Lanzarote is one of seven Spanish islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean that form the Canary Islands, and was the first of the Canary Islands to be settled by the Spanish all those centuries ago. Located about 77 miles off the coast of Morocco, Lanzarote is a volcanic island that is abundant with history, and today is popular holiday destination for hundreds of thousands of British tourists each year.
But did you know that more than 6,000 people living in Lanzarote (that is about 4% of the population) are from the United Kingdom? If you are fed up of living in Britain and the miserable weather, then you might want to think about emigrating to a place of sunnier climes and better opportunities for work and play.
Lanzarote is one such destination, but is it a nice place to live? Here’s the lowdown on this Spanish island.
The climate
The island of Lanzarote enjoys year-round sunshine, with average highs ranging from 21 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius, and average lows ranging from 14 to 21 degrees Celsius. It usually rains the most between December and March each year.
Living there
Lanzarote has a population of more than 142,000 people, of which 74% are Spanish and the remaining 26% are people that have migrated from other countries around the world. It has always been a place where people have revolved around making a living, and this is evident in the agricultural and fishing industries.
Generally, the people in Lanzarote are very welcoming and friendly. If you make the effort to learn and speak Spanish fluently, this will be a massive bonus and will of course overcome the stereotype that British people can’t or don’t want to speak Spanish.
The pace of life is what you would expect for any hot location – a little sleepy and laid-back, however some of the resort locations are quite vibrant and are a hive of activity.
Getting a job
All European Union (EU) citizens have the right to work in Lanzarote, and this can be achieved by applying for a “Número de Identificación Fiscal” (NIF) number – this is similar to the National Insurance (NI) number system here in the UK.
Although many people may pay you cash in hand, having an NIF means that you will be able to buy a car or a house for example, as this documentation is required by Spanish law.
Communication
As mentioned earlier, speaking Spanish will hugely help your case if you want to live and work in Lanzarote. It is especially important when dealing with any legal paperwork and forms, of which there will be many to deal with in all aspects of your life on the island (the Spanish have a penchant for bureaucracy, it seems).
Getting there
Lanzarote has one main international airport, Arrecife Airport, which you can fly to from all major UK airports. Although one can hire a car to drive to their accommodation destination on arrival, it is much easier and cheaper to simply get a Lanzarote Arrecife taxi instead.
A great point to bear in mind about Lanzarote is that they have the same timezone as us (GMT) so you won’t suffer the effects of jet lag when flying down there!