Lunar Lanzaro te is wonder fully out of this world

LANZAROTE’S lunar landscape can be unsettling — at first. Dormant volcanoes (almost 300 of them) dominate the skyline, dwarfing the low-rise, white houses built on brown, charred foundations.

The contrast is striking and exactly what the unofficial patron saint of Lanzarote, the artist and architect Cesar Manrique (19191992), strived so hard to achieve, desperate to avoid the tower blocks that now disfigure the island’s neighbour, Tenerife.

The other-worldliness of Lanzarote’s environment grows on you, especially if you’re based in Playa Blanca, about half an hour from the capital Arrecife, on the south coast where the brown gives way to the blue of the Atlantic ocean and the island’s most secluded and beautiful beaches.

Once a fishing village, Playa Blanca is now a seaside resort. It hardly ever rains. Head for Playas de Papagayo, with its series of secluded coves that are perfect for swimming. There’s a delightful boardwalk that stretches from one end of town to the other, linking the new and old harbours.

Arguably the best (and most expensive) hotel is Princesa Yaiza. It’s perfectly positioned, with direct access to the sea. But there are plenty of cheaper options.

On the old harbour front, restaurants

battle for attention. At Brisa Marina, the grilled cherney fish is delicious, the atmosphere relaxed. There’s an old-fashioned air about the place — although that might be because I see couples drinking Mateus Rose, the medium-dry tipple that was big...