade off might be that you don’t get daily housekeeping services, but otherwise you will have all of the benefits but at a much lower cost.

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