Canary islands.

We had a lovely holiday in Gran Canaria, situated in Mogan Playa. The hotel was set in beautiful gardens and was just a short walk to the little beach. Either through the garden, or along the promenade. At the beach you can people watch whiling away the time with a coffee/drink. There are frequent boats to ttansport you to a different place, or the bus station was near enough for a ride to differeent towns etc. Mogan is known as Little Venice and was very pretty.

We've been twice to Fuerteventura (not sure about the spelling?) at Caleta del Fuste and once to Tenerife but wouldn't rush back there again, despite avoiding the touristy resorts.

Busylizzie, we love Lanzarote, if you want a buzzy type place Puerto Del Carmen is a lovely place, loads of public transport to explore the Island. We are spening a month in Costa Teguise in November (after avoiding the place for years as people told us it was rubbish, we did a few day trips in earlier this year and loved it - we are doing a month to experiment to see if we would like to possibly live there for a year). We have been to Gran Canaria and that is also lovely, Fuerturventura can be windy (hence the name), Tenerife would be my last choice, but still enjoyable but a different sort of busy there. We once went to a resort in Las Palma (one of the smaller Canary Islands), hotel had 13 swimming pools, one for each day of our holiday!, but no public transport, had trips into the 'rain forest' and island tours, but if you want to get away from it all with just banana's and caldero's for neighbours then thats the place to try. Whatever you decide...enjoy.

I've just been to Playa Blanca, Lanzarotte with my daughter. We stayed in a complex on an all inclusive basis. We did coach trips to the market in Teguise and also into the National Park to see the volcanic craters. It was a 15 minute walk along the coast to the marina and the town which was very pleasant. We were sorry we had only booked 7 days and next year we will go back for 10 days but at an Adult - only hotel.

I like Lanzarote, and it is quite different to many other places. There are lovely beaches but the interior is very striking and well worth some visits to various places. Around the island are different sculptures by the renowned Lanzarote artist and architect César Manrique:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Manrique

I haven't been for a while, but as far as I am aware you won't find the high rise buildings there as in other holiday resorts.

Humbertbear have they developed along the coast from Playa Blanca? Last time we went there was still a ban on development near the Papaguya Beaches although you could get to the coast in a 4x4.

We love Lanzarote and would go nowhere else in the Caaries. To answer your question Jamila there is little new build and all hotels must be 3 stories or less. We have gone to Playa Balnca for over 25 years the Natura Palace is lovely with the best food in the hotels there. However it is a fair stroll to the town. We used to always go to the Lanzarote Princess it is great for an evening stroll down town or round the harbour but it has gone a bit downmarket though gets rave reviews on TripAdvisor.
Where are you staying in Costa Teguise Kateycrunch ? We looked at a self catering complex last time we were there We are going back to the Coronas Place in November we loved their big balconies in the select rooms with your own sunbeds table and chairs. You can watch the cruise ships pass by.
We have been to Tenerife a few times but the last time there were dead bodies on the beach ( drug wars ) so never again . You always feel safe in Lanzarote .
Be prepared to find black lava hills everywhere , a bit like being in Iceland , though a trip through the lava fields is worth doing.

Thank you Floradora9
I had a quick look online and one place I looked at near the beaches is completely booked up for the foreseeable future!!

I liked seeing the way they grow the grape vines in Lanzarote, in dips in the volcanic soil to catch any water possible!
www.lanzarote-virtual.eu/lanzarote-sightseeing/la-geria-vineyards-of-lanzarote

I have enjoyed holidaying in Playa Blanca on Lanzarote, and Caleta de Fuste on Fuerteventura. In both places I hired a bicycle, which helped me get out and about. On Fuerteventura there is a long coastal promenade and opportunity to feed the chipmunks with peanuts, which gave a purpose to my walks.
Both these places had a peaceful vibe, but I have not been for about 7 years, so all could have changed!
I have tried Tenerife and Grand Canaria, but they were a bit too bustling for me.
The Canaries provide good weather all year round, and October would be perfect temperature-wise.
I hope you find somewhere to suit, and that you have a great break.

Floradora, yes we have booked an apartment on a self catering complex, whilst looking to book our holiday for November it was only another £150 each to go for 30 nights instead of 14, so we are going to 'live' there to give it a try and if its a success we are going to do 3 months next time (possibly Jan-Mar amd dependent on finances of course).

Thank you all for the great info. Looks like Lanzarote will be my first choice. Now if only I could get at least one of the travel company websites to come up with something other than "sorry - we seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties" Grrrr....!

If you want to feel the the wonderful white sand and its relaxing water in this island you can visit Playa de las Los Cristianos or Playa de las Vistas, this island are the perfect for your summer get away with friends or loved ones but if your into some hiking or mountain climbing Teide Volcano is here to accommodate you there are some local bars that you can enjoy and have fun. Teide Volcano offers a breath taking scenery where you can go on a tour on foot or ride you way to the hill. www.canaryislandsinfo.co.uk/tenerife/ Hope this helps