Lanzarote is a unique island with dramatic landscapes, long sandy shores and breadth taking scenery.  Our luxurious Costa Sal apartments backed out onto the blue flag beach of Matagorda, a very quaint seaside resort, where one can sink into the soft golden sand or swim in the vibrant blue waters. There are some very nice restaurants in the area,  as well as the popular Zest in Costa Sal, we strolled along the promenade and stumbled upon Sirocco and Paradise restaurants, and could view the sea from our table window.  For the very active, a scuba diving school is set up along the seafront, or maybe you could hire bikes and cycle all the way to Puerto del Carmen.  We took the easy way out and decided to opt for the local bus as well as taxis into the livelier resort.  Our favourite restaurants were Lani’s and Café La Ola, which were off the beaten track of Puerto del Carmen.  If you want to dine in style, definitely try Lani’s, the food was second to none.  We went back twice, once as a couple and the next time with our family, I just couldn’t fault it.

During the week we planned an excursion to Rancho Texas Park, and it was a great day out. Not just a zoo, this wild western style park also had water slides.  Plenty of shows on display, including a parrot show, a sea lion encounter and the birds of prey, we witnessed the flawless American Bald Eagle swoop down over our heads.  After looking around at the animals, the kids could not wait to get started on the waterpark, I think it was the reason they were so excited in the first place.  We even got our picture taken with Mr Rancho Texas himself.  The little ones tried canoeing and got to practice their oar handling skills, they seemed to be much more experienced than me.  After a full day at the park, we stopped off at the gift shop to purchase some treasures for the folks back home.  The courtesy bus picked us up from the park and brought us back safely to our hotel.  Rancho Texas also hosts a late show for those night owls.

Arrecife, the unspoilt capital of Lanzarote is a must see, and so we took a trip to this beautiful city. It is very interesting place, with a small historic centre, a picturesque marina and bay, and the glittering sand of El Reducto.  Two fortresses were built many years ago to ward off the invasion of pirates.  Situated along the port is the 6-D cinema, where we flew over Lanzarote and watched the eruption of The Mount Timanfaya volcano, we dived into the crystal waters of the ocean and took a ride in a Tuc Tuc across the Great Wall of China.  It was a whole new experience, and it felt so real.  After dinner in a very attractive restaurant called el Patio, we took the lift to the top floor of the Gran Hotel for a panoramic view of Arrecife.

I will definitely be returning to this island, designed by architect Caesar Manrique, there was so much to see and do.

Travel file: www.donabatetravel.ie