The Canary Islands have long been popular due to their pleasant year-round climate. Tenerife is the most well-known, but has become very crowded and expensive. Lanzarote makes a good alternative if you want a cheaper option and are mostly about enjoying a sunshine break, though there are still some attractions to visit.

Playa Blanca

The Canaries are just under of a 4-hour flight from Gatwick. Lanzarote is the northern most island in the archipelago but still enjoys temperatures ranging from 18C in the winter to 27C in the summer. The rain generally is from October to March with December and January being the worst. We like to come for some winter sun, so chose to go late February (at the tail end of the school holidays) as we have found this to be the most reliable weather wise if you want to sit out round the pool. If you don’t have to go for school holidays avoid them like the plague as the prices shoot up.

There are 3 main tourist areas in Lanzarote – Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen and Play Blanca. The latter is right at the southern most point of the Island and takes around 45 minutes to an hour transfer time if you are taking the tour company coach, or 30 minutes if you take a taxi.

We have been coming periodically to Lanzarote around this time of year since my daughter was a tot. It gives you something to look forward to through the dark months – theres nothing like swapping your jumper and jeans for T shirt and shorts in February. We have previously stayed more to the western end, but on this occasion decided to go towards the eastern end. This time we went with both my twenty something daughter and my mother-in-law, so were looking for somewhere that would offer facilities for everyone. We chose the Lanzarote Princess because of its location near to the beach and the town which wouldn’t be too much of a walk for the mother-in-law. Also, my daughter loves looking through all the ‘tat’ shops so enjoys the town too.

What we weren’t aware of is how accessible this hotel is. We noticed quite a few people in wheelchairs and then became aware of things like the slope in the main pool that you can take the wheelchair down and float off. They also have a covered heated pool with a special chair lift to get you in and out of the pool. There was lots of sloped access around the pool area and lifts. This would also mean its very child friendly too. The main disappointment for me was the lack of soundproofing, it was very easy to hear people in the corridors and footsteps overhead etc.

Unlike Tenerife there are not many high-rise buildings on Lanzarote. The artist Cesar Manrique, who was born on this island didn’t want to see its natural beauty spoiled by tourism so campaigned to place height restrictions on buildings. He also wanted to keep them painted white with blue or green windows and succeeded in this to a great extent. For me this really adds to the charm of this Island as the likes of Las Americas in Tenerife can feel a bit soulless.

One of the best things about Playa Blanca is the long and wide promenade. You can walk along the promenade all the way from Faro de Pechiguera lighthouse at the most westerly point all the way to Playa de las Coloradas, a distance of around 9km. The western end is more limited for cafes and shops, possibly because the hotels have set themselves up to be self-contained and offer all-inclusive options. There’s also a fair bit of residential buildings here as well. There is a little beach side café just before the Hotel Rubicon which is quite pleasant to sit at and enjoy the view across to Fuerteventura, and just a little further on a larger café offering more food options.

Keep on going and in a while you will reach Playa Flamingo which offers a small sandy beach. There is a selection of shops and cafes here. If you are staying in a hotel at this end of the coastline then this is your easiest option for the beach. Continue on round the corner and you will reach the Puerto del Playa Blanca.

From here you can take the ferry across to Corralejo on Fuerteventura. The port is the start of the original fishing village of Playa Blanca. There is a tiny beach here, but plenty of shops and restaurants. There is an interesting mix of touristy shops and some smart shops. There is a reasonable sized supermarket here if you want some supplies. My daughter was delighted that they have an Ale Hop (think Flying Tiger) and I really like the boutique Koala Bay. There is a lovely tapas restaurant here called Restaurante Le Cuadra, which has a great view across the bay. You need to access it from the street behind the promenade, and the entrance doesn’t look like much but inside the outlook is great and the tapas is delicious. We ordered 9 dishes between the 4 of us and a bottle of white wine which cost a total of 119 euros.

Continue along the promenade and you will arrive at Playa Dorada. This was the nearest beach for us and we enjoyed the amenities here. My mother-in-law wasn’t keen on the tea being offered in the hotel, so we picked up some PG Tips from the mini market here (you could have Yorkshire as well). They were also selling some British newspapers as well as Heinz goods and British biscuits etc. There are two sports bars on the sea front as well as a couple of cafes. Personally, I found the portions on the large side, the Bocadillo in particular were huge. The first of the sports bars was The Harp Irish bar where we managed to get a seat to watch the Rugby. They had plenty of screens available and were showing some football on the other screens so you could pick which game you wanted to watch.

Next door the Biker Beach Club also had large screens for sports. It also contained the ice cream shop selling lots of different flavours though at 2 euros a ball, not the cheapest (but then I did just pay £3 at Brighton on the seafront so maybe not the worst?). Within the shopping complex there are various other bars and restaurants including an Indian that lays claim to being the best restaurant in the resort. There is even a Burger King if you want.

We did have a paddle is the sea and the other half went in for a swim. A bit cool for me but he reckoned it was a bit warmer than the hotel pool. The sand is quite gritty in texture so maybe some sliders would be a good idea. There is quite a pull when the waves recede so just keep an eye on the kids. There is an information kiosk on the promenade offering trips on boats etc if you are interested in doing that type of activity.

Follow the path on and you head towards the Marina. The newly built Hotel Barcelo Playa Blanca dominates this part of the route and looks pretty good. There are lots of shops and restaurants built underneath and there is even a small children’s playground towards the end.  Ahead is the Marina with some very nice-looking yachts.

There are some smart shops and restaurants here. On Wednesdays and Saturdays between 9am and 2pm there is a market with the stalls dotted around the complex. I have to say I was quite impressed with some of the goods on offer, with local artists making their own pieces often using recycled materials. We stopped to have a drink at a restaurant call the Lanis which had a great location, but sadly the service didn’t match up. Not sure if they were too busy focusing on the food side of things, but it’s was the slowest service I think Ive ever had.

There was also a curious restaurant and bar called the Rubicon Oasis that had a pool that was open to the general public. I guess if you have come in on a yacht that might be a desirable thing to do. As you exit the Marina the Castillo de las Coloradas comes into view. It was built to defend the area from pirates. It’s not possible to get into the tower but it does make a good photo. There is an information board outside to tell you about the history of the place. I haven’t personally been any further but the path should continue all the way into Playas de las Coloradas.

Amenities within the resort

There are two waterparks available, Aqualava and Dino which are located close to the resort centre.

Just recently opened, Palm Safari Mini golf is located near the Marina.

Water sports from the beach. We spotted a large float with armchair style seats being pulled by a jet ski. Expect to be bounced all over the place and get wet. There was also some parasailing being done.

Ferry to Fuerteventura. It takes around 30 minutes so makes for an interesting day out. It may not be far but the sea can get a little rough so check how windy it’s going to be before going. Check the prices as they are variable, you could go for around £30 return, but it could be nearer £60 depending on timing and if you take the catamaran.

Bike hire. The other half decided to pick one up from the complex on the beach. It cost 20 Euros for the day for a road bike and he was given a map with a suggested route up towards the national park.

Excursions further afield

Timanfaya national park – experience the moonlike landscape of the national park. There is a restaurant where the food is cooked using the heat from the Volcano. You can also stop off to do a Camel ride.

Teguise Market – A substantial market in the oldest settlement of Lanzarote. Every Sunday 9 – 2.

Cesar Manrique house – the original Volcano House and the one in Haria are both open to the public. Some tours will take you to see some of the other places he helped create. Look out for the wind powered installations in the middle of roundabouts on the way.

Jump on the local buses and Visit Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise.