Volcanoes, pizza and lots of sand
A family holiday in Lanzarote
Nora Vrba is an art director, working in magazine and graphic design, and she is a mom of two girls, Puck and Mia. They live in Haarlem, the Netherlands. Through her photography, Nora loves to collect and share stories of colour, art, travel nature and fashion.
The Canary Islands seem to be a bit of a forgotten holiday destination. Especially Lanzarote with its desert-like nature, people tend to think it’s boring. And no, it’s not glamorous, fancy or hip. Yet, with only 16 days of rain per year and an almost constant temperature between 20 degrees in winter and 28 degrees in summer, plenty of gorgeous beaches and extravagant landscapes, it’s excellent for a laid back holiday with kids. Since destinations like Greece, Portugal or Ibiza are tricky around easter time (I remember a holiday on Ibiza in May, with a week of 17 degrees and rain, wearing the only cardigan I brought for a whole week). We wanted to go somewhere the girls can swim and chill on the beach, but without the 14-hour travel and jet lag. So we picked Lanzarote, and we loved it! Mia was just 5 and Puck 8.
Our apartment was located close to Playa Blanca, on the southwestern tip of Lanzarote (supposedly you have the best weather of the island there :). When picking a place to stay, we always look for certain things: First of all, we need at least two bedrooms. Secondly, we prefer a ground floor with outside space like a terrace or a little garden, so the girls can play outside whenever they like. A kitchen and decent bathroom are high on our list too. That way we can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at home. We usually pick a place where the basic needs - like supermarket, restaurants, and beach - are within walking distance. Most of those accommodations are a bit older (as opposed to the brand new, all-inclusive hotels). So we picked location and facilities overlook and style of the apartment, which was the typical black leather couch, an Ikea armchair with fleece blanket cover, loads of pine dressers and shelves with dried flower and poster decoration.
We’ve travelled a fair amount with our girls. The longest trip was Thailand when our eldest was two and a half years old. However, since having two kids, we tend not to go that far. Being stuck to school holidays changed our choice of destinations. We mostly travel in Europe at the moment, meaning shorter travel time and still plenty of amazing places to see.
The girls both have their own backpacks for toys and games. They can bring what they can carry. Mostly it’s colour pencils and paper, a few small games (current favourites are Uno and the pocket edition of Labyrinthe), a puzzle book, and their own selection of Playmobil. I always pack one book I can read to them, this time it was The Big Friendly Giant (by Roald Dahl) and Puck brings her own. Just before we leave, they are allowed to pick one colouring book each for during travel. Most of the time, these keep them happy for the first hour or two. Another thing we love is audiobooks. They’ve saved many long travel times and rainy days.
Things to do and see
On Lanzarote, you can do many things or choose to do absolutely nothing. We love a bit of both. A rental car isn’t a must, but it gives you more freedom to explore the island. We rented ours at www.pluscar-lanzarote.com. They have good rates, no hidden extra fees, free child seats, and you can add extra drivers without charge. You can pick it up at the airport, and leave it there at the end.
BEACHES
There are many beaches. Our favourite and the most spectacular one is Playa de Papagayo. It feels like driving to the end of the world and you pay an entrance fee of €3, but it’s absolutely worth it. Situated on top of the cliffs, you find the cafe/restaurant El Chiringuito with an amazing view. They serve snacks, drinks or lunch but it can be busy.
We also like the Playa Blanca city beach which is small but cozy. At the end of the day, many locals come here for a dip and a chat.
Side note: it tends to be quite windy on Lanzarote, so sometimes the beach can be a bit tricky for little children, with the wind and the sand. Also, the wind makes the sun feel less hot, so don’t forget to be royal with sunscreen. Or, even better, do as the Spanish do, have a long siësta in the shade :).
MANRIQUE
Lanzarote is famous for the works and buildings of painter, sculptor, and architect César Manrique, who lived and worked on the island for many years. He demonstrated his love for his home-island by being very active in preserving the original architecture of the island. No building should be higher than 4 stories and be painted in light colours with windows and doors in green, brown, or blue. No road signs with advertisements on them. In the ’80s, he demonstrated against the mass tourism of that time.
If you visit Lanzarote, you should check out at least one of the 8 amazing Manrique buildings, where he integrated landscape and nature in the most aesthetic way. If you plan on visiting multiple sites, you can get a combined ticket.
www.fcmanrique.org
JAMEOS DEL AGUA
Tiny white crabs in a cave, a restaurant, museum and a dreamy pool (no swimming allowed).
MIRADOR DEL RIO
Amazing viewpoint overlooking the tiny island of La Graciosa, including a restaurant with the best view.
CÉSAR MANRIQUE FOUNDATION
Volcanic bubbles transformed into different living areas, and a great art collection.
LAGOMAR MUSEUM
By far the girls’ favourite, since it’s built like a natural labyrinth with lots of amazing views and living areas to explore. Also a lot of stairs and small passages, so leave the stroller behind.
We didn’t visit all the buildings but if you can’t get enough of Manrique, check out the Cactus Garden, Al Campesino and César Manrique's house museum as well.
www.lag-o-mar.com
CUEVA DE LOS VERDES
If you are not claustrophobic, you can visit one of the largest caves of Lanzarote. It came about after the eruption of the Volcán de la Corona around 4000 years ago. Stories about pirates, lighting-effects by artist Jesus Soto and a visual surprise at the end. Note: the tour is about 2 km long and not accessible with strollers or wheelchairs.
HIKE A VOLCANO
Lanzarote, being a volcanic island, gives you the opportunity to hike to the top (and the bottom) of a volcano. One way is to visit Timanfaya National Park, which we didn’t. The park is the biggest tourist attraction on the island, but access is restricted (only with organized buses) because of the vulnerability of the area and to regulate the visiting tourists. If you’d like to go, book way in advance, so you don’t miss out.
Luckily, around the rest of the island, there are still plenty of other (less touristic) options to hike a volcano. Most of them are quite easily accessible but don’t expect easy or detailed paths. We hiked two of them. The first one, Volcán Montana Roja de Playa Blanca was close to were we stayed and easy peasy. You can go up, enjoy the view, go down into the crater, or go round all the way, which is a bit challenging in some parts. Don’t forget to bring a light jacket, since it can be very windy on the top.
The second one we hiked was located next to Timanfaya National Park, at the Parque de los Volcanes. The drive there is already spectacular. We googled for a family-friendly hike around the volcano but the one we found really wasn’t. It can be shortened to an easier one though. The walk through 2 km of lava fields to the volcano is impressive, you can add the climb to the top. The hike we did took us all the way around and was challenging, to say the least. Don’t forget you also have to return through that 2 km of lava, so remember to bring enough food and drinks.
EL GOLFO
Another spectacular piece of nature is El Golfo. Unfortunately, it’s also part of the organised bus tours, so don’t be surprised on your walk to the viewpoint, to be passed by the tourist-rat-race to be the first to get THE SHOT. Don’t worry, after they all took a million pictures and selfies, they hurry back to the bus and the place is all yours (until the next bus arrives :). We stayed quite a while to play with rocks on the black-sandy beach. Don’t leave without having lunch in the nearby village, in one of the best seafood restaurants of the island, serving local fish and great traditional Canarian food.
TEGUISE
We visited the charming and well-preserved Teguise shortly. Being one of the eldest villages on the island, there are many characteristic buildings, including nice shops and restaurants. We especially liked these two:
LUNACARACOL KIDS
Adorable kids shop with lovely, affordable items and the sweetest owner.
Plaza la Constitución 12, 35530 Teguise
EMPORIUM
In this home & deco shop, located in the former cinema, you’ll find the most incredible Asian curiosities and antiques.
Calle Notas 15 , 35530 Teguise
www.emporium.es
LANZAROTE KARTING
High on the wishlist was a visit to the carting track. There are two options, but we picked Lanzarote Karting since you are allowed to ride solo on a kart starting from the age of 8. From 4 years up, you are allowed in a two-seater kart. So even with young kids, this is a lot of fun. The staff is really friendly, and every time we visited, we almost had the whole track to ourselves.
LZ-20, 35550 San Bartolomé
www.lanzarotekarting.com
Where to eat
On holidays, we tend to alter eating in and eating out. Depending on what we did during the day, and how tired the girls are, we decide how to handle dinner. Preferably we go somewhere within walking distance.
playa blanca
By far our favourite, with real Italian food, and a lovely view of the harbour (best entertainment for the girls: watching the ferries arrive and depart). Don’t forget to make reservations!
NINEN
Hidden a bit on the back of the high street, not the fanciest interior, but really good burgers and some local beers.
Calle Limones 131, 35580 Playa Blanca
www.ninenlanzarote.com
CHACHO FRESH BURGER
Funniest staff, pretty good pizzas and an ocean view from the balcony.
Calle la Corriquia 5, 35580 Playa Blanca
+34 928 517 748
DA VINCI
Avenida Papagayo 18, 35580 Playa Blanca
BAR RESTAURANTE LOS HELECHOS
We didn’t eat here but the view from this place is amazing. And the pastries looked really good.
Lz-10, 35542 Haría
RESTAURANTE COSTA AZUL
Next to El Golfo, for local fish and great traditional Canarian food.
Av. Marítima 34, 35570 El Golfo
Good to know... Links to keep
GENERAL INFormation about the island
www.visitlanzarote.es
www.turismolanzarote.com
www.lanzaroteinformation.co.uk
written and photographed by
NORA VRBA