Hi,

me and my husband are looking for some winter sunshine and thought of Lanzarote.
we have never been to Canary Islands before, could somebody please let me know what is it like?
what is the weather like at the beginning of February? we are looking for somewhere we can swim and get some tan.
also we dont like places which are really touristy, is there anywhere to stay without being surrounded by loads of english families with kids or wild party -goers?
thank you so much for all your advice!

Kat

Have a look at the VT Lanzarote pages; you'll find lots of tips and info written by locals and visitors to answer your questions.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Spain/Canary_Islands/Isla_de_Lanzarote-264323/TravelGuide-Isla_de_Lanzarote.html

(or type 'Lanzarote' into the search box above).

Don't think it will be warm enough for more than a quick splash in the sea though. You may well need a (heated?) pool!

http://www.lanzaroteguidebook.com/climate.php

I think that you might struggle in Lanzarote to meet your requirements.

We went to Lanzarote in January because it was the only place I could go after having a triple by pass (max 4 hours flying time)
I needed to recharge my batteries so to speak.
I expected it to be like Blackpool in the sun, I was not disappointed.

The food portions were ridiculous, how restaurants expect people to eat portions of food that would feed a small army. It took us a couple of days to sort the food problem out (a massive amount of wasted food) Now don’t get me wrong, I am a big lad, but what they served up in one meal would last me the entire day. The local Lanzarote restaurants are the best, the food is great and the portions are normal.

We stayed in Costa de Guise, but spent little time there.
I hired a car for the entire 2 weeks; we set off every morning and visited the entire island. If you can find a hotel that is not in the big resorts you will be fine.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not being a grouch or a snob, I don’t go to Blackpool because I don’t like most of the tourist that go there (I know, there are decent people who do go to Blackpool) but I feel you know the type I mean.

Overall, it is fair to say, that we enjoyed our holiday in Lanzarote, there was plenty to see and do without visiting the big resort towns.

I went a couple of times to Lanzarote, and never had the feeling of being at Blackpool (btw, never been there, but I can imagine....). In fact it's one of my fav Canary Islands (my absolute fav being La Palma). I'm really looking forward to have the opportunity of a 3rd trip to beautiful Lanzarote!

The key to avoid being surrounded by brits is easy: avoid the places where mass tourism go. Stay in a small town, inland, or in the North, "greener" part, where most Spaniards go. You can find small guesthouses and appartments googling "turismo rural":

http://www.lanzaroteisland.com/english/rural_tourism/

Rent a car and explore the island, it's really worth it. You can find small fishermen towns where to sample the catch of the day with some "papas con mojo". You should not miss the wineyards, the amazing volcanic landscapes, the art of Cesar manrique all around the island, or the sunsets at any secluded beach (a lot better than the crowded beaches in front of the resorts... even I've to say that the waters here are too cold for me to swim even in summer!!)

HI I have been to lanzarote several times and have never ever found it to be like blackpool! and I have also been to blackpool several times. especially in Teguise. However, in Puerto del carmen the main strip can be a touristy with pubs,arcades, but it is very family orientated. If you stay along the old town side of Puerto del carmen its great, lots of lovely restaurants round the harbour area. This resort can easily be reach by taxi from airport. On the quiter side is Playa Blanca, but longer transfer. If you hire a car the roads are fairly quiet and all parts of the island is easily reached. The wearther is fine, can be a bit cloudy in the morning but usually breaks away.You can lie and sunbath all day if you want as the heat is fine, usually in the 80s I would stay away from Teguise in February can be a bit on the windier side. Iam actually going to Puerto del carmen on Feb 14th, staying at the Matagorda end, which again is quiet. On the whole Lanzarote can be as touristy or quiet as you want it without too much bother

Hope you have a good time

It will be warm, but expect some rain at that time of year, the water will be to cold to swim unless there's a heated pool or you are a Penguin !

It does have it's tourist parts, there is something for everyone, the choice is yours.

Although my reply is more than a year after your question(!) I would like to put down my views for future visitors. WE LOVED IT!! We went from 13/2/08 to 20/2/08. Weather was fantasic - apart from first afternoon when we had a huge downpour (Noah's Ark was spotted) - we were able to sun bathe, swim in the pool and sea every day and came home with a tan! We stayed at the Atalaya Apartments, Puerto del Camera, both of which we would recommend to visitors.
PdC has a huge selection of restaurants to suit all tastes and pockets, cafes, bars, clubs, a Casino, and because a lot of locals and ex-pats live there all year round you, a wide range of supermarkets and shops. There is also a very good bus service to all the main towns and villages. Car hire is also plentiful.
There were not many family groups as we were there outside of school holiday times. The beach in PdC was very good, well maintained, stocked with sun-beds and loungers and kept very clean.
We are very impressed with Lanzarote. We are considering going for our Summer hols and it could become our winter break automatic choice - it certainly, weather wise, beat Benidorm, Tunisia and Tenerife, our last three destinations.
Go to Lanzarote - you'll love it!

Regards
Bill
PS I don't work for the Lanzarote Tourist Board!

Glad you had a good time.

Why not build a Lanzarote VT page and put this info into your tips? Very, very few people will see it on this thread.