Although a suburb of Puerto del Carmen, Matagorda is a relatively quiet resort with its own identity.  The urbanizacion is situated at the north eastern end of Puerto del Carmen, just a short drive from Lanzarote's Arrecife airport, so your holiday can start almost the moment you land.

Villa Rosa is located at the easterly end of Matagorda.  From the villa it's just a short stroll to the Matagorda shopping centre which has a selection of bars, supermarkets, shops, restaurants and an amusement centre suitable for children.  The beach and promenade are in front of the centre.

The walk from Villa Rosa to Matagorda Centre is under 700 metres and takes less than ten minutes.  The nothern end of Matagorda beach is only about 400 metres from Villa Rosa.

The drive to Matagorda shopping centre is via a one way system, so watch the signs!

The bars in Matagorda range from small establishments where you can go and have a friendly chat, to medium and larger premises with frequent live music and other entertainment.

Matagorda boasts a range of restaurants including English and Irish home cooking, Spanish grills, Chinese and Japanese.

If you drive to Puerto del Carmen you can either take the ring road or drive through Matagorda.  The ring road is accessed from the roundabout on Carretera de Las Playas.  Turn left at the roundabout and follow the road into Puerto del Carmen.  Alternatively you can drive through Matagorda to the roundabout near Sol Lanzarote.  From there, follow the road to Puerto del Carmen.

Taxis are fairly cheap and an ideal way to get around the towns.  You can flag down taxis or telephone.  A taxi available for hire shows green light on the roof.  There are two taxi ranks about a five to ten minute walk from the villa.

Buses (known as guaguas - pronounced wahwahs) run every twenty minutes to half an hour between Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen, calling on the edge of Matagorda near the Lanzarote Sol.

In common with many other beaches on Lanzarote, including those at adjacent Los Pocillos and Guasimeta, the beach at Matagorda has been awarded the Blue Flag, a symbol of high environmental, sanitary and safety standards.

In this area, Puerto del Carmen's Avenida de las Playas is pedestrianised leaving the Urbanizacion with traffic free access to the beach.  This wonderful promenade meanders along the beach front from the Beatriz Playa Hotel, passing the Matagorda shopping centre and on to Los Pocillos beach and the Jameos Playa Hotel.

Playa Guacimeta - Playa Honda

A walk from Villa Rosa to the north eastern end of Playa Matagorda and then heading left along the beach promenade will take you to Playa Guacimeta alongside the airport.  Don't be surprised if you come across the occasional naturist - but it is not compulsory!

If you continue along the beach front you will reach Playa Honda.  The walk to Playa Honda is around 3.5 kilometres and takes about one hour at a very gentle pace.

Puerto del Carmen

Once a sleepy fishing village, Puerto del Carmen is now the liveliest and most popular resort on the island.  One kilometre from Matagorda, at Los Pocillos, the Avenida de las Playas loses its pedetrianised status and becomes the resort's main road at its north eastern end.  Nevertheless, a wide footpath between the beach an the road makes an enjoyable walk towards the main town.

If you are driving then please be aware that Some streets in Puerto del Carmen, including the central part of the main Avenida de las Playas, have parking meters.  Look out for the blue road markings.  These are operational in the mornings and evenings but not in the afternoons, Sundays, or public holidays.  Check the times on the meters.  As you put money into the meter it will show you the time you should leave.  The maximum stay is two hours.  Press the button when you have put in as much as you need - there is a maximum.

Puerto del Carmen has, in total, six kilometres of golden beaches on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, and these are undoubtedly a major magnet for holidaymakers.  Although the waters are considered among the most tranquil of the Canary Archipielago and can be enjoyed by swimmers and other water sport enthusiasts, certain parts of the coast attract sufficient wind for windsurfing.

From Los Pocillos, the first beach on the roadside is Playa Los Pocillos.  Los Pocillos, with its own fine sandy horse shoe shaped beach and a small range of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars, offers a quieter more relaxing ambience than central Puerto del Carmen to the south west.

Puerto del Carmen's main beach is Playa Grande, sometimes called Playa Blanca but not to be confused with Playa Blanca, the resort, on Lanzarote's south west coast.

Across the road, commercial premises, shops, restaurants, bars and night clubs line its entire length.   There are over one hundred restaurants with food to suit every taste and every pocket, from fast food to gourmet.  Also in abundance are a large variety of shops, boutiques and bazaars stocked with everything from duty free electronics to local arts and crafts and designer clothes, shoes or jewellery.

As the beach comes to an end, the harbour takes over and we come across the "old town", which includes the newest shopping and dining centre on the island!

The old town and harbour area has more restaurants, bars and opportunities for restful or lively evenings - it's your choice.