Cast against the backdrop of an imposing volcanic crater, on a working vineyard in the La Geria region, the low-lying whitewashed buildings of Finca Malvasia prove welcome refuge from the windy elements. I am staying in one of the five apartments, in which the British owners, Tarnya and Richard Norse-Evans, have combined simple, contemporary monochrome decoration with locally crafted terracotta pots and straw baskets. Most impressive is the bathroom, with its volcanic stone wall and indoor cactus garden. I tuck into a welcome platter of cured meats and manchego, with membrillo and mojo, the Canarian sauce.

Later, and when the wind has thankfully subsided, I head off to experience the moon-scape isle. From the volcanic south to the lusher north, Lanzarote’s unique landscape is searingly – sometimes starkly - beautiful, and is captured in a series of public spaces designed by the island’s homegrown abstract painter, sculptor and architect, César Manrique. Each of these sites is different and all are extraordinary.

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