Spanish haven: secluded beaches, flowing dresses and scrumptious tapas in Lanzarote
This post was written by my new friends Vid and Savi.
If you live outside Europe, chances are the Canary Islands don’t feature on your travel radar. Even in Europe, the archipelago is often marketed as a year-round holiday destination for the average sun-starved European. But if you like the sound of hidden villages, sleepy tapas bars, unique vineyards, tranquil beaches, and stunning volcanic landscapes then this Spanish haven, Lanzarote, is for you.
We went to Lanzarote for Christmas and spent a week marvelling at the volcanic rubble, lava rocks, and the azure waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Lanzarote is a bit of an oxymoron- parts of it, especially Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen, are geared to the package holiday market, but steer clear of those parts and you will discover stunning landscapes and golden beaches.
Our favourite beaches were the Papagayo beaches at the Southern tip of the island. The Punta de Papagayo is a crescent of sandy beaches sheltered by cliffs, hidden in a protected area called the Monumento Natural de Los Ajaches. A dirt track leads to five spectacular beaches, surrounded by volcanic hills. Make sure you get your umbrellas and sunscreens. There are barely any shacks or kiosks selling touristy knick-knacks and it can get very hot. Pack a picnic- once you are there you will not want to move. We suggest packing some local grapes and cheese for your day at Papagayo.
Dirt Track leading to Papagayo Beaches
Azure waters at Papagayo Beaches
The Only Shack at Papagayo
Papagayo Beaches
Volcanic Landscape of Lanzarote
Onto the outfit, I wore a maxi dress on the day we drove to the Papagayo Beaches – I wanted a simple bikini cover -up till we got to the beach. Little did we know that getting to the beaches in question would take us through a barren national park, with miles and miles of volcanic rubble for company.
The colour of the dress was a happy co-incidence; I find the orange contrasts beautifully with the brown volcanic ash and gorgeous blue sky. In the morning sunlight, the lava rocks were quite literally luminous- perfect for photos. The accessories are minimal, because I knew we would spend most of the day in water. This dress is an ASOS find, and its chiffony layers make me feel like quite the moonchild- perfect for a hot, sunny day in Spain.
Dress: ASOS
Shoes: New Look
Ring: Vintage
Savi at Papagayo
We wound up our day by feasting on tapas. Warm weather and good food, both of which ensure an outstanding culinary experience, are Canarian staples. The number of al-fresco tapas bars in Lanzarote makes it hard to walk through a village without tingling your taste-buds. We suggest steering clear of the over-priced touristy cafes and karaoke bars in Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen. Instead drive down to the smaller villages, each of which is a treasure trove of hidden restaurants, tapas bars, and cafes. Haria and Teguise top this list- both villages are full of quaint and unpretentious bars serving local Spanish food. We chose tapas from a variety of options including, olives, anchovies, Jamón (cured ham), tripe, prawns pil-pil (garlic prawns), tortilla española (egg and potato omelette), and albóndigas (meat-balls in a tomato sauce).
Tapas in Lanzarote
Would you like to visit this beautiful island too? Check out the best hotel deals in Lanzarote.
Savi and Vid live in London and are avid travelers. They have traveled to 37 countries and blog about their travel and fashion adventures at Bruised Passports. Bruised Passports is full of outfit posts, travel stories, street food adventures, and photo essays. You can also follow them on Bruised Passports Facebook.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Comment@ LiFE is NOW…:
Haha I agree with all of those :) tapas at the beach, yeah ;)
LiFE is NOW...
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Great post. The world should have more hidden tapas bars, beaches and volcanic backgrounds for impromptu photo shoots. #LiFEisNOW…eat tapas
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Comment@ Savi:
Savi, you are just making me travel more ”posh” :)
Savi
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Thanks guys- We have a lot of outfit posts from Lanzarote over at our blog :-)
Hogga
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LOVE the dress
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
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Me too :)