Staying at an eco-resort is a fantastic way to discover a different side to the Canaries, as ANDY HOLLIS discovers

WAKING up in a king-size bed in a Mongolian yurt feels a million miles away from normal camping.

When it comes to tents, Mongolia's nomads have the right idea.

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I'm staying at the Finca de Arrieta on the north-east coast of Lanzarote in the Canaries, surrounded by the island's black volcanic hills and within 300 yards of a sandy beach.

Successive eruptions have left Lanzarote with spectacular scenery that includes black lava flows, caves and tunnels which have earned it the status of Unesco Biosphere Reserve. It is this unique scenery that English expats Tila and Michelle Braddock, owners of the finca, have set out to preserve. Their dream on opening was to build a self-catering retreat where guests could stay in a rustic setting and experience the real Lanzarote without harming the environment.

The resort makes the most of its coastal winds and year-round sun to power the largest green energy system on the island, while water on the 20 square mile site is pumped from deep wells.

My spacious bolthole is built with a wooden lattice frame draped with rose-coloured silk, has a solid wood floor and is decorated with textiles and furniture from Morocco and Indonesia. I share a toilet/shower room with another yurt but have my own private terrace with sunloungers.

As well as six yurts, the finca has a garden cottage, suitable for two adults and two children, and a luxury eco-villa that sleeps six.
The accommodation is surrounded by exotic gardens of aloe, banana and lemon trees and an organic vegetable patch from which guests help themselves.

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There is also a supply of eggs from the resident free-range hens and it's great to cook a meal in the communal kitchen and dining area while swapping tips with other guests about what to see.

The finca has plenty of areas in which to chill out, including a 35ft solar-heated pool, a games room, playground and even a donkey, making it ideal for families.

I hire a car, choosing the eco-friendly Toyota Prius with its hybrid fuel, to explore the island.

I drive past vine-covered hills protected from the wind by semi-circular walls and spectacular lava flows where the jagged spikes, left as the molten rock cooled, seem to go on forever.

My destination is the Saturday market at the town of Haria which nestles in what is called the "Valley of 1,000 Palms" and is surrounded by the peaks of the 2,200ft Risco de Famara, the island's highest mountain range.

I spend a good hour or so wandering around the stalls that sell goat's cheese, vegetables and handicrafts in the Plaza de Leon y Castillo and buy a purse for my girlfriend.
Afterwards, I enjoy a tapas lunch at the cantina on Arrieta beach before trying to catch a wave with a boogie board.

THE BRADDOCKS were inspired by Lanzarote's legendary architect and environmentalist, César Manrique, whose vision was to develop the island for tourism in sympathy with its natural beauty.

His influence helped stop the spread of high-rise hotels but he died in a traffic accident near his home in 1992. His former home, now The Cesar Manrique Foundation at Tahiche, is worth a visit. It is built around a series of caves formed by lava from the last volcanic eruptions 200 years ago.

The upper level is an art gallery with works by Miro and Picasso among others but below are five rooms that form a playboy-style pad.

The rocks are coated with a glistening white polymer and retain the nooks and crannies formed by the lava. The central cave is the party area with a swimming pool, palm tree, a barbecue and dance floor.

Jameos Del Agua at Carretera Orzola, north-east of Arrieta, is another Manrique creation where he used larger caves to create a natural auditorium with amazing acoustics that hosts concerts.

There's also a rock pool, home to blind albino crabs which evolved in the dark and are unique to the island. As I drive back to the Finca de Arrieta, I ponder on how much Manrique would have approved of my eco-chic bolthole.

GETTING THERE:
Stay Eco Chic (dialling from the UK: 00 34 608 906 638)/ stayecochic.com) offers four nights in a mini eco yurt in Finca de Arrieta from €280 (two sharing), self-catering, or in the Luxury Villa from €640 (sleeps six).

Monarch Airlines (0871 225 3555/ monarch.co.uk) offers return flights to Lanzarote from various UK airports from £127. Spanish National Tourist Office: 020 7486 8077/spain.info