The island of Lanzarote in the Canarian archipelago at first glance may not seem to have the best of green credentials. But there are a number of ways in which it beats other destinations hands down for holidaymakers looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

One major factor in Lanzarote’s favour is its closeness to the rest of Europe, with most major cities only four hours or less away. Meaning that fuel consumption on flights to and from the island is less than half that used on flights to the other popular winter sun destination, the Caribbean.

Even the Lanzarote villas and apartments contribute to lessening the use of non natural energy sources.

And thanks to the year round spring like climate the island enjoys, solar panels are widely in use for a variety of purposes. Most apartments in Lanzarote will have an array of the panels on their roofs to create hot water for the swimming pool and showers. Elsewhere, the panels may be teamed up with dry storage batteries to create electricity indoors.

Water recycling has long been in vogue, due to the fact that there is no natural source for fresh water on the island. Instead, tap water is produced by a desalination plant that draws in seawater and extracts the salt from it. Which makes larger consumers, such as golf courses, much more careful with their water usage when keeping their greens irrigated.

But it isn’t simply businesses and accommodation on Lanzarote that operate on a more eco-friendly basis. Even the tourist attractions have been developed to work as much in harmony with their surroundings as possible. This low impact ethos was the result of Cesar Manrique creative influence in the island’s development which came just at the right moment.

For all these reasons, holidays in Lanzarote often make visitors feel they are returning to the past. Where white washed villages and towns bear none of the ugly scars such as high-rise buildings and advertising hoardings that can be readily found elsewhere. And Lanzarote apartments rise no taller than a palm tree.

Additional information about available Lanzarote villas can be found on the Lanzarote1.com website.