I had never heard of Lanzarote before planning a trip there, so here is the scoop.
Lanzarote, a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 km², it stands as the fourth largest of the islands. The island's name means "the red mountains".
Ok, so I will start with, we left the camera in the trunk (or boot in Brit speak) of the car! We did buy a disposable camera, so I will post pictures as soon as we get them back (knowing me-sometime in 2010!)
Overall we had a great vacation. However, our accommodations were a bit disappointing and the pools were freezing!!!! We didn’t understand that the one bedroom kitchen unit for four meant only two single beds. Also, the kids club advertised as open until the end of October closed our second day (October 19th). They did have a kids disco which Sophia loved, followed by a show every night. “I am the music man, I come from Alowaya and I can play, I can play…..” The song will haunt me for months. Later review on wikipedia reveals the lyrics were actually "I am the music man, I come from down the way, and I can play...". It was some of the latest nights out VW and I have had in years! I see a future dancing queen in S.
I am so glad VW convinced me not to get the all inclusive. We had two grocery stores next door and a millions beachfront restaurants. We enjoyed some really great meals overlooking the ocean. Everyone at the resort complained about the all-inclusive meals. And the lack of things included in the “all-inclusive.” They even charged $6 a day to turn the TV on for example. Of course, who watches TV on vacation.
S made some wonderful friends at the pool and we even exchanged information with several families. One family we met at the beach (some distance from our hotel) turned out to be staying a few doors down from us at the hotel. The husband was in the same line of work as VW and had actually been to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Crazy. Most people have never heard of Minnesota of course.
Both kids got really into playing on the beach. They built castles and hunted for shells and made friends. The water is a truly different kind of blue. Most of the beaches are covered in black volcanic rock and white sand blown over from the Sahara Desert. We went to Papagayo Beach one day (I hope the pictures turn out.) You walk down a rather crazy cliff to the beach below. It looks like a scene from a movie.
We also visited Timanfaya National Park. It was really cool. You take a bus tour through the volcanic rock mountains and over some pretty terrifying terrain. Next time, I would have a drink or two! It was absolutely lovely though. We ate BBQ at the restaurant cooked over the heat from the volcano.
The parkland is entirely made up of volcanic soil. The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736. The volcanic activity continues as the surface temperature in the core ranges from 100 to 600 ºC at the depth of 13m, which is demonstrated by pouring water into the ground, resulting in a geyser of steam which is an attraction for tourists.
We also visited El Grifo Wine Museum. It was really nice to see the history and tools used. We tried the wines and I liked the champagne best.
We also visited Jameos del Agua. I think it was our favorite attraction, and I know it was VW’s (mine might have been the wine museum.)
It is long lava tube which formed about 3,000 years ago when the Montaña La Corona erupted.
Molten lava continued to flow as the surface hardened, which in turn led to the formation of the tubes, which run down under the Atlantic. You enter the Jameos by climbing down a stone-staircase into the first cave known as ‘Jameo Chico’, which has been turned into an unusual bar / restaurant, with views over a small lake.
This natural lake has extremely clear water — regulated by the Atlantic Ocean — and is home to a species of blind albino crabs known as ‘Jameitos’ which are only found on Lanzarote.
Crossing the lake, by a narrow footpath, we find ourselves in the ‘Jameo Grande’
There is also a crystal-clear, turquoise pool is truly paradise, even if you can’t actually use it, as swimming is forbidden.
From the far end of the ‘Jameo Grande’ you can access the auditorium which has been constructed in part of the volcanic tube running down to the Ocean.
The auditorium has unbelievable acoustics and has been the setting for some memorable concerts.
I even got to use a little of my Spanish, however it must be really bad, because the people would say, “I speak English.”
One other thought, the island was very windy. So, it was a bit cold at times, however I am sure in the heat of the summer, the wind would be welcomed.
We ended the trip with a 4 hour flight delay. We arrived home around 4:30 on Monday morning. VW had to be at work early and I brought S to school late.
Cheers.
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