Lanzarote

Famously volcanic in origin, Lanzarote stretches 60km from north to south, is 25km wide and has a total coastline of 213km. A designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1993, it is home to one of the most dramatic landscapes on earth, the Timanfaya National Park, locally and accurately known as 'The Mountains of Fire'. Formed when a chain of now dormant volcanoes erupted in the 18th and 19th centuries, Timanfaya is one of only fourteen national parks in Spain and remains a part of the world completely frozen in time.

Resembling a sprawling pool of melted chocolate, the topography is in equal measure spectacular, eerie and stunningly beautiful having played a starring role over the years in many film and television productions including 'One Million Years BC', 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth' and 'Doctor Who'.

Alongside tourism it is agriculture that provides the main stay of the island's economy. Onions, potatoes and spinach are the chief crops and it is still not uncommon to see camels being used by the older generation of farmers to plough their land in traditional, time-honoured fashion (although these days they are mainly found carrying visitors through the national park - the camels that is, not the farmers!).

The arid La Geria region is a renowned centre of viticulture; a fact which to the casual observer may seem a surprise if not a contradiction in terms. How can vines grow in such a barren landscape? The answer lies in the ingenious way islanders have combined nature and know-how by constructing low semi-circular stone walls (zocos) out of volcanic rock within which the vines are planted 2-3m deep in porous lava granules. Protected from wind and drip fed water absorbed by the rocks from the night dew, the vines flourish, producing a respected Malvasia whose reputation stretches back even as far as Shakespeare who specifically mentions the wine in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'.

Capital of the island until 1852 (when that honour passed to Arrecife), the sleepy demeanour of Teguise disguises a rich history. One of the oldest towns in the Canaries and the epitome of laid-back island life for six days a week, Teguise bursts into life only on Sunday mornings when a rambling market takes over the streets and bouts of exuberant folk dancing break out in front of the parish church.

Nearby Los Valles, equally somnolent yet no less appealing is the convenient location for one of our chosen properties. Heading south, La Asomada is a gentle rural community, full of pastoral charm and perfectly positioned for easy forays to the island's most notable attractions. The bright lights and vibrant nightlife of bustling Puerto del Carmen are also within easy distance - although you would never know it.

Regularly voted one of the prettiest villages in the Canaries, whitewashed Yaiza, together with its satellite settlement Las Breñas, is the gateway to some of the island's most notable beaches. Papagayo, the name given to Lanzarote's most southerly tip, has also become the assumed name for a series of remarkable coves of soft black and gold sand that border the peninsula. In contrast to nearby Playa Blanca, not an iota of development has ever been permitted here and strictly controlled access ensures Papagayo has been and is being kept in as virgin a condition as possible. It is a gorgeous spot.

Wonderful views of Timanfaya and La Geria can be enjoyed both on the way to and looking back from Tinajo, another typically relaxed village. Here the road forks; north leads to the impressive sporting centre of La Santa (a regular pre-season training camp for famous sporting individuals and teams); east brings Famara, one of the wildest and most dramatic, cliff backed sandy beaches in Spain, renowned as a world class location for all forms of surfing.