San Bartolome

San Bartolome, well this little town drives my husband insane. It has a crazy combination of small roads, some one way others not. He maintains that he never seems to go be able to go the same way in, through and out. Centrally located in the middle of the island it is well known for its agricultural focus. There is also a great bakery that you will see on the main road heading out towards Tinajo on the LZ 20 – Lolita. Great for a coffee and a bun.

If you are visiting the island with a focus on wellness then look no further than the next door buidling. Doctora Elisabeth’s Clinic offers an extensive range of wellness, holistic, and alternative medical solutions for all kinds of problems from allergies to sporting injuries, high blood pressure, diabetes. Between herself and handpicked group of fully qualified therapists you will for sure enjoy longer term benefits than a couple of hours in the spa. I can personally recommend Physiocare Lanzarote, Claudia who is a physiotherapist working out of this clinic. (call Claudia 0034 630 49 07 99).

In San Bartolome you will find the largest Surf Store, Black Sand Surf Shop, on the island.  With everything you need from high end hardware,  renting boards of all brands, qualities, shapes and sizes to a surf school to cheap slaps and hoodies for when the wind changes and the hot surf widow you left on the beach a couple of hours before has turned blue.

Arts and Culture

Take a minute to see the beautiful church with altar dating back to the 18 century. With the locals’ forks firmly in the ground, the region of San Bartolome is home to lots of small cultivation plots of vegetables, fruit and vines. Many locals manage to be self sustained from this volcanic dusty soil and still manage to be responsible for the growth of one third of Spain’s quota of onions!

Cesar Manrique also gets another look in here with his Monumento del Campesino. (Monument to the Farmer) A huge white sculpture built from re-cycled boats and water tanks, is a befitting tribute to the fact that we have little or no rain on this island. Even less than the sahara Monumento Al Campesino is not simply a monument but a Museum and Restaurant and a tribute to traditional Canarian and Lanzarote food, and way of life. Recipes created from ingredients obtained from the fields and Atlantic Ocean in a unique underground environment.

For those of you who are interested to know how it is possible to grow anything on this island with such little rainfall then read on. If not skip this paragraph. Well there is this small, very annoying porous little stone called picon. It gets stuck in your shoes, the kids think it’s a form of pie building material when armed with a bucket and spade, scratches wooden floors and gets stuck in the filter of your washing machine. Generally, a pain in the neck.

However, picon originates from the devastating lava that nearly engulfed and swamped the whole of Lanzarote in the 18th century. The picon draws moisture from the air into the ground. What with this and some cloud catching further in the north of the island. Lanzarote is able to grow and cultivate successfully – enough to be supplying a third of Spain’s onion quota. Sunday mornings rise early to get the best organic fruit and vegetable bargains at the Mancha Blanca Market.

Lanzarote Wine

Hard to believe that such a tourist focused area actually is home to the oldest wine producer’s on the island El Grifo Bodega .  El Grifo, the largest Bodega on the island, a grower of the popular Malvasia vines, producing both dry but more sweet dessert wines, more on a par with the more well known anglo name of Malmsey. These mainly pudding wines go fabulously well with a solid helping of chocolate something to sweeten the pallette. Bodega El Grifo is a great opportunity to learn about traditional wine making, storing and corking procedures. This little trip can be enjoyed at great value on either the €3 or €5 tours. The latter includes a more extensive tasting with five wines and local cheeses to compliment it. The Bodega museum is open daily from 10.30 and tasting available at the following times; 11.00, 11.30, 12.00, 12.30, 13.00, 15.00, 15.30, 16.00, 16.30 and 17.00.

Moving back towards the coast will bring you past one of two Go-karting tracks in Lanzarote.  The Go-Karting Track which is situated in the San Bartolome region is considered to be a more touristy option. So a great day out for all the family as there is also play area for smaller children and a little place to pick up some snacks and drinks. Located close to the main road LZ-20 between San Bartolome / Arrecife.  Open daily from 10 am, it’s a good option if the weather isn’t what you expected and the kids are grappling at your heels for something to do. Prices start from €5 upwards. There is also opportunity to progress to a Racing Kart should you discover you have a budding Lewis Hamilton on your hands.  Address. Ctra. Arrecife a San Bartolomé Km 5 (Tel. +34 928 520 022 // Mobile. +34 629 150 924.)

Retail Therapy and Indoor Kids Play

Playa Honda sits right next to the airport. Home to many spaniards and a few daring brits alike. Playa Honda is a hive of commercial activities with the Deiland Shopping Centre for a spot of retail therapy. It is by no means a Bluewater Shopping Centre experience, but you can watch a movie, go bowling, put the kids in the ball park if its raining. The ball park’s over here in Spain work a little differently and parents cannot access the inner areas, so if your kids are under 5 I wouldn’t recommend it as the under five’s section is small and the parents are not allowed in. My recommendation is that for 5-9 year olds it’s fab.

Pick up an insane pair of Spanish leather shoes or boots from either of the shoe shops, Carolina Boix (bargain basement), or Tom Smith Zapateria. There is also a great selection of other shops including our own version of Topshop, Stradivarius, which is a fashion high street chain of stores found in spain. Great for browsing, bargain hunting, teenage fashionistas. The Deiland Shopping Centre also has a few other clothing stores including a small Cortefiel, a Women’s Secret underwear store, no good if you are a AA cup or a D for that matter, but if you anything in between you will find a big selection of really good priced underwear. In the basement you will find Toy Planet if you need to do a quick toy rescue with a determined melt down toddler, or if you need to stock up on Parents v Youths bribary and corruption ammunition.

Playa Honda is another one of those residential zones, but can be equally enjoyable if you go in with the right expectations. Expect boy racers and a fair few dubious characters wandering around. However, what you won’t expect is the fabulous beachside promenade with a lovely selection of local tapas bars as well as some other more fine dining types restaurants.

Beaches/Promenading/Energetic Activities

The beaches are all sandy, clean and safe with no rips, strong tides or currents so great for really small ones. You can access the promenade from down the coast in neighbouring Puerto Del Carmen or likewise from Arrecife. This promenade now stretches from the outskirts north of Arrecife to Puerto Del Carmen and then on by dirt track path from Puerto Del Carmen to Puerto Calero. This little area in front of such a busy (well for Lanzarote) anyway town, there is such a relaxing ambience and also quite a lot to sit and watch. If you are passing en route by bike or walking the coastline, it’s excellent to stop for lunch, hop in the sea, or enjoy a sunset dinner on one of the Terraces.

Restaurants

Enjoy original and freshly cooked Pasta and other International flavours at Emma X Avenida Playa Honda 21, (Tel 0034 928 82 09 17). Aside from beachfront is one of the most popular restaurants on the Island Agua Viva. Specialising in steaks, you will find lots of locals and its definitely worth reserving a table. Calle Mastil, 31 Playa Honda, 35509 San Bartolome, Lanzarote, Spain. (Tel 0034 928821505).

As you head down to the town of Playa Honda from San Bartolome you will see on your left hand side a large restaurant, La Churrasqueria El Buey Bueno Brazilian Restaurant.  This is a great place for lunch or dinner throughout the week or on the weekends although either book, or be prepared to wait. They offer a great selection of grilled meats, and salads which they serve at the table, and you receive an endless meat fest of every kind of marinaded meat you can think. With great salads and safe outdoor area for the kids it’s a no brainer if you have small children or a big group of you. They won’t blink at twenty of you rocking up in one hit. (Tel 0034 928 821921) Opening times 13.00 – 16.30 and 20.00 – 23.30.