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26 Lanzarote
Attractions – Guinate Tropical Park
A day out at Lanzarote Guinate Tropical
Park
Villa Rentals, Quality Villas, Luxury
Villas, Private Pools, Villas with Pools, Lanzarote,
Playa Blanca, Faro Park
The Parque Tropical is
open every day of the year including bank holidays from
10:00 to 17:00 hours. Admission is 14 Euros per adult
and 5 Euros per child and I’d recommend allowing a half
day to go around the Park, although some visitors have
been know to spend the whole day there.
Parque
Tropical is located in the north of the the island at
the foot of Mount Corona, an extinct volcano which is
the highest point of the island, close to the Famara
Cliffs and 400 meters above sea level, with spectacular
views to the islands of La Graciosa, Alegranza and
Montaña Clara.
We arrived via the most scenic
route which took us through Teguise, the old capital of
Lanzarote, up through Los Valles to some stunning views
of the island and down into the beautiful province of
Haria (the valley of a thousand palms). From Haria we
took the road past the Mirador del Rio (Article 22 of
mine covers a separate day trip there). You will see the
signs for Guinate and the Park from this point in the
journey.
The park covers 11 acres of land
(45,000 square feet) and includes gardens, waterfalls
and lakes. The park has many species of bird (around 300
species in total), including Ostriches, Flamingos,
Cranes, Hornbills, Toucans, Cockatoos, Macaws,
Pheasants, Ibis, Ducks, Pigeons & Doves. There are also
many species of the smaller birds like Finches,
Cardinals and Love Birds. There is also a large
walk-through aviary, some 3/4 of an acre (about 3200 sq.
meters) with six species of Weaver Birds that breed
naturally in the area. It is quite fascinating to watch
them building their hanging nests within the aviary.
In the same area you’ll find Parrots and many other
small birds that fly free in a this almost natural
habitat. Within this aviary there is a lake of some
70metres by 7metres full of Koi Carp, some measuring a
length of nearly a meter. You will also see Mandarin and
Carolina Ducks swimming around between the fountains. A
fascinating area of the park which must not be missed.
The Parque is known to have a successful breeding
program of macaws, cockatoos, african greys and other
species of parrots. Also with various doves, finches,
pheasants, ornamental ducks, ostriches, rheas, trumpeter
hornbills and many other small birds.
In the
gardens you’ll find many different varieties of plants,
shrubs and trees in the park, many of which have been
labelled with interesting information about their
particular uses and countries of origin. There is a
cactus walk on the hillside with a large variety of
cacti and where a waterfall drops down into the
flamingo, duck and swan pool below.
Every day,
there are six bird, at no extra charge. These take place
at 11.30, 12.30, 13.30, 14.30, 15.30, and 16.30 where
macaws and cockatoos can be seen riding their bicycles
on the high wire, driving cars and scooters, adding and
taking away numbers and many other tricks. The theatre
where the show is performed seats 200 people and hot and
cold snacks can be served to you as you watch the show
or you can relax on the bar terrace which overlooks a
large area of the park. There is a children's play area
here where the children can let off a bit of steam
whilst the parents enjoy a quiet drink.
There is
a well stocked shop in the Park, many items of which are
exclusive to the Park and will not be found in any other
shop on the island. There are two toilet areas in the
park. The first is situated near the entrance and exit
and has baby change facilities in the ladies. The other
is near the bar and show theatre. There are ramps for
wheelchairs, around the park and into the theatre. No
dogs are allowed in the park.
Holiday Villas in
Lanzarote – What Weather can you Expect?
You´ve chosen your beautiful luxury villa
with its private pool for your holiday and are eagerly
awaiting your (hopefully) break in the sun. But will the
weather live up to expectations?
lanzarote,villas,luxury,rent,rental,holiday,private,pool
You´ve chosen your beautiful luxury villa with its
private pool for your holiday and are eagerly awaiting
your (hopefully) break in the sun. But will the weather
live up to expectations?
Lanzarote lies off the
west coast of Africa, about 400 miles south from the
south coast of Spain, so you´d expect it to be very hot
and sultry, especially in July and August where it´s
very much that way in the south of Spain and the
Mediterranean. Wrong! Lanzarote is in the Atlantic ocean
which, unlike the Mediterranean, is a cool ocean and the
sea temperature around Lanzarote varies from 17C to 24C.
The prevailing wind is a north to north easterly, so has
a sea track before arriving in Lanzarote. This is due to
the presence of the Azores High, an area of high
pressure which sits for most of the year to the west of
the Canaries feeding the north to northeast wind across
the island. This track over the cool Atlantic means that
the heat is very much tempered, resulting in average
temperatures even in the summer months of around 29C.
With low humidity and the effect of the cooling wind,
this makes it very pleasant in the daytime and easy to
sleep at night.
Watch out for that sun though!
In the middle of summer it´s almost directly overhead
and the sun index is 10+ extreme – you don´t get any
higher. Put on a high factor sunscreen and try to avoid
the sun in the middle of the day. Even on cloudy days
you can burn so strong is the sun, so be very careful.
With the cooling breezes, you may not realize you are
burning until it´s too late, and then your holiday is
ruined. Even in winter, you can burn in the sun, so you
need protection all year round.
Through the
summer months from May through to October, you are
unlikely to see any rain. There may be an isolated
thunderstorm but that´s all. Often it´ll start cloudy in
the morning with the wind having picked up moisture from
the Atlantic overnight, but this soon burns away to
leave plenty of blue skies for the rest of the day. From
mid to end October through to April, you may see some
rain. This comes mostly in the form of short lived
showers and often comes overnight. Unless you are very
unlucky, you will also see plenty of warm sun through
the winter months with average daytime maximums of
around 21C to 24C, making it the warmest winter
destination in Europe. Very occasionally, the wind will
turn southeast, strengthen and blow very hot, dry air
from the Sahara desert in Africa. In summertime,
temperatures can soar to over 40C but this doesn´t
normally last long. Sometimes the sun can be blotted out
by dust picked up from the desert on the high winds.
This is called a Calima.
Despite the island
being quite small, there are differences in the weather.
With the prevailing wind being north to northeast, the
south is warmest and sunniest. The wind can be quite a
feature in Lanzarote – a beneficial one in summer! – and
again the south fares best with it having a bit more
shelter. In the winter, the wind tends to die away.
The Canaries´ weather is the reason why they call
the Islands “The Fortunate Islands”. For very good
reason!
Lanzarote Holiday
Villas - How Do I Choose Which One?
Lanzarote is the perfect island destination
for that holiday in the sun and is ideal for self
catering holidays with hundreds of lovely holiday villas
to choose from. But how do you choose which one?
lanzarote,villas,holiday,rent,rental
Lanzarote is
the perfect island destination for that holiday in the
sun and is ideal for self catering holidays with
hundreds of lovely holiday villas to choose from. But
how do you choose which one?
Firstly, you need to
choose which resort you´d like to stay in. There are 3
main resorts – Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and
Playa Blanca. Each has its own character and
attractions. Puerto del Carmen is the largest and
busiest resort with 6 kilometres of sandy beaches and a
long promenade lined with many shops, cafes, restaurants
and nightclubs. Costa Teguise is a little smaller and is
a family resort with beaches, shopping centres, cafes
and restaurants. Playa Blanca is the newest resort and
is a little bit more laid back and quieter with seafront
cafes and restaurants, upmarket shops and a stunning new
marina. In addition there are typical whitewashed
Canarian villages inland such as Tias and Nazaret,
suitable for those who like a relaxing holiday away from
it all.
Having chosen your place to stay, you now
have to find a villa. Most villas have private pools, so
if you are coming to the island in winter, make sure the
pool is heated, preferably electrically, as unheated
pools will be rather cold. Your main criteria will be
your budget of course. Villas in Puerto del Carmen with
private pools tend to be a bit more expensive as most of
them are 3 bedroom, behind the main strip and are
therefore within walking distance of the beach and
amenities. Exclusive areas like Los Mojones can be quite
expensive. Costa Teguise has fewer villas and they tend
to be a little bit less expensive.
By far the
greatest choice of villas is in Playa Blanca where you
can rent a 2 bedroom villa without a private pool for
about £300 a week in the low season and about £600 a
week in peak season for a villa with a private pool, and
a 4 bedroom villa for up to £1300 a week in peak season.
Playa Blanca is quite a sprawling resort and generally
speaking the closer you are to the resort centre and
beaches, the higher the price you will pay. With a lot
of villas, a hire car will be necessary as a lot of the
developments are on the outskirts of the resorts. Prices
for villas inland will be a bit cheaper and many offer
spectacular views.
Knowing your budget and being
clear on your priorities, you can now search for your
villa. By far the most popular way is on the internet by
putting such phrases as “Villas in Lanzarote” and
“Luxury Villas Lanzarote” into search engines. There are
also magazines like Private Villas available in most
high street newsagents and in supermarkets. You have the
choice of buying a package or villa only from a large
villa agent or renting direct from the owner through the
many private rental websites. Normally prices are
cheaper renting a villa from a private owner, and often
the standard of accommodation is higher, as the private
owner has more incentive to please, wanting you to come
back again next year. Once you have maybe picked out a
few villas you think may be suitable for you, don´t
hesitate to ask questions about the villa and the area
before deciding.
Good luck and have a happy
holiday in Lanzarote!