Playa Blanca Beach

Playa Blanca has grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade from being a port and fishing village to the third biggest resort on Lanzarote. However, most development, including some high-quality hotels, has been to the east and west leaving the original centre largely unaltered. From the busy port, home to the main Fuerteventura ferries and various excursion boats, a pedestrianised street leads to the centre with its long promenade of bars, shops and seafood restaurants looking onto a sandy beach. There is an agreeable low key buzz with a good mix of locals, holidaymakers and people en route to Fuerteventura.

Beach:

If you are staying west of town the Playa Flamingo is an attractive golden sand beach 2km (1.2 miles) from the centre. Playa Blanca's eponymous white-sand town beach is pleasant enough for anyone staying in the town centre and handy for the restaurants and shops that line the promenade. Due to its southern exposure it is sheltered and the waters are generally calm. An attractive promenade leads east to the small sheltered beach of Playa Dorada, good for small children but generally overcrowded due to the adjacent hotel and shopping centre. Some 3km (2 miles) west of the centre, lie the island's finest golden white coves, known collectively as the Papagayo Beaches. There are various ways of reaching these - the least comfortable is a long bumpy dirt-track road, the easiest is a taxi-boat from the port. The beaches generally become less crowded the further you continue, with nudists found around Puerto Muelas and Caleta del Congrio. Three small cafés are the only development in this protected area. There are no watersports operators at the Papagayo Beaches, but you will find them elsewhere.

Beyond the beach:

Numerous boats at the port offer excursions to Corralejo on Fuerteventura, 11km (7 miles) south, and the charming undeveloped little island of Los Lobos, just off Fuerteventura. Others offer whale- and dolphin-watching trips. Between the centre of Playa Blanca and the Papagayo Beaches is Marina Rubicón. It offers diving, sailing, tennis and catamaran excursions. There are some good bars and restaurants here too, including the Lanzarote outpost of the legendary Café del Mar.

Family fun:

The large hotels often provide children's entertainment.

Exploring further:

The extraordinary volcanic landscapes of the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya and the black lava vineyards of La Geria are less than 20km (12 miles) north of Playa Blanca. If you are driving, also take in Las Salinas de Janubio (salt pans), the bubbling blowholes of Los Hervideros, and the curious and spectacular El Golfo with its collapsed volcanic crater and pea-green lagoon. Stop for a coffee at Yaiza, often referred to as the prettiest village on the island, and home to La Era (www.laera.com) restaurant. It may sound a lot but you can do the whole trip in a day quite comfortably.

Splashing out:

For a foodie night out choose from the expensive specialities at La Era. Or visit the main dining rooms at Playa Blanca's 5-star hotels, to sample top quality Japanese or Italian cuisine at the Princesa Yaiza Hotel (www.princesayaiza.com). If you would prefer to pamper yourself, the hotel also offers state-of-the-art spa treatments.

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