The Canary Islands are Europe´s only genuine winter sun holiday destination. At just under four or so flying time from the UK these seven specks of Spain enjoy temperatures in excess of 20C all year round. Thanks to their location just 70 miles off the coast of Africa.

Lanzarote is the eastern most link in the Canary Island chain and has long been a top choice destination with British and Irish tourists. And despite failing airlines, the falling pound and the current bleak economic outlook the Island of Fire is still a hot ticket. As traveller numbers to the island have just kept on rising.

UK tourist continue to flock to the island and as a result demand for Lanzarote villas and apartments has remained relatively stable. Whilst property prices have also started to fall on the island it is less noticeable than in other european destinations.

The fact that Lanzarote remains in the most part unspoiled is attributable to the works and efforts of an island born artist called Cesar Manrique. Who was studying in New York when packaged holidays first started to take off in Spain and hurried home to protect his beloved Lanzarote from over development.

Alert to the damage that this could cause to his birthplace Manrique returned home to ensure that his beloved Lanzarote was not buried beneath a sea of five star concrete.

As a result of his efforts Lanzarote has largely been spared the type of over development now commonly found in other Spanish sun spots and other Canary Islands resorts. High rise buildings are banned, advertising hoardings are outlawed and all of the islands three main tourist resorts are well contained.

Manrique´s other main initiative was to create a unique set of tourist attractions on the island that essentially fused art with nature.

In tandem with close collaborators such as Jesus Soto he lit an alternative path for island development with the creation of sites such as the Jameos del Agua, which embodied his desire to fuse art with nature.