Lanzarote without filters: sun, volcanoes and a few gaffes on the sand

Traveling to the island of happiness in the middle of spring and swimming in the Canary Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean? That’s right! That was the exact sentence I used when discussing a trip to Lanzarote with my friend Nina.

We took a direct flight from Zagreb that lasted 4 and a half hours – quite tiring. Admittedly, Nina had interesting company, while the passengers around me were so passive that I almost thought I was on a bad date with even worse sour wine. So I watched two movies, cleaned out the gallery of duplicate photos on my phone, and read a lot of pages of Oriana Falaci’s book – Interviews with History and Conversations with Power.

We immediately made a rookie mistake because we didn’t rent a car upon arrival – that’s actually the most practical way to explore the island. In five days, we spent only 20 euros on fuel, and the car rental cost us 90 euros, without additional costs. A well-maintained car, barely 3,000 kilometers (or maybe its odometer is not working, who knows haha).

We settled near Playa Blanca, which turned out to be a great choice for a base on the island. We visited the César Manrique Foundation and House-Museum, then LagOmar and Jardín de Cactus, which delighted us with the variety of cacti. Tickets cost around 10 euros on average. You can find interesting souvenirs in the museums, so I decided to surprise my friends with trees and cactus seeds. Spring is a great time to visit because the temperatures reach around 23 degrees. For us, who rarely see the sun the rest of the year, it was easy to get sunburned, and we spent days slathering ourselves with cold yogurt from the accommodation.

Speaking of accommodation, Nina, who travels a lot, knows how to find good deals. So for a very affordable price, we stayed in a quiet complex near the beach called Grupotel Flamingo Beach, with indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, massages, and various recreational facilities.

I was particularly impressed by the Charco Verde  El Golfo area – on one side a green lake, on the other the ocean, and in between the black coast and volcanic rocks. The view stretched to the remains of the volcano, and all the tourists, including me, were looking for the perfect shot for a photo.

We also visited Salinas de Janubio, and just a few minutes away is Playa del Janubio, where I got that aforementioned “slight” sunburn. One day I carelessly decided to turn the car over on the sand, so other visitors had to pull us out. That sand, apart from that accident, we will remember as a favorite location among surfers – Playa de Famara.

If you go there, be sure to visit Playa de Montaña Bermeja, Playa del Paso, Los Clicos, La Arena y El Pozo, and Playa de las Malvas.

One of Nina’s big wishes was the Las Grietas rocks. I also liked them, but I could have been more rational and not walked in slippers among the volcanic cracks at the foot of Montana Blanca. Like a true Mujo from Doboj, I managed to wear white socks, so the experience was even better. Although I also caught the eyes of other foreigners, I may have even seemed a little cute to them.

Of the places on the island, I also recommend Ye, Haría, Tiagua, Nazaret, San Bartolomé, and Yaizu. For example, every Sunday in Teguise ,there is a lively local market where you can haggle to your heart’s content. (Don’t ask how I know that!) We haven’t had time to visit many of them yet. But be sure to try the local fish specialties and local wines, which have a unique taste thanks to the volcanic soil.

The Casa Joaquín restaurant deserves a mention because they didn’t charge me for a meal I didn’t like – I left almost the entire portion. Food and drink prices are slightly lower than in Zagreb, so there are enough reasons to travel to this special island, rent a car or bike, and explore to the fullest.

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