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We docked here in the port of Arrecife, a 15 minute shuttle ride from the town. We had previously explored the town with its pleasant promenade, hotels, old fort, and outdoor market.
We’ve also taken tours that visited the historic former capital Teguise and the famous Jardin de Cactus designed by Cesar Manrique. This trip we thought about going out to the Timafaya National Park, location of the Fire Mountain with its lunar landscape. But it would have been a very long and expensive taxi ride.
So instead, we opted for a shorter ride to the southern town of Puerto del Carmen. Located just south of the airport, the beachfront promenade goes on for miles. They’ve marked lanes for both walkers and bikers and made the space wide enough to accommodate everyone. It’s also beautifully landscaped with palm trees and cacti set in beds of black sand – quite striking. The beaches themselves are very wide and inviting but relatively unoccupied this time of year.
Our walk started at the end of the airport. A favorite pastime here is standing at the end of the runway and having the planes that are landing come right over your head. The noise is loud and the wind intense – but people seem to love it.
We heard a guest on the ship comment that Lanzarote was a terrible ugly port and why would anyone want to come here? Wow, is he missing the whole point. Even if you don’t think it’s beautiful, which we do, it is so unique that it has to be appreciated for how different it is. Isn’t that why we travel?
After our day in Lanzarote, we attended a Spanish Tapas Dinner in the specialty restaurant on board. It was a fun evening, filled with unusual dishes served in small tapas-style portions. How about green gazpacho served in a martini glass, or fried beet and goat cheese fondue or the most unusual for us, olives encased in a crust, fried and served on a stick. They called the last one Olive Spherification. Dessert was a sampler plate that included churros with an awesome chocolate dipping sauce
Cruising The World
