Apartments Plus Fariones Habitat

Conveniently situated on the island capital's seafront avenue, Avenida de la Mancomunidad, diagonally opposite the landmark Arrecife Gran Hotel, this small block of modern and comfortable apartments is ideal for independently minded travellers who wish to have a comprehensive range of facilities within easy walking distance but who prefer not to stay in one of the purpose-built holiday resorts. Whilst welcoming to holidaymakers, Arrecife's shops, bars and restaurants cater primarily to the local population, and the town retains an authentic Canarian vibe, especially in the evenings when day-trippers from the island's resorts and from visiting cruise ships have left.

Recently modernised from head to toe, Plus Fariones Habitat comprises a dozen apartments offering spacious and stylish self-catering accommodation. Each consists of a living-dining room with an open-plan kitchen, a separate bedroom with a large double bed or twin beds arranged side-by-side, and a marble-clad bathroom with a large walk-in shower. All the apartments are equipped with air-conditioning, Smart-TVs, free WiFi and safety-deposit boxes, and the kitchenettes are fitted with a fridge-freezer, ceramic hob, microwave, toaster and electric kettle. Furnished and decorated almost entirely in white, with just a few subtle colour accents, the interiors feel wonderfully bright and airy, aided further by the fact that all apartments face south, with both the living rooms and bedrooms in each apartment benefiting from wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows looking out across the avenue and the seafront park towards the ocean. Apartments on the top two floors enjoy the most extensive views and are priced accordingly. Naturally, there is a lift.

Whilst the apartments do not have individual balconies, all guests have the use of the communal roof terrace, where you can enjoy the same views whilst soaking up the sun on one of the loungers. Alternatively, the sandy town beach, Playa del Reducto, is just 100 metres away.

Being situated so centrally, there are cafés, restaurants and bars in the immediate vicinity, and the town's main shopping street, the pedestrianised Calle Leon y Castillo, is just a 10-minute walk away. Just in front of the entrance to this street is the footbridge to the offshore 16th-century fortress Castillo de San Gabriel, which houses a local history museum, whilst the 18th-century Castillo de San Juan a little further east along the seafront is home to the International Museum of Contemporary Art. In between the two, you pass both the modern marina and the picturesque inner harbour, Charco de San Gines, where a selection of charming bars and restaurants overlook the fishing boats moored in the shallow lagoon. When you run out of things to do in Arrecife itself, the town is the hub of Lanzarote's public transport network, with buses running to most parts of the island from one of the two main bus stations, which are a 10 and 20-minute walk away respectively. Those who enjoy a long stroll along the seafront can also follow Europe's longest coastal promenade past Playa del Reducto and the residential neighbourhoods of Playa del Cable and Playa Honda, skirting the airport perimeter all the way to Puerto del Carmen, or however far your legs will carry you.