Puerto Calero holidays

Holidays to Puerto Calero give you a smart harbour where boutique shopping meets elegant dining.

A sophisticated number

You can thank José Calero for Puerto Calero, on the southeast coast of Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. Back in the Eighties, the developer put together this upmarket place with a marina surrounded by sophisticated restaurants and designer shops. There’s a quiet air to it – though you’re close to Puerto del Carmen with its beaches and bubbly nightlife.

A line-up of beaches

Puerto Calero doesn’t come with a beach, but there are several nearby. In fact, there’s a trio at Puerto del Carmen, about 10 minutes away by bus. Playa Grande streaks along a prom filled with cafés, bars and restaurants, while Playa Pocillos is a breezy stretch enjoyed by kitesurfers. And small-sized Playa Chica is by the old harbour – it’s more about watersports than sunloungers here though.

The marina hub

Millionaire’s Harbour, as it’s known, is filled with expensive-looking yachts. They share the waters with schools of grey mullet, which flock to the shallows where visitors throw breadcrumbs to them. It’s here that everyone comes to take in the waterfront views over coffee, lunch and dinner, with a browse around the shops slipped in between.

Daytrips around the island

The lunar-like plains of Timanfaya National Park are the island’s top attraction, and you can reach them in less than half an hour by car. It’s about 20 minutes' drive to Taro de Tahiche, where Lanzarote’s famous architect, Cesar Manrique, created a house out of volcanic lava. And 10 minutes on, you’re in the capital Arrecife, for shopping and a seafood dinner around El Charco lagoon.