Pirate adventures ahoy on Lanzarote holidays

Holiday makers don't have to go all the way to the Caribbean for some swashbuckling pirate adventures.

Instead, they can simply book a Lanzarote villa holiday and take a tour of the island's castles and other landmarks.

According to the Lanzarote Guidebook website, buccaneers from across Europe and Berber pirates from Africa regularly plundered ships in the seas around the island.

To protect themselves from the raiders, the people of Lanzarote built a series of castles, or castillos, which acted as both lookout points to provide early warning of attacks and refuges in which to hide.

Four of these buildings are still standing today - the Castillo de San Gabriel and the Castillo de San Jose in the capital Arrecife, the Castillo de Santa Barbara in the mountains above Teguise and the Castillo de las Coloradas in Playa Blanca.

Those renting Lanzarote villas in Costa Teguise will be well-positioned to visit the Arrecife landmarks and the castle on Mount Guanapay. The Playa Blanca fortress is a little further away, but still accessible by car.

Costa Teguise itself is one of the main resorts on the island and is home to four sandy beaches, as well as numerous amenities including a water park and a golf course.

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