What I learned in Lanzarote
London winters are never ending. 2018 literally is. Its March and we’ve already seen our second scattering of snow.
Just when we’ve waded through Christmas, and drawn out our well intended resolutions, there’s a hefty few months of grey skies and chilly mornings with no silver and gold tinsled linings.
As with the source of best suggestions, my mother advised that my boyfriend and I book some much needed winter sun. We were both horribly pale, almost see through, and craving some vitamin D.
We couldn’t afford The Maldives, The Bahamas or Dubai, so we searched for a cheaper alternative. One simple requirement: the sun.
Secret Escapes had an offer on Elba Premiere Suites in Lanzarote. It had everything we needed. A fancy-looking pool area, a fantastic gym and spa and all new apartments created to look like Santorini. Who cares if the cactus are real anyway?
For £577 each, including flights, it was an incredible deal.
Here’s all the details:
Temperature:
In Mid March: Lows 18, Highs of 22. It was overcast and windy on a few days, but we did get some scorchers.
Food:
We went for the ½ board option, which included breakfast and dinner.
Breakfast was a well stocked spread of cereals, pastries, bread and fruit and yoghurt. There were 4 wonderfully bright smoothies to choose from, freshly made – and local sparkling wine and Bloody Mary’s just in case you needed a perk up from the night before. You could also have eggs made for you in anyway you wanted at the ‘hot station’. There was creamy porridge (not as stodgy as a Northern European likes it, but still), waffles, pancakes, bacon, for those inclined.
For lunch, we sneakily sneaked some rye bread and rolls from breakfast into our bags (does anyone else do this/ is this ok?) to take back to our room where there was a mini fridge. We walked into the nearby Playa Blanca, where we bought avocado, fruit, feta and made a mini mezze to eat on our lovely porch. We tried a tapas restaurant on the beachfront to change it up – but, the vibe down here was a little hectic, like an English boardwalk supplanted on the island and we preferred to stay in the languid safety of our hotel complex on the sunniest days.
Supper, we had back in the hotel at the buffet. Honestly, we grew a bit tired of the options by the third night. Elba provides an excellent selection, from fish to meat to pasta to roasted vegetables, dried meat and smoked fish and a generous salad bar. Too many options to really nail. And there was a sugary cocktail shot on offer on arrival, which though disgusting, was a necessary lubricant for the stressful selection process.
I’m a vegetarian so filled my plate with roasted vegetables and salas. But OD’d on their roasted courgettes by Day 5. My advice would be to do a full recce of the whole offering before settling down (nobody likes to discovered the roasted sweet potatoes when they are too full) take a seat outside to get some distance, and don’t pile your plate too high – you can always go back.
We also bought a lovely local gin from the supermarket for just 8 Euros, so we didn't have to spend too much on alcohol at the meal, which wasn't included in our package.
The important stuff:
You don’t need to go on a 5* retreat to get some distance. In London, I get up each morning at 6.15am, head to the gym, drink a shake, have a full debrief on the phone to my mom, and then start work. My job involves a lot of travel around the UK, glued to my phone, carrying a backpack of electrical equipment, darting to meet friends in the evenings before they forget me (I know they won’t).
I realised sitting on my lounger in Lanzarote – I am completely exhausted. I needed to do nothing for five days to recover. Listen to podcasts, read chapters slowly, and jump into the pool when the sun got too much.
I now feel so much better. The simplicity of a routine of gentle exercise, swimming, eating simple meals, and seeping up the sunlight – did me the world of good.
Culture hunting, ticking off the city’s must-see spots and late nights meeting strangers – those adventures are wonderful; but sometimes you just need to chill out and get some headspace.
The all inclusive compound gets rid of all the choices you always have to make. If you are in Europe and need winter sun, I cannot recommend the Canaries more.
Some extra:
Allergens:
Vegan/ vegetarian options, but you'll have to work for them. There was some almond, soya and lactose free milk on offer. I didn’t see any GF products on the buffet, but this might be something to ask for.
Facilities:
Two pools, a small gym, a spa offering massages and manicures, tennis and volley ball courts. There was also pilates, yoga, and stretching sessions held in the Spa Studio each day.
Booking: