Despite the current economic gloom and doom and the weakness of sterling over one million foreign tourists are expected to spend their holidays in Lanzarote this year.  The majority of them from the UK.  So what exactly is the appeal of this small island located just off the coast of Africa?

Accommodation in Lanzarote

Lanzarote´s tourist industry first started to take off over 40 years ago.  As a result the island is well accustomed to catering to guests and accommodation standards are high.

A growing number of visitors from the UK book apartments or villas in Lanzarote as an alternative to hotels.  Constructing their own holidays online.  With the best self catering accommodation found in the two largest resorts of Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen.

Climate and Weather
Great weather all year round is undoubtedly Lanzarote´s trump card.  Unlike other Spanish sun spots the mercury rarely falls below 20 Celsius here, whatever the time of year.  As the island is located many hundreds of miles south of the Iberian Peninsula, just off the coast of Morocco. 

Getting There

Flights to Lanzarote are readily available from all major UK airports.  With low cost operators such as Monarch and easy Jet offering returns from around £200.

Getting Around
Lanzarote is a small island – measuring 58km by 38km.  Which makes sightseeing and touring the island simple.  The roads are safe and car hire is very affordable, starting at around €15 per day.

Sighsteeing

Thanks to a highly creative local artist called César Manrique Lanzarote boasts a host of unique attractions.  Many of which incorporate the islands raw, volcanic terrain.

One of the best examples is the Jameos del Agua.  Which was converted from a collapsed lava tunnel into a stunning underground concert venue, grotto and tropical gardens.  Whilst Manrique´s former home and studio in Tahiche is also a very popular attraction.  Constructed out of five bubbles in the surrounding lava flow.

But the best known and most popular sight on the island is undoubtedly the Timanfaya National Park.  Scene of a series of eruptions which created hundreds of new volcanoes (all now fortunately dormant) and an eerie lavascape that stretches for mile upon mile.

The island is also home to over eighty beautiful beaches.  Some of which, such as the huge bay at Famara and the coves at Papagayo are regarded as amongst the every best in the Canarian archipelago.

Flights can be expensive, which is why many people are choosing to holiday in the UK this summer, instead of flying to the Continent or the USA. This doesn’t have to be the case though, as you can earn yourself free flights by saving on loyalty programmes. By doing your weekly shop or filling up your car, you can earn rewards such as free flights anywhere in the world.

So, that week in New York isn’t quite as far away as it first appeared, but just how much money would you save on a pair of free flights to New York?

Let’s say the average price of a pair of flight tickets from London to New York was £700 this summer, depending on where you look. That £700 saved by using loyalty programmes for your tickets could be spent in many other, more ways.

For example, you could buy 291 pints of lager (there’s a sobering thought) or around 700 loaves of bread. You and your partner could visit the cinema together 58 times, that’s more than once a week for a year.

Or, if you wanted to spend the money a little more practically, you could fill up the average family car with fuel 17 times and, if you’re a careful driver, you could insure your car for the next 2 years, getting you much more mileage for your money.

All of this money could be saved by earning rewards when you shop.

We all love something for free; it’s human nature and part of what makes the world go round, but how can you go round the world for free? Air travel can be very expensive, but there are ways to save money on air travel and gain free flights. Here is a list ways others have scored a free flight:

1. Become a pilot – this one isn’t that easy and can take years to actually achieve, but pilots get to fly the planes, not only for free, but they’re paid to do so. Sadly you can’t choose the destination even if you are the one behind the wheel.
   
2. Smuggle yourself aboard in a suitcase – the flight may be cramped, even more so than flying economy, but the rewards are that you’re flying for free. Best avoid trips to the USA in a suitcase as they may not like the intrusion. Just how far would you go for a free flight?
   
3. Flash a badge and pretend to impound the plane – it worked for Face Man in the A-Team, so maybe it could work for anyone. A little confidence goes a long way in grabbing free flights.
4. Probably the most practical is to save using loyalty programmes – there are many different loyalty programmes that allow you to save for free flights as rewards when you do everyday activities, such as when you buy your shopping, fill up your car or even pay your electricity bill.