"Follow the Sun in Lanzarote" Isla de Lanzarote by Ekaterinburg

Maybe the Beatles weren't singing about Lanzarote in that song but every day I was there I found the words from 'Here Comes the Sun' dancing a little jig in my head. Coming from Ireland in the dog days of a long, dreary winter, the constant sunshine in Lanzarote was blissful beyond belief. My husband had been suggesting a winter holiday here for years but I always persuaded him to go somewhere else. Sunbathing is not for me and to be honest I regarded the whole idea of a week in The Canary Islands as a waste of money and travelling time. I dreaded the thought of packed dining rooms and swimming pools, strips of souvenir shops and restaurants with laminated pictures instead of menus.

There is some of this in the large resorts but by doing some research before you go and choosing a hotel or apartment in slightly quieter locations, you can have a holiday that's tailored to your needs and as relaxing or as activity-filled as you desire.

What I hadn't considered was the concept of a holiday as opposed to a trip and having finally been persuaded to try, found that chilling out for a week was not so hard and that sunlounger + book + sea-view is a treat that everyone should indulge in occasionally.

• Pros:guaranteed sunshine, year round
• Cons:not really for culture vultures
• In a nutshell:exotic outside the resorts and a good place to chill out