A Norman nobleman called Jean de Bethencout first conquered Lanzarote for the Spanish crown in the early 1400s. The island then became a key trading post for the growing Spanish empire during the 16th and 17th centuries as galleons carrying Inca silver and gold docked en route from the New World to the Old.
During the 1730´s Lanzarote experienced a series of massive volcanic eruptions. These enlarged the islandâs surface area by around one quarter and created over 300 new volcanic peaks. They also destroyed a number of villages and some of the best farmland, forcing many Lanzarote±os to flee the island and start new lives in Latin and Central America.
Package tourism first took off on Lanzarote in the 1970´s, centred around the two resorts of Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise. This range of destinations was further enhanced by the development of Playa Blanca and Puerto Calero in the 1980s.
Today, the island welcomes around 1.5 million foreign tourists annually. The majority hail from the UK, Eire and Germany. Lanzarote is also a popular holiday destination with tourists from mainland Spain; the island offers them a slightly more temperate alternative to the oven-like temperatures experienced during their peak summer months.