I love going to Lanzarote. Sometimes, twice a year. The last time we went out there we decided to look at property we love it that much. Although I will never forget the first time I took my better half to the island!
“Where has he brought me?” – is what she thought when we jumped off the plane and into the car. As we drove from the airport, through the dry, barren landscapes towards Playa Blanca the reaction of someone who hadn’t been to Lanzarote before was one of disbelief. It certainly wasn’t love at first site.
However, I wasn’t alarmed. I didn’t panic. I knew that within a few hours there would be a change of tune and I was right. We drove through Yaiza and down the main road to Playa Blanca. The landscape on this route is nothing more than fields of lava that looks like it has been ‘ploughed’. It’s a fascinating sight and something I never get bored off, although perhaps easy to see why someone who hadn’t experienced the rest of the island might find it a bit isolated!
We arrived at our apartment and within a few hours of settling in and taking in the surroundings of our home for the next 10 days we decided to walk across the sea front at Playa Blanca, even a brief (and I mean very brief!) rain shower didn’t stop a change in mind. She fell in love with Lanzarote and the best was yet to come.
The following day we hired a car and drove up the west side of the island, stopping off at El Golfo to see the green lake and witness the rough Atlantic waves crashing against the lava rocks where land met water.
We then drove up to the Timanfaya National Park, where we took the trip up to El Diablo, saw the fascinating guiser demonstration and then hopped on a coach for a tour around the Volcanoes. The views on this tour, and the colours of the rocks are amazing – with a mixture of gold and red offset by the sun. The landscape is magnificent, naturally beautiful and totally unspoilt.
As we drove back to Playa Blanca the villages look so clean in the sun, with the white washed buildings and the crisp blue sky. One of the beauties of Lanzarote is that all the buildings are white. It’s a legal requirement and it keeps the island looking so clean and natural. You will also notice that there is no advertising on the side of the roads in Lanzarote either. This is another law introduced by Cesar Manrique in an attempt to help preserve the natural beauty of the island.
It’s definitely our favourite place, and I truly believe that Lanzarote has captured the hearts of many by maintaining the perfect combination of nature and man, proving that the two can co-exist!
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