Holiday, Vacation & Tour

 

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!