As the winter weather settles in and the news remains unsettling, the idea of a week in the sun might sound more inviting than ever before. But because of the stress on our bank accounts, far flung vacation spots could very well lose out to locations that are closer to home in the attempt to find winter sunshine.

For residents within the UK, the Canary Islands are one of the closest places where year round sunshine can be had. Around the archipelago of seven islands, Lanzarote is the most easterly as well as being named the island having the driest local climate.

Exactly how arid the climate is can be seen by travelers as they arrive, with Canarian palms just about the most abundant trees on Lanzarote. Additionally, the volcanic landscape in the distance shows exactly how little vegetation will be able to endure for much of the year, as the naked mountain slopes attest.

However, the main resorts that tourists stay in are far from barren, with verdant planting and tropical blossoms blossoming all around you. So much so, that many holiday villas in Lanzarote are little oases of green, with fabulous gardens for guests to savor.

And even outside the resorts, in the more rural towns and villages, there is an abundance of planting, demonstrating a local love of horticulture as well as a strong agricultural past. Which is something that has been encapsulated in some of the works by local architect and artist César Manrique.

Manrique´s influence also extends into tourist towns like Puerto del Carmen, which have been saved from too much development and urban sprawl. In place of high rise blocks, the buildings are all two or three storeys, even the hotels and complexes which are also surrounded by gardens.

Many visitors to Lanzarote choose to stay in self-catering accommodation, often because there is so much to see and do, so their apartments in Lanzarote tend to act merely as a base. With a wide choice of glorious beaches, totally unique tourist attractions and raw volcanic landscapes there are many things to tempt visitors away from the resorts.

Other visitors come to the island to participate in sports and outdoor activities, of which cycling and running are amongst the most frequently chosen. Which is not to say that visitors who want to be more sedate don´t equally enjoy the chance to live outdoors.

These factors all contribute to the relaxed vibe that Lanzarote has and accounts for the reason why many tourists come back again and again. Because whilst Lanzarote may be small, it is packed with new things to discover and favorite places to visit a second time.