There is a distinctive and unique air of other-worldliness about the island of Lanzarote. So ingrained is its identity and striking its character, that this sunshine getaway in the Atlantic Ocean is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of life back home.

It owes this atmosphere to the lunar-like landscape, carved by ancient lava flows, leaving dark-coloured rock formations stretching for miles. It is also the consistent, white-wash appearance of almost every building on the island, windows and doors framed by green or blue paint, which gives visitors a sense of place.

Lanzarote is notable for numerous highlights, not least its wine. The island’s vineyards are unorthodox in the eyes of an ignorant tourist. Rows of small craters, shielded by stone semi-circles – called ‘zocos’ – punctuate the apocalyptic-like landscape, in which grape vines are nurtured by a type of volcanic mulch.

A visit to Bodegas La Geria, a wine cellar in Yaiza near the Timanfaya National Park is well worth it. A selection of dry and sweet white wines can be sampled and bought in single bottles or in bulk in a wooden presentation case.

Most of Lanzarote’s wine stays here on the island and are best enjoyed at its many excellent restaurants. At the 18th century, fortified castle, Castillo de San Jose in the capital of Arrecife, diners can take in dockside views through the glass front of this surprisingly plush restaurant fitted out in chocolate shades and knock back a glass or two over fresh fish dishes.

Edge of the ocean views are stunning at a selection of traditional restaurants in the charming, fishing village of El Golfo on the west coast. The sound of gently crashing waves is very soothing after a day of sightseeing.

For architecture buffs, Lanzarote is an opportunity to explore the mindset of the island’s most revered son, the late César Manrique. It was he who saw that the island’s buildings are uniformly painted and are largely limited to two storeys in height. A painter, sculptor, architect and ecologist, he convinced the authorities to ban billboards on highways and the wider landscape.

Manrique was proud of his native island and sought to maintain its natural beauty. Aged 73, he died in a car crash outside his home in 1992, but tourists can gain an insight into his life at the César Manrique Foundation, located at his incredible studio-home in Taro de Tahiche.

Its design is flamboyant genius. Rooms are connected by cavernous corridors carved into rocks and in one central space, next to a curved red leather sofa, the stone ceiling is perforated with a hole, filled by a slender palm tree reaching for the sky.

Other Manrique creations include an elaborate Cactus Garden, indented into the ground at the foot of a windmill. The pleasant sun-trap is planted with hundreds of cacti of all shapes and sizes.

Most stunning is the Manrique-inspired natural grotto of Jameos del Agua containing a restaurant laid out on the steeped sides of a cavernous, enclosed rock chamber, sculpted by lava flows and laden with a small lake. Look closely and you will discover ‘jameito’ a tiny species of blind, albino crabs that are unique to Lanzarote.

Dining here in the evening, lit up by atmospheric lighting, is a spell-binding experience – a perfect place to take the other half.

There are excursions that really take you underground. The below-the-surface network of Cueva De Los Verdes was once a hideaway for Canarian aborigines who feared the plundering advances of invading pirates. Now, in the bowels of this 6km-long volcanic gallery is, rather surprisingly, an auditorium and concert venue.

At one point, while negotiating the cave system, you emerge from a staircase cut into the rock to find an enormous cavern that appears to drop away for hundreds of metres, but it is merely an optical illusion created by the reflection of a perfectly-still lake.

The temperature inside the caves remains at around 18C.

As for the climate on the surface, in a typical year, there are just 30 days of rain and temperatures average 21C. For those keen to get wet, however, there are ample opportunities to have a go at water sports.

A five-hour surf lesson with the friendly instructors at Costa N-Oeste Surf School at the mountainside Famara Beach on the west coast costs around £35.

If you are looking to zip across the waves that bit quicker, it’s worth considering a ferry trip 2km north of Lanzarote to La Graciosa, the smallest inhabited island in the Canaries, where the sedate pace of life lends itself well to a relaxing sunbathe on the sand or a quiet afternoon dip in sea.

Ponderous, panoramic views of the island (pictured below) are best enjoyed from Mirador Del Rio, a lookout point and another of Manrique’s creations cut into a sheer cliff face high above sea level.

During my trip to Lanzarote I stayed in the four-star H10 Rubicon Palace, a modern hotel on the south coast which offers glorious sea views of neighbouring Fuerteventura.

It is split into apartment blocks in a huge arch around the central pool and bar area. The food on offer was particularly comprehensive at breakfast, with a range of hot and cold food and drinks geared towards English and German visitors.

Fact File

  • Lanzarote from Leeds-Bradford Airport with Jet2holidays.com
  • A seven night stay at the four-star H10 Rubicon Palace with Jet2holidays.com starts from £549 per person based on two people sharing a room on an all inclusive basis in a double room, including all transfers.
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  • Jet2.com provides a direct service from Leeds-Bradford Airport to Arrecife Airport, Lanzarote, twice a week, all year round. Flights start from £39.99 per person one way, including all taxes.

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