Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

9 February 2007

Read about our family holiday to Playa Blanca in Lanzarote in August 2006. We stayed in Burgado in a private villa. We visited nearby Papagayo beaches and El Golfo during our one week stay.

Destination : Playa Blanca, Lanzarote
Airport : Manchester International to Arrecife.
Airline : Flyjet
Flight times: Outbound leaving Manchester at 16.00 arriving at Arrecife at 20.20
Inbound leaving Arrecife at 21.20 arriving at Manchester at 01.30
Accommodation: Burgao Villa, Burgado, Playa Blanca.

Our holiday was booked with

Before we went
We drove to a secure car park near to the airport booked through Holiday Extras.
The courtesy bus leaves every 15 minutes and was a relatively quick and simple transfer from the car park to the airport. It was also less expensive than a taxi to and from the airport.

Our holiday insurance was booked quickly and simply on line with Primary Insurance.

We left a rainy Manchester for the last week of the school holidays to what we hoped would be a warmer climate in Lanzarote. Our boys aged 12 and 10 were looking forward to swimming in the villa’s pool each day, my husband hoped for some good walks and scenery and I hoped for sunshine and a peaceful break.

Getting there
There was some trepidation over the recent changes in hand luggage restrictions. On check in the only difference was to be asked how much hand luggage we had and were given a label to go around each bag stating ‘no liquids’. There was a box on the desk showing the maximum hand luggage size allowed, but it wasn’t until we were to go through airport security that bags were actually measured by placing them in to a container. Bags that didn’t fit didn’t get through! Bags were either being emptied or in some instances were discarded. We were asked at this point to dispose of all liquids. However, speaking to a passenger on the way home, she confessed to hiding her lip stick at the bottom of her bag thinking ‘no one would notice’. They did when the bag was scanned and the offending item was removed!
Once through in to security everyone was asked to remove shoes and belts and place them in a plastic bag to be scanned. Coats too were removed and scanned as was each item of hand luggage, but despite all of this the queues were well ,managed and moved quickly. As long as you are well aware of what to take you should sail through.

The boys are used to flying, but were extremely excited. Both had their iPods and PSPs to entertain them. Our youngest nominated himself to carry a bag to hold their bits and pieces. Both had their iPods and PSPs as well as playing cards and a couple of puzzle books to entertain them. These were invaluable as the 2 hour wait to board was filled with music and games for them. The headsets for the iPods also allowed them to listen to the in flight film, which is may be cheating a little, but they worked, albeit through one ear!

Our destination
This was our second trip to Lanzarote, having visited Puerto del Carmen two years previously. Playa Blanca is a much smaller resort having once been a small fishing village.
We arrived just ½ hour late at Arrecife airport after a great flight. My husband went to collect the hire car, which was booked with Auto Reisin car hire.
It was almost 10pm by the time we arrived at our villa, which was a 30 minute drive following the directions provided by
. We knew when we booked that because of the location of the villa a car was essential and this proved to be true. Burgado is 2km away from the main resort area of Playa Blanca in a residential area. A 15 minute walk took us to a mini supermarket, two bars a Chinese restaurant and a bakery. We used the bakery for fresh bread each day, but after an initial shop at the ‘Netto’ in Playa Blanca, which wasn’t cheap we drove to Playa Honda on the advice of the information left in the villa. Here we found a shopping centre with a large supermarket where we stocked up for the week. I did take some basics like tea coffee and sugar as well as salt and pepper, which I knew we’d need from experience.

Our villa had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It was clean, well maintained and well furnished. The kitchen had a cooker, microwave, kettle and toaster and was well stocked with pots and pans etc. There was also a washing machine in a small utility area.
Stepping from the lounge we were on the patio and in to the pool. The pool was big enough for us to all swim and checked 3 times during our stay by a friendly ‘pool man’.
The boys were happy to spend the days swimming and playing in the pool . There wasn’t anything else nearby, but a 10 minute drive took us to Playa Blanca where we could walk around the shops or along the beach. Playa Blanca has an abundance of shops and restaurants and a harbour where you can take the boat to Fuerterventura, which was easily visible across the water.
The area surrounding our villa is obviously being developed. There was evidence of villas being built, but despite this we were unaware of this as we lay by the pool. We certainly didn’t get the feeling we were on a building site, but it’s easy to see that this area will grow.
There was a beach a few minutes walk away, which was clean and well maintained. As we walked along the beach there were many hotels and apartments to be seen. In fact this was lovely walk in the evening where the boys could run along the sand and have a paddle. A 10 minute drive away are the beautiful beaches of Papagayo. There is a very bumpy road to the beaches or you can get a boat from Playa Blanca. Not all beaches are easily accessible for little children, but the water is beautifully clear with caves for older children and adults to explore. We went to 2 of the beaches and saw just one restaurant and little else there, so not an ideal day out if you have small children or babies who need toilets and food, but nonetheless worth a short visit just to experience the beauty of this island.
The weather was fantastic, which is as you’d expect in Lanzarote. The sun always shines there, or so I’m told! What is a bonus is the breeze that is refreshing, but can be deceptive as the sun is strong.

On our last day we had to leave the villa by 10am, so we took the opportunity to have a drive to El Golfo. What can I say except the scenery was breathtaking. It wouldn’t be easy with tiny children and certainly not for pushchairs, but our boys thought it was amazing.
We spent a couple of hours on the beach at Playa Honda, which is right next to the airport. Not very peaceful, but the sea is calm and ideal for swimming. There’s also a shower on the beach and toilet facilities. We enjoyed our last few hours of sunshine whilst watching the planes land and take off. Because of it’s close proximity to the airport, the beach is not popular with tourists, so you won’t find yourself stuck for a spot to lay your beach towel here!

Finally it was time for us to go home. Arrecife airport is a fairly comfortable airport. You can find something to eat and drink whilst you wait for your flight to board or watch the planes coming and going. Luckily we had only an hours delay. Again the iPods and puzzle books were invaluable in keeping the boys occupied. The flight home was as comfortable as the flight out and we arrived to a wet and cold Manchester airport. The bus was waiting for us to take us back to our car at the car park where we piked up the car keys and made our way back home.

We all enjoyed the holiday. The villa was clean and comfortable and a quiet location. My husband did say he enjoyed the peaceful surroundings, but would’ve liked to have been able to go for more walks. You can only walk left along the beach as at present there is nothing to the right.
Lanzarote is a small island, but away from the beaches and shops we found just a taste of what else there is to offer and could’ve spent a few more days exploring. A car is essential, but driving is easy. The main roads are well maintained and sign posts are clear and easy to follow. All in all Lanzarote proved to be a fantastic destination for our family!

Written by jane · Filed Under Canary Isles, Where To Go