Fariones

Puerto del Carmen was a small fishing village when Fariones opened there on 12 October 1966, and its 77 rooms doubled all the accommodation on Lanzarote. It has 213 now, every one facing the Atlantic, and the island has rather caught up. It still has the cove, a small one of golden sand right at the hotel, with tropical gardens more than forty years old between it and the rooms. From the balconies, tiled in navy and white, the view drops through the palm tops to the infinity pool and the sea, and the top floors keep a rooftop pool to themselves, facing Fuerteventura and the Isla de Lobos. The spa is down by the rocks behind walls of glass, and a flock of sculpted white birds crosses the ceiling over its pool.

Recommended for couples who want the sea at the bottom of the garden, and for families who can manage without a kids' club: there is none, but babysitting is arranged on request and the two-bedroom Grand and Royal suites sleep four. Yoga and Pilates are free, on the Cueva Doña Juana terrace out on the lava. Playa Chica, five minutes' walk away, is the cove for snorkelling, and the hotel will arrange the rest of the Atlantic, from a paddleboard in Papagayo's clear water to a private catamaran. Breakfast is a buffet. Dinner is fusion at Kaori or the buffet at Bella Lucía, with a barbecue on Fridays and a Chef's Table on Saturdays, both cooked from the hotel's own farm at Uga. It supplies the kitchens every day, so the island Fariones opened to visitors in 1966 now sends them their dinner.