Nightlife
When night-time falls in Lanzarote, the action starts to warm-up. Early evening is a time for dining and drinking at one of the island's fabulous bars and restaurants. Afterwards, there are all sorts of entertainment for the whole family. But the real action doesn't usually kick-off until close to midnight - so be sure to pace yourself!

Lanzarote´s evening entertainment choices are as diverse as could be so you will be sure to find something to suit here. And the good thing is - the entertainment is free of charge!

Live Music
If you are into live music - be it Irish, Spanish, jazz, tribute bands or otherwise - you will have a whole lot of choice as many of the bars have regular acts on every night of the week.

Comedy
Comedy is also big in Lanzarote and you will find many stand-up comedians and drag acts around the island.

Family
As you will find, children are welcome in all restaurants and most bars in Lanzarote. Many bars provide all-round family entertainment with a mix of comedy, music and karaoke. Many bars also hold family quiz nights.

Clubs
There is no shortage of venues if you want to dance the night away. And we really do mean the whole night as most clubs keep going until the sun rises! Head to Puerto del Carmen for a good selection of late-night bars with music and small clubs. Arrecife has several large nightclubs. Lanzarote´s nightlife has not taken over the island as in some other holiday resorts. The main strip of Puerto del Carmen manages to accommodate everyone without exclusion; families and older people would not feel intimated in this area late at night because the clubs are fairly low-key and the action has not been allowed to spill onto the streets as you may see in places such as Ibiza.

Hotels
The large hotels are a good source of entertainment in the evenings as most of them have discos, cabarets, bingo and so on. Even if you are not staying there, members of the public are welcome to join the fun at most hotels.

Ed´s Opinion: Lanzarote offers good, clean family fun with a whole lot of dancing to keep the clubbers happy too! You will never be short of something to do and somewhere to go in the evening here. Many of the friendly bar owners find that holiday-makers come back night after night simply for the good atmosphere and warm welcome. But those who want to dance until dawn will find places they like too. I have had some excellent nights out here. And you can always get a registered taxi home from all the major resorts without fearing for your safety.

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Salsa Salsa Salsa -
A brief History

When you fly into Lanzarote, you will have the opportunity to visit bars and clubs that will be playing a very different sound of those back in the UK. Of course there are the nightclubs that will be playing only the current chart tunes, but you will also find a collection of clubs that will be concentrating on salsa music. Although this is not native to the Canaries, the Latin American and African sounds all have a big part to play in the Canaries, and have done so for many years, if not centuries.

Salsa has become a generic term for 'Latino Style' dance music. As with all kinds of music, its origins will be argued forever and a day, but one school of thought says that Salsa originates from New York, of all places. The term Salsa means 'sauce', and the phrase 'echale salsita' - put sauce on it, i.e. heat it up, has been around in the music scene since at least 1928 when the Cuban veteran Ignacio Pineiro put it to use as a music title.

In the 1960's, Salsa emerged as essentially a mix of Cuban and Puerto Rican dance music, which was developed by emigrants who had settled in New York. The music was recognizable by its brassy arrangements, repeating choruses and jazzy solos.

The majority of fluid populations, the emigrants who moved to New York, brought with them a style of music from their homeland. Predominantly Cuba is thought to be the main influence, with its blend of African rhythms of rumba, and other diverse styles such as son and guajira.

In the 1940's the big band era was taking shape. A bandleader, Arsenio Rodriguez, took the raw ingredients of Salsa with instrumentation such as conga drums and merged it with the brass and piano sections typical of the Big Bands, to create a new kind of music. This new style of Big Band of music became known as 'mambo', and it was during this 'mambo' era that Cuban musicians had such a big influence on New York jazz musicians, resulting in a hybrid known as Latin Jazz. With so many Cuban musicians fleeing the troubles, New York became the pivotal center for Cuban singers such as Celia Cruz and percussionist Tito Puente.

Salsa dance involves the tight precision of both partners moving in total harmony. The footwork is often very fast, and after a few bouts on the dance floor, you will need time to catch your breath. But if you get the opportunity to visit a Salsa club, you should definitely try and have a go. Don't be surprised if within a few minutes you have a dancing partner - from experience, the locals love to show off to the 'guiris' or foreigners.

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