I travelled to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands at the end of January, but it’s taken me a couple of months to get my head around it to write about. The whole idea was a quick, cheap getaway to soak up some sunshine, something I was assured I’d be craving. As a result, Gin and I booked a package deal, and didn’t think too much about it. I didn’t do my customary piles of research, and we had no real plans for our four days.
Sunshine and sand, check
It turns out that after months of jam-packed city breaks, this type of relaxing holiday has become a bit foreign to me! That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the slow pace, afternoon naps, and limited outings – just that it took a while to adjust to.
Something that I didn’t really adjust to was the elements that came with the package holiday we had booked. We were under no illusions about what would be entailed in a cheap deal like this, which was a bed and breakfast package, and our resort was well-maintained, quite pretty, and more than sufficient for the time that we were there. But the atmosphere of, say, the breakfast buffet was unlike anything I’ve experienced – I’d definitely prefer to be somewhere that I can wander down a street and choose an interesting cafe or fresh market food!
Our biggest exertion was a five-hour walk along beautiful coastline from our home beach of Playa Blanca to the Punta del Papagayo. The largely volcanic terrain of Lanzarote is unlike most islands I’ve visited before – although it did remind me a bit of Rangitoto Island in New Zealand! The views over the azure waters and back at the reddish hills were outstanding and it was lovely to get out from the bustle of the very touristy main strip in Playa Blanca.
Our other major outing was a short sail on a catamaran out into the bay towards the islands of Lobos and the much bigger Fuerteventura. Although conditions weren’t always amazing it was great to get a different perspective on the islands, and I always love being on the water.
Looking towards Isolte de Lobos with Fuerteventura behind it
Looking back to Lanzarote at Playa Blanca
I was fascinated by the history of Lanzarote – from potential settlement as long ago as 1100 BCE by the Phoenecians, it later saw Roman, Arab and Portuguese rule before becoming part of Spain in 1477. The catastrophic volcanic eruptions that give the island its distinctive geography took place from 1730 to 1736 and saw lava cover over a quarter of the island’s surface – pretty amazing to picture!
Of course, any chance I get to visit a Spanish territory there’s only one meal that is on my must-try list – paella! I got my chance on our last full day where we were presented with this beauty. Sadly, it was likely responsible for the food poisoning I was later hit by – but the joy on my face at the time was authentic as it smelt amazing.
Overall our trip to Lanzarote was a good experience – it gave me the dose of Vitamin D I was craving and taught me I’m definitely not a package-holiday person!
I’m so excited – Two Feet, One World has been nominated in the Blogger14 Awards
If you have enjoyed the post, please take a moment to vote for me!