Lanzarote is the most easterly of the seven major Canary Islands and lies in the Atlantic Ocean only some 100 km (60 miles) from the coast of Africa and 1,000 km (600 miles) from the Iberian Peninsula.

The island was named after a Genoese navigator called Lancelotto Malocello who arrived on the island during the second half of the 14th century opening the way to successive expeditions of French, British and Spanish sailors and merchants. Previously the isles were known as the Fortunate Islands.