As already mentioned in my bio, my mom, my sister and I lived on Lanzarote from 1995 to 2001. As a kid I was happy to live by the ocean, being able to play outside almost every day, as the weather on Lanzarote is great all year around and it was easy for me to learn Spanish going to school with mostly Spanish classmates. But also, I missed my father and grandparents back home in Berlin to whom I had a really close relationship and my friends from elementary school where I was in third grade when we left. So, when my mom decided to move with us working as a tourist guide on the island, I had mixed feelings. Still, looking back it only added to my life.

I haven’t visited the island from when we moved to the Summer of 2022, so for 21 years after we moved back to Germany. First because I didn’t visit because of lack of money and later because I somehow felt like I should visit together with my mom and sister and due to different work schedules and also me living in China and Canada in between, it took us ages to finally find a slot where we could actually visit together for two weeks. This happened finally in 2022 where the pictures below come from. It was a really special journey mixed with some many memories to recall and places to revisit. Honestly, I was surprised about how less the island changed. Two weeks where by far not enough to visit all the places we wanted to, but it was still a great visit! So following some impressions from Lanzarote not only from someone who visited as a tourist but who also used to live there.

East Coast

The first place we lived at was Playa del Carmen. We found a furnished apartment which we booked for around half a year. First my mom thought of this trip as only a gap year but then she fell in love with the island. The first half a year I was homeschooled and then got send to a public school in Tías, where we also moved to for a short while, before having lived another few month in Teguise. My sister, being the younger one, started first grade in La Asomada. Shortly after we also moved to La Asomada, where we stayed until I ended fifth grade.

This small bay is called the Playa Chica and we visited often. First it is pretty safe from bigger waves as it is surrounded by rocks and only open in the middle further away from the beach, that is why also as kids we felt safe. We used to snorkel for hours as close to the rocks you can find so many diverse fish while not being in the far open water. This visit we also brought snorkeling equipment and really enjoyed it. The only downside of this beach, there is no shadow, so if you burn as easily as I do, reapply sunscreen quite often or bring a parasol. At the end I hid under my beach towel.

Here some of the apartments or houses we stayed at while living on Lanzarote back in the days. The first one is in Tías, the second in La Asomada and the third in Costa Teguise where we moved to when I was in sixth grade. This was the place I loved the most as I enjoyed even school as it was an International English Elementary School and they where more advanced with the subjects and I learned a lot. We also had a really nice house where we could climb up the roof for a great view and loads of other kids were living in the area to play with. Again, we spend most of our free time outside of our house. Sadly, we only lived there from term start till eastern.

This ship wreck is found short before Costa Teguise. On the weekend we found loads of locals swimming in the water and having a picnic on the beach.

This is the Playa de las Cucharas a great beach to windsurf but also play in the waves. As it also is a more protected bay close to the shore you can feel safe. While visiting we chose an Airnb in Costa Teguise.

This is the view over the bay from the side.

The place we moved to after was Charco del Palo. Almost no locals live here as it is a nudist town where mostly Germany or Swiss people travel to or live at like we did for the last year of our stay on Lanzarote. Apart from the naked people that I tried to ignore as a girl in her teenage years I enjoyed swimming in this pool that is filled with sea water from the waves crashing over the rocks. Behind it there is also another rock where a ladder leads you directly into the deep water. At first as a kid, I was scared to go into it, but then I quickly leaned how great it is to snorkel there, so we went quite often. Our first apartment was just across the street from where this picture was taken and we had this view from the terrace. The second house where we stayed at just around 10 Minutes walk from here. As there was not school in Charco del Palo I finished primary in Guatiza and then went to High School in Haría. It is also known as the valley of palms.

If you ever visit in Mala, before you head down to the coast you’ll find Restaurante Arepera de Mala Jojoto y Millo La Única, which has a south american arepa on the menu, which we loved. We went there often as kids, I mostly had the arepa with crab meat and some tapas. On our visit we also went a couple of times. It is a rustic place, cheap but so tasty!

This is the La Garita Beach in Arrieta, where we enjoyed the waves and watched the teens jump from the peer.

Casa Juanita also in Arrecife, not far from it are two restaurants where we liked to go to and which still tasted great. First the Restaurante Amanecer, where you will most likely have to wait a little. Scond driving north from here the Restaurante El Lago. Both with great fish.

Driving all the way north up the coast you have to turn quickly from the road to find the beach Caletón Blanco. Be careful as it is easy to drive by and it takes a while to find the next spot to turn. The beach is highly influenced by the tide going up and down, but there are these cure stone rings to find where you are safe from the stronger winds. But apart from that, you can basically walk ages in the water without it eaven reaching your torso. That makes it nice to snorkel and safe for kids. There is basically no wave at all as it is protected by rocks in the water.

West Coast

Puerto Calero is a fancy area west of Lanzarote where you’ll see normal but also some quite expensive ships. We had a nice meal at the Restaurante Amura, where we used to go for birthdays and family dinners back in the day.

View all the way down to Playa Blanca from the Balcón de Femés. There is also a nice restaurant where we used to go to, but it was unfortunately closed the day we passed by. We never spend much time in Playa Blanca when we lived on the island as it was quite far. Even though they have some nice white beaches like the Caleta del Congrio.

This time my sister and I drove all the way down to Playa Blanca for a horse-riding trip through the rough nature and even by the beach. My horse loved the water and went almost all in so I got quite wet, but it was so fun! I haven’t been on the back of a horse for at least 10 years and a fast gallop with the wind in my hair felt really nice.

Inside the island

In Teguise every Sunday there is a big market where you can buy local art, cloth, jewelry or have nice local food in diverse small places. We always loved to go. If you visit Lanzarote, it is a great place to visit even if it is just to stroll and some people watching 😉

The National Parc of Timanfaya is a big area on the island where the volcanos are still active. You can even have a steak grilled on the heat of the volcano. It is a huge lava area with loads of volcanoes. We just drove through this time.

What we did instead of visiting the main area was doing a hike to the Caldera de Los Cuervos, a gorgeous volcano which is open to one side so you can hike into the inside.

North Coast

North of Lanzarote there is another small island, La Graciosa, translated it means the funny one. You can visit it via a ferry ride from Órzola. We did trips there a few times when we used to live there. I shot this snapshot from the airplane when leaving. You can almost see the full island in the right upper corner of the shot.

You can even have a better view from the Mirador del Río. A place architecture wise designed by César Manrique, a local artist all known over the Canary Islands. He has so many landmarks on the islands, especially on Lanzarote as he lived here until he sadly died in a car crash. Anyways, the view from up there is great.

We also drove up to the Mirador de El Risco de Famara where you also find the only forest on the island the Parque El Bosquecillo. Unfortunately, the area was blocked and we weren’t allowed into the forest.

After a longer drive down the curvy roads you’ll get to a great beach full of waves for surfing.

There are even some dune areas beside the beach. What a diverse landscape this beautiful island has.

Shortly beside the beach you’ll find this lava patch reaching into the ocean.

One day we drove all the way down the west coast up till Tenesera searching for a place we had in mind where we used to watch the small pools that form in the lava from the waves and the tide where small fish or other sea animals would get stuck in for a while and we found it. We loved to just sit on the coast and watch the waves crush at the coast. It is a gorgeous scenery. Come and see for yourself in the next few pictures.

I can spend ages just looking at the ocean.

By the way, these are my lovely momma and sister. We laugh a lot during our trip while talking about a lot of nostalgic things from our time on the island.

Even tough I wouldn’t move back to the island, I still feel like home whenever I’m by the ocean, especially if it is a rough coast, like on Vancouver Island or Iceland. It kind of reminded me of the wild coast of Lanzarote.

But since it was that nice and this blog was already super long, you don’t have to worry, the next blog will add to the floral side of Lanzarote. So come back next Friday 4pm.

Lanzarote - Spain

East Coast

West Coast

Inside the island

North Coast

Swinoujscie - Poland