So, day trips!!!

[Hever]

Last January we did the submarine trip (absolutely petrified but I did it  ) and was wondering about other good trips to do next Jan. What do people recommend? We were thinking of doing the trip to the volcano....worth it?? And I was watching a travel programme about Lanzarote the other day and there was a bit about the local artist (can't remember his name  ) and that looked quite interesting...(would it be the Cactus garden? or something like that  )...

If anyone can suggest a couple of good trips then I'm all ears. We didn't do much last time because the weather was bad and I wasn't well.......fingers crossed it'll be better next time 

[✈ Elle ☀]

Yes - definitely do ther volcano trip. Bart and I finally got around to it this year... and really enjoyed it. It's €8 per person... and the coach takes you around the volcanoes for about 20 minutes or so.

The artist you're thinking of is Cesar Manrique. He designed the Cactus Gardens, but his home is also a museum too. I haven't done either yet - terrible isn't it? Lived here almost 3 years too lol.

[Hever]

I saw his home too...looked brilliant. I'm wondering if we should hire a car for a couple of days (something we've never done before) as the programme I watched, the presenter was visiting little villages that looked so pretty. There was one in particular where the locals keep it looking lovely all the time and again the name escapes me!

[✈ Elle ☀]

Sounds like Yaiza - which yes is lovely. Definitely worth hiring a car Hever... as you can see so much.

Here are a couple of links to tours you can do.

http://www.lanzaroterelocation.co.uk/lanzarote-south-tour/

http://www.lanzaroterelocation.co.uk/lanzarote-north-tour/ - best done on a Sunday.

And some info about other stuff too.

http://www.lanzaroterelocation.co.uk/things-to-do-in-lanzarote/

[Hever]

Thanks for the links....that's great and I've just asked hubby if we can hire a car (I don't drive you see so it'll be him doing all the driving) and he said yes  He normally refuses to drive on holiday so I'm quite pleased he's said yes this time 

[Geoff]

Hello Hever, If you want a night trip! try the big hotel in Arrecife for a meal...I think it`s called the Grande hotel and the restauraunt is on the 17th floor overlooking the city, the  lights of the city at night are brill...lot`s of glass all around! It seemed a bit  posh to us and intimidating before we took the plunge, ( that`s just us) but it turned out to be not a worry, and had a brill night with superb food and it was very good price wise. A lovely experience we want to repeat, and also re eat!

G

[dixie d]

hi geoff,  we always pop into the grand hotel for a beer after shopping in arrecife it really is great veiws aint it and the price is very reasonable, always thought about a meal on a night time i know  what you mean about intimidating but well done i generally look at the web cam on a night and as you say the lights are a great sight.

[Geoff]

Hi dixie d, Never thought about a beer during the day in the hotel but it sounds nice now that you mention it, we will try it. We like breakfast/lunch in the Cenral cafe in Arrecife, a great wee place which is a 5 min slow walk to the beach and I often teased my wife about going in for a beer dressed just as we were...the british!! On a personal note is dixie d to do with the great Dixie Deans? if it is... I did notice the "howay the lads"! and as I was abandoned this weekend by the Mrs, I was looking up the great Jimmy Greaves videos on the internet of some of the goals he scored for England and Spurs etc... this is not easy for me as I am a Scot, and I came across the 9-3 thrashing that we got from England all those years ago..I was young but I can still feel the pain! one of the goals scored that day was a certain Bobby Robson and what a strike! It made me sad that he left us.
If I am wrong in my assumptions dixie d...sorry, but if I am right, well you will know him, and what a great bloke he was.

Geoff

[stuartp]

We had a good day out in the hire car the other week to the north of the island which we had toyed with before but never got past Guinate Tropical Park so were on a mission to make it to the very top of the island.

We went from Playa Blanca upto Jameos del Agua which was about 50 minutes drive but well worth it. The place was packed and had ten minute queue to get in but almost all visitors seemed Spanish so Manrique must mean more to them. We were there just over an hour and were glad we had made the trip I think entrance was about 8 Euros and kids free. We then drove the 5 minutes across to Mirador Del Rio where the views to La Graciosa were stunning and worth the fee of 4 Euros (I think).

We then headed to Teguise for lunch in a tapas bar called Icarus where they have a small shaded courtyard out the back. From there we went to Famara to watch the kite surfers and headed home via a stop at one of the Bodegas in La Geria.

For me the drive alone would have warranted the trip out but it is amazing how easily you can get round the island. I think we left PB at about 9:30am and were back for 5pm without having rushed.

Other trips out of we did were Aquapark (tired but had good fun), Karting (not cheap but what is, 15 Euros for 8 minutes), El Golfo (2 Euro fishing net for rock pools and son could spend hours there) , Submarine (promised son but 86 Euros for 1 adult and 5 year old again not cheap).

My highlight though must have been succesfully avoiding Ikea for the whole 16 days, priceless!

[Josie]

Sounds like a great day out Stuartp but you still need to see Orzola in the very north where the ferry to Graciosa goes from - nice fish restaurants.

I have to confess to tricking Mr J into going to IKEA on our last trip

We were actually going somewhere else but as we were passing........

[stuartp]

No that is still on the list but hopefully will get to cover it with trip across to La Graciosa, although may be tempted to leave that till next summer as I think a clear calm day is called for and warm seas to make most of the beaches over there.

 http://www.lineas-romero.com/eng/lineas/comollegar.html

[Steve Cash]

Never knew about that trip , looks great , have done similar ones in Malta and Antigua(pirate boat) and they were absolutely brilliant , will have to look at this one , going to Orzola in January i loved it there and havent been for years and Julie wants to see the rest of the island next time

[John B]

Manrique's house is stunning.  The ground level is now a gallery of his art, pretty impressive, but the real treat is downstairs in rooms made from a chain of volcanic bubbles, it's straight out of a James Bond film set. The man was a genius.  Pity he wasn't around to prevent the shopping centre behind the Marina Rubicon looking like a fugitive from the Costa del Sol!

[Hever]

Thanks for the other suggestions everyone.....

[✈ Elle ☀]

Pity he wasn't around to prevent the shopping centre behind the Marina Rubicon looking like a fugitive from the Costa del Sol!

Agreed. They should have put more thought into that particular baby.