Lanzarote, the island of underrated beauty

During the last February holidays, we were looking for a destination within a few hours by plane and with a pleasant climate. And we had never been to Lanzarote before. It was a great discovery! It is a volcanic island where nature is king and the landscapes are breathtaking! Here there are no big buildings, no advertising hoardings on every corner. Pure beauty, far from mass tourism.

We mixed our stay between rest, activities at the hotel and visits to sites all over the island. What is convenient when travelling with children is that it only takes an hour to drive across the island from north to south. For those of you who, like us, want to discover the beauties of the island, I recommend you to rent a car. The Princesa Yaiza is located in the tourist part of the island. It is a very well-kept establishment that seems to have come straight out of another era and has a lot of charm.

We stayed in a beautiful and spacious sea view suite. It was perfect for our son, my husband and me. Achille slept on a sofa bed in the living room. We had our own separate bedroom. Our suite opened onto a beautiful terrace with two deckchairs, which was very pleasant to enjoy the last rays of the day. A small plus for me (well for my wardrobe): a lot of storage space! The decoration of the suite is classic, even a bit old-school, but that’s its charm.

The hotel houses several restaurants. An international buffet, an Italian buffet and even a Japanese one. The latter is very nice as the guests are seated in a square around the Chef who doesn’t hesitate to put on a show to the delight of the children (and the older ones too for that matter). In all honesty, I am a little less in favour of buffet restaurants. For breakfast, I recommend the « Hacienda » restaurant (still within the hotel of course.) It’s very nice and there’s a nice music to start the day (but how could it be otherwise on holidays ;-)).
The hotel offers half-board, but we preferred the B&B option so that we could wander around in the evening to discover the restaurants in the port. The marina is a 10-minute walk from the hotel and is very pretty. Below are a few of the places we tried and approved.

The Princesa Yaiza is magical for children! Entertainment is organised around the pool and a crazy kids-club with sea view has been set up for them. The hotel has several pools for children and babies and there are several lifeguards on duty.

I must also mention the spa! My woooooonderful husband treated me with a relaxing « Abhyanga » massage.

My body was massaged by her expert hands with warm oil. A moment of pure happiness. (you’ll have understood that I highly recommend Claudia if you treat yourself to a relaxing moment at the spa).
Another big plus point is that with any treatment booked at the spa, access to the sauna and the indoor pool with hydro-massage jets is included. If you wish to access this part of the spa without having booked any treatments, you will be asked to pay a supplement.

After a few days of relaxing at the hotel, we set off to explore what the island had to offer. We started by going to the Famara area. Very nice beach where you can have a nice walk with your feet in the water. It is THE spot for surfers. It is possible to take initiation lessons if you feel like it. We had lunch in a very nice place: « Lounge bar & Restaurant » called « Dunas ». After enjoying a paella, fresh fish of the day and risotto for me, we went to the César Manrique foundation (architect and painter from the island.) Fascinating! I won’t tell you more, but I really invite you to go and have a look! You can also go to the Mirador del Rio. This is a military fort from the 19th century. César Manrique transformed it in the 1970s to camouflage it in the rocks and offer incredible views of the cliffs.
« I’m a big fan of massages and have done quite a few before but the one Claudia gave me was just crazy! »

The next day we went to see Lake Verde. Very impressive! From there we went to Timanfaya National Park. An iconic spot in Lanzarote. Within it is the natural monument Montanas del Fuego, which includes several volcanic cones. Next, we head to Papagayo beach, with its clear sea and high cliffs that protect you from the wind. This is the ideal place for a little sunbathing and a nice swim with the family. There too, we discovered a great beach restaurant with a breathtaking view & a bohemian-chic decor.
I’d like to end this testimonial by highly recommending this destination and especially the Princesa Yaiza.

PS: here are the restaurants we particularly liked:

•  Famara:
  • The « Dunas ». Calle Chirimoya 13 (Residencial Island Homes Famara 35558.) Phone: 928 17 84 77
• On the seafront, for delicious tapas and seafood:
  • « Bodegón Las Tapas ». Paseo Maritimo, 29 Playa Blanca.
• Papagayo Beach:
  • « Be Papagayo » (Casa num 9, Angelina)
• On the port:
  • « La Casa Roja. » for delicious meat or fish of the day in a beautiful setting. Phone: 928 519 644
  • Afrodite Little Italy. An Italian restaurant for delicious pastas or pizzas. Phone: 928 349 706
  • Mumbai Massala. A delicious Indian restaurant (not kitsch, trust me.) Avenue de Las Playas 15, Puerto del Carmen. Phone: 928 511 677.

I wish you a great holiday!
Sophie