Winter Sun Wonderland

My first family holiday to the Canaries was when I was 15. Flying down the Kamikaze in the waterpark, touring across Mount Teide volcano and watching unicycling parrots on tightropes was amazing fun! 

During the summer, Blackfish, a film about whales in captivity was released. This eye-opening documentary explains how how psychologically damaging this tourist attraction is to one of the world's biggest mammals. 6 of these poor creatures are located in Loro Parque, where one of the trainers was mauled to death during a performance. I have no intention of supporting the exploitation of wild animals or holidaying here again.

So where to holiday in November on a budget with guaranteed sunshine? There are other Canary islands but the only one with daily flights by Ryanair is Lanzarote. I love adventure and cultural holidays, going on a package tour didn't initially appeal to me but this island delivered a delightful surprise.

We stayed in some mediocre 4* resort in Costa Teguise. B&B was cheap as chips but the pool temperature was Baltic, one cd of cheezy music blaring on a loop and we were an awful hike from the beach, so after one day we rented a car and hit the high road.

My partner knew of the most idyllic setting of Arrieta, so there we went and thoroughly enjoyed jumping the fat Atlantic rollers. We returned here again on a choppier day and following uber-fresh fried red snapper, potatoes boiled in seawater, and their unique to Lanzarote 'Mojo' sauce we enjoyed watching the surfers at play.

We journeyed up to Orzola, passing a nudist beach, where the white sand, although more rocky and turquoise waters were reminiscent of Dreamland in Bali. 









We continued up the mountain climb to Mirador Del Rio, where the cliffs overlook the stunning Chinijo Archipelago. 

By simple walking around the side of this tourist trap you      can enjoy the views for free!

The winding hilltop roads are great for driving and have some awesome vistas in all directions.

As the sun started to dip, we decided to chase it South West to the fishing village at Punta Gorda. A restaurant that serves giant seafood platters overlooking the sea was recommended to us by a friend. So we sat and feasted for hours while watching the most sublime sunset dip into the Atlantic Ocean...

Lobster, crayfish, cuttlefish, langoustine, razor clams, cockles, mussels, crab claws, scallops, gambas, periwinkles grilled with garlic, lemon juice & olive oil.

Picture perfect :)

Other noteworthy beaches are surf-central Playa Famara, and the National Park at El  Papagayo, where once you cross the arid landscape before the turn of for Playa Blanca, there are three hidden beaches: Caleta Del Congrio, Playa de las Coloradas and Playa Mujeres.

We spent our final day in the city of Arrecife, watching the Moto GP final in a local café, with an all-Spanish line-up in the top 3, it made for a great ambiance and the Cruz Campo grande went down sweetly. To clear the head we waltzed around the seafront.

We finished off our fabulous few days with a tasting menu dinner in the tallest building on the island, Arrecife Gran Hotel where the views were spectacular and numerous delicacies divine.

If I return to Lanzarote I wouldn't bother with a hotel/resort. There are funky eco-cottages with private pools and barbecues available all over the island, car hire and petrol is really cheap, as are food and drinks from the markets. 

Beautiful beaches, glorious scenery, surf, scuba and a delicious dinner & diner at sunset is what this often misconceived gem of an island is all about.