Tourism is big on the east coast of Lanzarote and the architecture reflects this. However, drive up the coast in a northerly direction and you can enter another world. The landscape changes and there is more of an authentic feel to the place. Arrieta is a wonderful village that is home to local fisherman. It is a charming place to stop for lunch; there are various restaurants around the harbour that produce some knock out fish dishes.

Driving through Lanzarote, Timanfaya National Park, Canary Islands, Spain by Son of Groucho

After a delicious lunch, drive further north to Punta de Majors for a dip in a natural swimming pool. There are several pools formed by the rocks and they fill up when the tide comes in. This is a great and unique place to have a refreshing swim. The pools are very pretty and outstrip a hotel swimming pool every time. They were originally used as a place for locals to do their washing. Remember too throw a towel in the boot before you set off.

Keep heading north until you reach the signs for Famara Beach. This is a natural wonder on Lanzarote. If you have ever felt the need to surf then this is the right place. There is a beach of 400m of fine sand – don’t expect the white sand of traditionally beautiful beaches as the sand is brown due to the volcanic nature of the island. However, the water is a great blue colour and the surfing is very good here. The famous Lanzarote surf school is based here so it is a great place to start your surfing career. As the water can be fairly turbulent, swimmers are officially advised to swim close to the shore.

Famara Beach, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain by torephoto

If you have set off on your Lanzarote adventure on a Sunday, then a trip to Teguise would be certainly worthwhile. It is the old capital of Lanzarote and as such it has some impressive colonial architecture. The Sunday market is a grand affair, with stalls selling local crafts. It is a bustling affair and it is often a great place to pick up those souvenirs that we love to buy. There are various food stall that make lunch a cheap and tasty event. A hot tip is to get there early for a great parking spot.

Lanzarote is not just an island of high rises and drunken tourists. It is a beautiful and rather unique island that has a lot more to offer than a clichéd holiday in the sun. The trick to finding the hidden gems is to use a hire car and explore the island at your own pace. It is not a huge island and it can be circumnavigated within a day. The stunning yet eerie volcanic scenery is breathtaking and provides great photographic material.

Written by Elizabeth James who writes for www.carrentals.co.uk. For more information, click here.

The post Beautiful Drives Around Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain appeared first on Best of European Union.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Cristian Bortes

Funicular Kaprun – Kitzsteinhorn peak has the highest mast in the world with a height of 120 meters. Kaprun ski resort, which is situated at an altitude of 2000 m can be reached only by cable car from the village below. Once there was also a funicular train, which led through a tunnel in the rock, but it had an accident on 11 November 2000, when the fire occurred inside the tunnel and claimed the lives of 155 people and only 12 survived.

Kaprun ski resort with Kitzsteinhorn glacier is ideal place for winter holidays but offers a wide range of sporting activities even in the summer. The charming town of Kaprun is situated at an altitude of 786 metres above sea level and forms a gate to the National Park Hohe Tauern.

During the winter holidays you can try many fun activities in Kaprun. You can take nice walks around, ice skating, snowshoe hiking, sledding or a horse drawn sleigh ride through the winter wonderland. This charming place offers a wide range of accommodation from comfortable hotels, through apartments and guest houses to chalets.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Cristian Bortes

The big advantage of this resort is that you can ski all year round on Kitzsteinhorn glacier. Glacier at a height of more than 3000 meters is ideal for skiing also in the warm season. A huge number of beautiful slopes for beginners and advanced skiers attract also snowboarders. If you arrive with the cross-country skis, you enjoy a beautiful trail with a total length of 200 km.

Zell am See and Kaprun are the popular resorts in the sports centre of Europa Sportregion. 58 most modern lifts and funiculars will take you to the tops like Kitzsteinhorn (3,203 m) or Schmittenhöhe (1,965 m). There are already 130 km of beautiful slopes waiting for you. It is ideal both for lovers of the fast and also quiet skiing. There are also pleasant, not too difficult slopes, ready for families with children.

Season on the Schmittenhöhe, which is slightly lower than the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, lasts from December to May.

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