A good review of one of the hotels in Lanzarote appeared recently in the Irish Independent and to read the full article and see the photographs click here
Discovering and deciding to take a holiday in the Princesa Yaiza hotel in Lanzarote was a similar experience to that which occurs when you learn a new word. Once it is revealed to you, it starts turning up everywhere.
No sooner had we settled on this particular hotel than it seemed that half the country had either been there, was going there soon, or (as we encountered a lot) had been going there, devotedly, for years.
We had settled on the Yaiza after a long process of internet trawling and late-night reading of holiday-maker reviews of various locations and accommodations. It’s a process that seems to occur in many Irish homes these days, allowing for endless procrastinating and a sense of holiday fatigue that builds without you going anywhere but onto tripadvisor.com.
The problem was that on this holiday we had really specific needs. We have a toddler, who wants some crack and some kids-pool action, but is still too small for a kids’ club. And then we had me, into the second trimester of a second pregnancy, with no great desire or ability for long walks or outings. In terms of late-spring weather, Lanzarote was ideal and, it seemed, in terms of a home from home, the Yaiza was what we were after.
We’d been to Lanzarote before, a laid-back island which learned early lessons from other islands on the error of erecting high rises and the value of enhancing natural attractions rather than raping them. Apart from a few of the hotspots — which held some appeal in the previous life — it’s a great family destination, with the volcano Timanfaya to visit, easy hops to be made by boat to nearby Fuerteventura, lovely, safe and sandy beaches and the Gaudi-inspired sights created by local architect Cesar Manrique, in the mid-20th Century.
Playa Blanca, in the north of the island where we were based this time, is a little seaside town with a new and chic marina at one end and a promenade of restaurants and bars at the other end, with not a lager lout in sight. And the Princess Yaiza is bang in the middle of the promenade, lending a feeling that, beyond the gates, you’ve everything on your doorstep — on those occasions when you feel like going beyond the gates. Because, really, within the Yaiza, you’ve got everything you could want or need.
From our sun-drenched balcony — most of the rooms are suites, and have a very natty kitchen area, with a full fridge and microwave — we had a great view down the promenade and out to Fuerteventura. We also had a great view of two of the swimming pools, where the toddler could watch her daddy take his morning swim in the sea-water pool, before we headed to breakfast, just about dragging her past the knee-deep kids’ pool and kids’ bubble pool en route.
Breakfast is a great occasion at the Yaiza, with two options of where to eat it, and some competition for the dining room with tables outdoors. The food was great, and we settled easily into the habit of a three-course breakfast — fruit, eggs, then buns — while the child took as much interest in eating as she did in the presence of Kiko, the duck mascot of the kids’ club, who wandered through the breakfast room daily.
Our one was terrified of him at first, but her terror turned to indignation on the days when he didn’t turn up, as if she rather enjoyed feeling offended by him. The rhythm into which we quickly settled saw breakfast followed by some time in the kids’ soft-play area, where tots up to 10-year-olds toss themselves around to the point of tossing up their recently consumed three-course meal.
There were people there without kids, of course, and, somehow, the spaciousness of Yaiza meant there was no conflict or sense of crowding each other. The sea-water pool remained an adult zone, and the kids’ pools were suitably set aside, where everyone could shriek and squawk as much as they wanted.
Directly outside the Yaiza gates, then, a few short steps lead down to a beach bar that made a great pre-dinner, sunset spot for a cold drink, and a sandy beach that was well sheltered from waves and wind. Then, only minutes’ walk away at the marina, there were frequent boat trips to Fuerteventura and its famous sand dunes, or to Papagayo Beach, a golden cove blessedly free of loungers and parasols, with a few nudists at one end and a nice bar serving snacks and ice creams a short clamber up the cliff.
Without any great exertion — which was exactly what the doctor ordered — there was a different means to relax every day, with just enough sense of the holiday settling into a rhythm, but no sense of boredom or routine.
And in terms of eating, any fears that it was going to be the classic chips-with-everything cliched Canaries experience and hotels in Lanzarote were quickly dispelled. L’Artisanale is a great little Italian find, up steps from the promenade and boasting a staff of Latin charmers as well as good food, while there is any amount of good-quality steak houses and some fine, modern tapas bars.
In the Yaiza itself, there is a good Japanese restaurant and several evening buffet options. Then down in the courtyard that leads onto the promenade there is also a lovely ice-cream bar, an Italian restaurant and a fantastic tapas restaurant where the food is genuinely innovative and is presented with pride.
And as a bonus, there is live music in the bandstand at the courtyard’s centre every night, around which children, big and small, dance and play without fear of disturbing anyone or getting into any danger. So they’re up a bit too late, and they probably haven’t eaten enough dinner, but you’re on your holidays, a feeling that starts the second you arrive at the Yaiza and lasts until you leave.
Which is probably why, I quickly realised, so many Irish families keep going back to it. And why, until you discover their secret, they’ve been keeping this place quiet.
More details about Lanzarote and Lanzarote holidays are at yourlanzarote.net
