LANZAROTE
By: John Plumb
What can Lanzarote offer you on your next holiday ?
The short answer is "It can offer you anything and everything", but surely
you want to know more ? Where is Lanzarote ? - It is located on the
eastern side of the Canary Islands and is a mere 13 miles wide and 40
miles long, so you can travel to each and every part of the island and
spend the whole day not having to worry about lengthy journeys to and
from excursions and one of the most appealing aspects is the climate
as it offers warm temperatures and scarce rains all year around, turning
it into a great place for those who wish to spend time at the beach and
enjoy as many outdoor activities as possible.
Whether you are in to Land, Sea or Air sports there is plenty of everything
here :
Cycling, Go-Karting, Golf, Horse-riding, Jeep Safari, Quad-Bike Safari,
Rancho Texas & The Tropical Park
Boat Cruises, Catamaran, Fishing, Submarine or perhaps you just want
to go to an aquapark
Flight Tours, Hand-Gliding & Parasailing
If you prefer the more cultural aspects of a location, then you have to
come to 'heaven'. This side of Lanzarote is best summed by the mere
mention of one mans name - Cesar Manrique, a man whose influence
can be seen all over the island at places like Castillo de San Jose,
Ceuva de los Verdes, Fundacion Manrique, Jameous Del Aqua, Jardin
De Cactus, Mirador Del Rio, Museo Campesino and the fantasic
Timanfaya ("Fire Mountain") and in future articles I will write about each
of these.
Lanzarote is the only place in the world where you have your lunch in a
cafeteria that is built on top of an active volcano, where the heat to cook
your food comes from the volcano itself And where else can you go
deep into a cavern in the middle of nowhere and find a huge
ampitheatre used for live concerts, aplace that doubles as a nightclub
two evening a week ? If you want a great beach, then again Lanzarote
has one to compare with the very best.
Lanzarote Attractions - Mirador Del Rio, Jameous Del Agua and La
Cueva de los Verdes
It is possible to do these three attractions in a single day providing you
set out early and plan your day. As we live in Playa Blanca, we travelled
north on the LZ-2 via San Bartholme and Teguise into the mountains in
the north where we made our first stop at the Mirador Del Rio. This is a
cafeteria cut into the mountains in the north and has the most
spectacular views of the island you could possible want to see, so a
camera is a must.
After a drink and a snack, we continued North and then turned at the top
of the island and made our descent to sea level, where we saw an array
of different coloured sands blown across the sea from the Sahara
desert. If you are into beaches, you might want to stop off here to explore
the many bays on offer.
Shortly after this we arrived at our second attraction, the Jameos del
Agua. Enchanting, Mystical & Magical, the three most common words
used to describe a place created as a result of a formation of gas
explosions within a volcanic bubble. Over the years, seawater has
flooded the tunnels so that eventually a lagoon has been left behind. A
lagoon that is home to thousands of tiny white crabs that have become
blind through many years of living in poor light, a lagoon that has a bar
and a restaurant and even a nightclub three times a week !
Almost next door, we found our second attraction of the day - La Cueva
de los Verdes, one of the longest volcanic galleries in the world at 6km
long and there is surprise element to this tour which I cannot tell you
about otherwise it would spoil your visit. You need to be reasonably fit
and healthy as you need to climb several stairs and bend over in order
to get under many low recesses. It is impossible to take a pushchair
into the caves, so go prepared.
We had an hour to kill at the end of the day, so we stopped off at the
Jardin de Cactus which is on the way back. Here we saw 1,400 different
species all planted together in a small area of land to create the
beautiful Cactus Garden.
A great day out and the children really enjoyed it and they slept like logs
that night !
LANZAROTE BEACHES
Lanzarote offers a wide variety of beaches including white and black
sand, placid and ruffled waters and these are, as you would expect
distributed along the entire coast of the island.
Further articles posted by me discuss in more detail the best beaches
in each of the seven municipalities (articles 11 to 17) and these form
part of a much wider portfolio of information I'm providing to help holiday
makers.
So, where is the best beach then ?
As my ‘home-from-home’ is in the south of the island in Playa Blanca in
the municipality of Yaiza, I am somewhat biased as to where the best
beach is and for me it is without doubt, Papagayo. Judging by the
research I’ve done on the Internet, I am not alone in this opinion, so no
matter where you are staying, I would suggest that you should not miss
this one out.
Punta de Papagayo (to give it its full name), is located at the
southernmost tip of Lanzarote. With a surrounding landscape of volcanic
ash, crystal clear water and fine white sand, this stretch of the coast ,
with several small bays and coves is quite simply stunning. Access is
gained by first driving across a dirt track road (quite bumpy), then paying
a toll (it’s that good, they charge you a small entrance fee), and then
walking down the sand banks to the beach as there is no man-made
path.
BEFORE you walk down the banks, remember to get anything you need
from the one and only cafeteria in this area, as you won’t want to keep
trudging up and down, trust me, I’ve done it. The difficulty in getting to the
beach is worth it. If you decide to walk along the beach to look at other
bays, please bear in mind the fact that some visitors bathe nude at this
location as it is permitted. You should not encounter this in the bay by
the cafeteria.
If you research this beach on the Internet more widely, you will read
statements like ‘wild at times’ and ‘waves can be a little strong at times’,
so your instinct will, quite rightly tell you to keep an eye on the children.
I want to devote the rest of this introductory article to a day on Papagayo
in the Spring of 2005. On this particular trip, my wife decided to stay at
the top of the cliff by the cafeteria, as we were not planning to stay long. I
took my two sons down to the immediate bay as the children were
pestering me to let them play in the sand and have a dip in the water (as
children do). I did what most parents do on holiday - I gave in to their
demands for a peaceful life.
My eldest son (who was 11 at the time) decided he’d like to be a little
braver than the younger one, who was 6 years old and who stayed in the
‘ankles only’ region of the sea with me. He wandered out to a point that
each wave broke about the chest to neck area and if he jumped up as
the wave broke to avoid getting a mouthful of salt water.
All children do this and I’m sure by now, you know what’s coming…. well
he didn’t !
I could see a rather large wave behind him out at sea and began to
shout towards him to come back in a bit. He never understood my
gesticulations towards him, so I moved towards him (instructing the
younger one to go back up the beach immediately and ‘stay put’). For
once, the younger one did as he was told and as I got closer he heard
me and moved towards me. I got to within 5 metres of him before the
wave crashed 15 feet above his head !
For what seemed an eternity at the time, I completely lost sight of him.
He resurfaced, spluttering, and a good 30 metres away from me, which
should give you an appreciation of the waves power. My son waited to
see my reaction before bursting out laughing (I think he thought I would
be angry with him, as if !). He was covered from head to foot in sand,
had drank a pint or more of salt water and despite his brave face, he
was clearly shook up and to this day we still recall that wave at
Papagayo, but he had learnt his lesson and he lives to swallow salt
water another day.
It is worth pointing out that both of my children are very good swimmers,
having attended swimming lessons from an early age. Their ‘reward’ for
this, is to be given more freedom when on holiday, particularly in the
swimming pools, providing we can still see them. I did not for one
moment (you know I really mean that I did) think that he would not come
back up, but please take my experience into account if you go to
Papagayo as the warning ‘strong waves at times’ is often dismissed by
the occasional visitor.
But don’t let this put you off, as this is truly a fantastic location and we
still go back on most visits to the island.
I will to bring this article to a close with an important Safety Message -
Swimming & playing in the sea is great fun, but be aware of the dangers
and act responsibly and look out for Flag warnings.
To this end, you should :
1. Swim parallel to the shore ;
2. Swim within your depth (it can often be difficult to swim back to the
Beach as currents can be strong) ;
3. Never swim immediately after eating ;
4. Never swim alone or at night ;
5. Be aware of local conditions (currents etc), seek advice if in doubt and
beware of boats and jet skis if they are in the vicinity and please do not
swim in areas allocated for their use ;
6. Remember that a Red Flag means “Dangerous Conditions, do not
enter the water” ;
7. Remember that a Yellow Flag means “Dangerous Conditions,
exercise caution” ; and
8. Remember that a Green Flag means its “Safe for swimming”.
Oh… and in case you’re wondering, it was a Green Flag at the time of
the incident with my son and it was altered to Yellow by the time we got
back to the top of the cliff.
Were we unlucky ? No we were lucky !
YAIZA BEACHES, LANZAROTE
This part of Lanzarote is occupied, principally, by the town of Playa
Blanca (once a sleepy fishing village), but in the midst of a major
transformation. Playa Blanca extends from the western Pechiguera
Point (Where our villa is located in La Goleta, Faro Park) to Coloradas
Beach in the east, with the Coloradas Beach effectively becoming the
first of the Papagayo coves, which is where I want to start this ‘journey’.
You will have noticed that there is a fair amount of development going on
across the broader Playa Blanca area. Visitors will be pleased to hear
that building is prohibited beyond this point, so Papagayo Beach will
remain completely as nature created it.
Punta de Papagayo, to give it its full name, is located at the most
southerly tip of the island and is actually a collection of small beaches
(Playa Mujeres, Playa del Pozo, Playa de Papagayo, Playa de La Cera,
Puerto Muelas and Caleta del Congrio), with golden sands of between
100m and 400m in length and separated by high cliffs. Access is not as
you might expect and given the beaches are remote and not near the
main centre, few services are available, so please go prepared (We’d
advise taking a cool box packed full of food and drink as you won't find
anywhere to buy a drink or something to eat on these beaches).
Follow the signs to Papagayo from the main LZ-2 Roundabout with the
CEPSA garage and you will end up on a bumpy dirt track road (no
tarmac and hire companies generally ask that you only venture here in a
4 wheel drive, but this is generally ignored, so you won’t be alone if you
choose to ignore this advice). You’ll need to pay a small Toll (2 Euros),
before you get the beach top (park by the one and only cafeteria in this
area). You need to walk down the sand bank to the beach (and buggies
are simply no go, so leave them in the car).
This unspoilt, undeveloped area is surrounded by stunning picture card
landscapes, with volcanic ash cliffs, crystal clear waters and fine white &
golden sands and is made up of several small bays and coves (if it is
beginning to sounds like heaven, it almost is). This is not one of the
best beaches on Lanzarote, it is the best beach on the island and one of
the best in Europe. Note, that as you move further away from the
immediate cove, nude bathing is allowed (so be prepared !).
As you head back towards Playa Blanca, I will take you on a whistle stop
tour of ‘the other beaches’. As nice as there are, they do not warrant as
much space in this article as Papagayo. First we have Playa de Las
Coloradas, a quiet gravel beach 410 m long, far from developed areas
and no public services. Next we find the picturesque beach of Playa
Blanca, parallel to the restaurant-lined promenade in the village and 40
m of fine golden sand with placid waters. After we pass the harbour
(where you can take a daily ferry to Fuerteventura), you will find Playa
Flamingo (200 m. of fine white sand, next to Playa Blanca, ideal for
scuba diving), Playa Dorada (a sheltered beach of fine white sand, 30m
long), both close to all the services that the town has to offer. Here you
can rent sports equipment & hammocks.Next we have La Mulata, 80 m.
of fine golden sand mixed with gravel (located between Playa Blanca
and the Faro de Pechiguera lighthouse), La Campana, 140 m. of fine
golden sand (close to the Faro de Pechiguera lighthouse), Montaña
Roja, 260 m. of fine golden sand (near the Faro de Pechiguera
lighthouse), and finally we end with El Golfo, 150 m. of picturesque black
(yes black) sand !
About The Author...
The author is a frequent visitor to Lanzarote, a place that is now his 'home from
home' having taken the plunge into villa ownership on the island - See http://www.
villa-rochelle.co.uk
John is also the administrator of the "Lanzarote Villa Owners Club" @ http://www.
lanzvillaowners.com
Email To :john.pmplumb@btinternet.com
By: John Plumb
What can Lanzarote offer you on your next holiday ?
The short answer is "It can offer you anything and everything", but surely
you want to know more ? Where is Lanzarote ? - It is located on the
eastern side of the Canary Islands and is a mere 13 miles wide and 40
miles long, so you can travel to each and every part of the island and
spend the whole day not having to worry about lengthy journeys to and
from excursions and one of the most appealing aspects is the climate
as it offers warm temperatures and scarce rains all year around, turning
it into a great place for those who wish to spend time at the beach and
enjoy as many outdoor activities as possible.
Whether you are in to Land, Sea or Air sports there is plenty of everything
here :
Cycling, Go-Karting, Golf, Horse-riding, Jeep Safari, Quad-Bike Safari,
Rancho Texas & The Tropical Park
Boat Cruises, Catamaran, Fishing, Submarine or perhaps you just want
to go to an aquapark
Flight Tours, Hand-Gliding & Parasailing
If you prefer the more cultural aspects of a location, then you have to
come to 'heaven'. This side of Lanzarote is best summed by the mere
mention of one mans name - Cesar Manrique, a man whose influence
can be seen all over the island at places like Castillo de San Jose,
Ceuva de los Verdes, Fundacion Manrique, Jameous Del Aqua, Jardin
De Cactus, Mirador Del Rio, Museo Campesino and the fantasic
Timanfaya ("Fire Mountain") and in future articles I will write about each
of these.
Lanzarote is the only place in the world where you have your lunch in a
cafeteria that is built on top of an active volcano, where the heat to cook
your food comes from the volcano itself And where else can you go
deep into a cavern in the middle of nowhere and find a huge
ampitheatre used for live concerts, aplace that doubles as a nightclub
two evening a week ? If you want a great beach, then again Lanzarote
has one to compare with the very best.
Lanzarote Attractions - Mirador Del Rio, Jameous Del Agua and La
Cueva de los Verdes
It is possible to do these three attractions in a single day providing you
set out early and plan your day. As we live in Playa Blanca, we travelled
north on the LZ-2 via San Bartholme and Teguise into the mountains in
the north where we made our first stop at the Mirador Del Rio. This is a
cafeteria cut into the mountains in the north and has the most
spectacular views of the island you could possible want to see, so a
camera is a must.
After a drink and a snack, we continued North and then turned at the top
of the island and made our descent to sea level, where we saw an array
of different coloured sands blown across the sea from the Sahara
desert. If you are into beaches, you might want to stop off here to explore
the many bays on offer.
Shortly after this we arrived at our second attraction, the Jameos del
Agua. Enchanting, Mystical & Magical, the three most common words
used to describe a place created as a result of a formation of gas
explosions within a volcanic bubble. Over the years, seawater has
flooded the tunnels so that eventually a lagoon has been left behind. A
lagoon that is home to thousands of tiny white crabs that have become
blind through many years of living in poor light, a lagoon that has a bar
and a restaurant and even a nightclub three times a week !
Almost next door, we found our second attraction of the day - La Cueva
de los Verdes, one of the longest volcanic galleries in the world at 6km
long and there is surprise element to this tour which I cannot tell you
about otherwise it would spoil your visit. You need to be reasonably fit
and healthy as you need to climb several stairs and bend over in order
to get under many low recesses. It is impossible to take a pushchair
into the caves, so go prepared.
We had an hour to kill at the end of the day, so we stopped off at the
Jardin de Cactus which is on the way back. Here we saw 1,400 different
species all planted together in a small area of land to create the
beautiful Cactus Garden.
A great day out and the children really enjoyed it and they slept like logs
that night !
LANZAROTE BEACHES
Lanzarote offers a wide variety of beaches including white and black
sand, placid and ruffled waters and these are, as you would expect
distributed along the entire coast of the island.
Further articles posted by me discuss in more detail the best beaches
in each of the seven municipalities (articles 11 to 17) and these form
part of a much wider portfolio of information I'm providing to help holiday
makers.
So, where is the best beach then ?
As my ‘home-from-home’ is in the south of the island in Playa Blanca in
the municipality of Yaiza, I am somewhat biased as to where the best
beach is and for me it is without doubt, Papagayo. Judging by the
research I’ve done on the Internet, I am not alone in this opinion, so no
matter where you are staying, I would suggest that you should not miss
this one out.
Punta de Papagayo (to give it its full name), is located at the
southernmost tip of Lanzarote. With a surrounding landscape of volcanic
ash, crystal clear water and fine white sand, this stretch of the coast ,
with several small bays and coves is quite simply stunning. Access is
gained by first driving across a dirt track road (quite bumpy), then paying
a toll (it’s that good, they charge you a small entrance fee), and then
walking down the sand banks to the beach as there is no man-made
path.
BEFORE you walk down the banks, remember to get anything you need
from the one and only cafeteria in this area, as you won’t want to keep
trudging up and down, trust me, I’ve done it. The difficulty in getting to the
beach is worth it. If you decide to walk along the beach to look at other
bays, please bear in mind the fact that some visitors bathe nude at this
location as it is permitted. You should not encounter this in the bay by
the cafeteria.
If you research this beach on the Internet more widely, you will read
statements like ‘wild at times’ and ‘waves can be a little strong at times’,
so your instinct will, quite rightly tell you to keep an eye on the children.
I want to devote the rest of this introductory article to a day on Papagayo
in the Spring of 2005. On this particular trip, my wife decided to stay at
the top of the cliff by the cafeteria, as we were not planning to stay long. I
took my two sons down to the immediate bay as the children were
pestering me to let them play in the sand and have a dip in the water (as
children do). I did what most parents do on holiday - I gave in to their
demands for a peaceful life.
My eldest son (who was 11 at the time) decided he’d like to be a little
braver than the younger one, who was 6 years old and who stayed in the
‘ankles only’ region of the sea with me. He wandered out to a point that
each wave broke about the chest to neck area and if he jumped up as
the wave broke to avoid getting a mouthful of salt water.
All children do this and I’m sure by now, you know what’s coming…. well
he didn’t !
I could see a rather large wave behind him out at sea and began to
shout towards him to come back in a bit. He never understood my
gesticulations towards him, so I moved towards him (instructing the
younger one to go back up the beach immediately and ‘stay put’). For
once, the younger one did as he was told and as I got closer he heard
me and moved towards me. I got to within 5 metres of him before the
wave crashed 15 feet above his head !
For what seemed an eternity at the time, I completely lost sight of him.
He resurfaced, spluttering, and a good 30 metres away from me, which
should give you an appreciation of the waves power. My son waited to
see my reaction before bursting out laughing (I think he thought I would
be angry with him, as if !). He was covered from head to foot in sand,
had drank a pint or more of salt water and despite his brave face, he
was clearly shook up and to this day we still recall that wave at
Papagayo, but he had learnt his lesson and he lives to swallow salt
water another day.
It is worth pointing out that both of my children are very good swimmers,
having attended swimming lessons from an early age. Their ‘reward’ for
this, is to be given more freedom when on holiday, particularly in the
swimming pools, providing we can still see them. I did not for one
moment (you know I really mean that I did) think that he would not come
back up, but please take my experience into account if you go to
Papagayo as the warning ‘strong waves at times’ is often dismissed by
the occasional visitor.
But don’t let this put you off, as this is truly a fantastic location and we
still go back on most visits to the island.
I will to bring this article to a close with an important Safety Message -
Swimming & playing in the sea is great fun, but be aware of the dangers
and act responsibly and look out for Flag warnings.
To this end, you should :
1. Swim parallel to the shore ;
2. Swim within your depth (it can often be difficult to swim back to the
Beach as currents can be strong) ;
3. Never swim immediately after eating ;
4. Never swim alone or at night ;
5. Be aware of local conditions (currents etc), seek advice if in doubt and
beware of boats and jet skis if they are in the vicinity and please do not
swim in areas allocated for their use ;
6. Remember that a Red Flag means “Dangerous Conditions, do not
enter the water” ;
7. Remember that a Yellow Flag means “Dangerous Conditions,
exercise caution” ; and
8. Remember that a Green Flag means its “Safe for swimming”.
Oh… and in case you’re wondering, it was a Green Flag at the time of
the incident with my son and it was altered to Yellow by the time we got
back to the top of the cliff.
Were we unlucky ? No we were lucky !
YAIZA BEACHES, LANZAROTE
This part of Lanzarote is occupied, principally, by the town of Playa
Blanca (once a sleepy fishing village), but in the midst of a major
transformation. Playa Blanca extends from the western Pechiguera
Point (Where our villa is located in La Goleta, Faro Park) to Coloradas
Beach in the east, with the Coloradas Beach effectively becoming the
first of the Papagayo coves, which is where I want to start this ‘journey’.
You will have noticed that there is a fair amount of development going on
across the broader Playa Blanca area. Visitors will be pleased to hear
that building is prohibited beyond this point, so Papagayo Beach will
remain completely as nature created it.
Punta de Papagayo, to give it its full name, is located at the most
southerly tip of the island and is actually a collection of small beaches
(Playa Mujeres, Playa del Pozo, Playa de Papagayo, Playa de La Cera,
Puerto Muelas and Caleta del Congrio), with golden sands of between
100m and 400m in length and separated by high cliffs. Access is not as
you might expect and given the beaches are remote and not near the
main centre, few services are available, so please go prepared (We’d
advise taking a cool box packed full of food and drink as you won't find
anywhere to buy a drink or something to eat on these beaches).
Follow the signs to Papagayo from the main LZ-2 Roundabout with the
CEPSA garage and you will end up on a bumpy dirt track road (no
tarmac and hire companies generally ask that you only venture here in a
4 wheel drive, but this is generally ignored, so you won’t be alone if you
choose to ignore this advice). You’ll need to pay a small Toll (2 Euros),
before you get the beach top (park by the one and only cafeteria in this
area). You need to walk down the sand bank to the beach (and buggies
are simply no go, so leave them in the car).
This unspoilt, undeveloped area is surrounded by stunning picture card
landscapes, with volcanic ash cliffs, crystal clear waters and fine white &
golden sands and is made up of several small bays and coves (if it is
beginning to sounds like heaven, it almost is). This is not one of the
best beaches on Lanzarote, it is the best beach on the island and one of
the best in Europe. Note, that as you move further away from the
immediate cove, nude bathing is allowed (so be prepared !).
As you head back towards Playa Blanca, I will take you on a whistle stop
tour of ‘the other beaches’. As nice as there are, they do not warrant as
much space in this article as Papagayo. First we have Playa de Las
Coloradas, a quiet gravel beach 410 m long, far from developed areas
and no public services. Next we find the picturesque beach of Playa
Blanca, parallel to the restaurant-lined promenade in the village and 40
m of fine golden sand with placid waters. After we pass the harbour
(where you can take a daily ferry to Fuerteventura), you will find Playa
Flamingo (200 m. of fine white sand, next to Playa Blanca, ideal for
scuba diving), Playa Dorada (a sheltered beach of fine white sand, 30m
long), both close to all the services that the town has to offer. Here you
can rent sports equipment & hammocks.Next we have La Mulata, 80 m.
of fine golden sand mixed with gravel (located between Playa Blanca
and the Faro de Pechiguera lighthouse), La Campana, 140 m. of fine
golden sand (close to the Faro de Pechiguera lighthouse), Montaña
Roja, 260 m. of fine golden sand (near the Faro de Pechiguera
lighthouse), and finally we end with El Golfo, 150 m. of picturesque black
(yes black) sand !
About The Author...
The author is a frequent visitor to Lanzarote, a place that is now his 'home from
home' having taken the plunge into villa ownership on the island - See http://www.
villa-rochelle.co.uk
John is also the administrator of the "Lanzarote Villa Owners Club" @ http://www.
lanzvillaowners.com
Email To :john.pmplumb@btinternet.com
LANZAROTE HOTELS
LANZAROTE HOLIDAYS
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