Manriques Island Of Lanzarote
As the saying goes “different strokes for different folks” and whilst many tourist jet off for their summer break to laze on some sunny beach, go scuba diving perhaps in the Maldives or simply shoot off to Florida for a trip to disney world; others prefer a more cultural break where they can explore the history, architecture and cultural back drop of their chosen holiday destination. Cultural tourists tend to want to savour and experience the cities and countries they visit, and more often than not travel itineraries include museum visits, visits to monuments and even cathedrals and churches. So what has Lanzarote got to offer the culturally demanding traveller?
As a popular holiday destination for the beach crowd Lanzarote boasts a quite unusual cultural side which often goes un-missed in the rush to the beaches,and with an excellent choice of Lanzarote villas to rent there will be no shortage of holiday accommodation if you book early enough
Manrique´s imprint is everywhere on the island of his birth. Tourists leaving the airport encounter his massive bronze wind toy ´Homage to Pepin Ramirez´ as they depart from the arrivals hall and head for their Lanzarote villas and apartments. And on route they soon discover that there are no high rise buildings or advertising hoardings blotting the landscape either – as Manrique successfully campaigned to get these outlawed during the 1970´s.
Manrique was born in 1919 in the capital city of Arrecife and developed a life long love affair with Lanzarote from a very young age. His family owned a summer house in the beach resort of Famara, which is located in then north of the island and which is noted for its natural beauty. And here the young Manrique would gaze at the reflection of the huge Famara massif cliff range in the ebbing surf and rock pools.
Against his parents wishes Manrique left for the University of Belle Artes in Madrid to study – and here he hooked up with other members of the Spanish surrealist movement. Becoming an important force within this school. Going on to accept an invitation from the Rockefellers to go and exhibit his work in New York, the modern art world’s capital city during the 1960´s. Where he also became a contemporary of prime movers such as Andy Warhol.
Around this time though package tourism was just stating to take off in Spain. Bulldozers and cement mixers were moving ominously across the Costas and the Canaries. Slowly submerging swathes of land in concrete. Alarmed at these developments Manrique retuned to Lanzarote, determined to fight for it´s future.
Upon his return Manrique set about creating an environment that would be acceptable and not detract from the culture of the island, but at the same time allow for tourst development and in a visionary blend of nature and construction he ha left the island with a lasting legacy that will be enjoyed for years to come.
Additional information about available Lanzarote apartments can be found on the Lanzarote1.com website.
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Very good points made here. I agree totally on where the go...