Lanzarote Travel Journal
Trip Planning
My partner and I are heading to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands for a week at the end of September. We chose this island over the more crowded ones for its volcanic landscapes and varied hikes.
I booked everything through Expedia: our hotel stay, car rental, and Ryanair flight tickets from Marseille. It was the only way to get a direct flight. To make getting around easier, I picked a hotel right in the middle of the island from the wide selection on the site. It’s part of the Barceló chain—specifically, the "Barceló Teguise Beach Adults Only" hotel in Teguise Beach, which turned out to be a great choice.
Stay
Sunday, September 21 – Monday, 22
Departure
It’s 2:15 PM, and we’re at the Avignon TGV station. Danielle picked us up earlier because of the weather—thunderstorms and heavy rain all the way to the station. The TGV was on time, and it only took 30 minutes to get to Marseille Saint-Charles. The shuttle to the airport is quick and convenient, right behind the station.
The bus leaves for the airport in the middle of the storm, with flooded roads and cars stuck in some spots.
We get soaked making our way to the terminal. Two hours to wait before the flight. The plane finally takes off at midnight, but just before landing, the pilot announces that the destination airport is closed, and we’re being diverted to Tenerife. The airline will get us to Lanzarote as soon as possible.
We wait two hours, and Ryanair gives us a 4 € voucher as compensation.
We reboard around 5:15 AM and take off at 6:00 AM. About 45 minutes to reach Lanzarote. After picking up our luggage, we head to the car rental desk. The counter in the terminal is closed, and we’re told to go to parking lot P4—it takes us a while to find it.
I’m a little worried about the rental company’s reaction since we’re picking up the car seven hours later than planned, but it’s no problem. A woman next to us is furious because she’s in the same situation, and her rental was canceled. Anne-Marie translates for her, but nothing changes.
We get a brand-new Toyota Aigo and head to the hotel.
After checking in, we walk through the garden, past the large pool, to our room.
A lovely first-floor room with a jacuzzi and a sea view.
It’s early, so we head to breakfast—a generously stocked and varied buffet with everything you could want.
Then we drive to Cueva de los Verdes, but there’s a big crowd and a long wait, so we decide to come back another day.
Next, we visit Mirador del Río. This rocky viewpoint at the edge of the island has breathtaking cliffs dropping 500 meters into the ocean. The view is stunning and impressive.
A panoramic bar lets you cool off while enjoying the scenery.
We head back to the hotel for a short walk around the neighborhood and relax by the pool—the water temperature is perfect. Loungers, pool, and downtime.
Dinner is a varied buffet at the restaurant. We turn in early to recover from the sleepless night.
Tuesday, 23
After a good night’s sleep, we enjoy another varied and hearty breakfast. The terrace seating is really nice. We take an inland road to Timanfaya National Park.
The road near the park runs alongside vineyards, where the vines are protected from the wind by low stone walls made of lava rock.
Our first stop is the visitor center, where the island’s volcanic activity is well-documented. Then we stop at an area where you can take a short camel ride—two seats are set up on either side of the camel’s hump. The ride gives you a great view of the volcanic landscape from above. The price is reasonable: 11 € per person for a 20-minute ride.
We continue to the park entrance, taking the road to the parking lot where the buses depart—the only vehicles allowed on the winding route inside the park.
It’s crowded, and we wait about 45 minutes with several stops before reaching the parking lot.
We board the bus, and the route offers beautiful views of the volcanic area and its many craters. The drive is very interesting, with several stops for photos.
At the parking lot, a guide shows us how hot the rocks are under the surface—they can ignite dry vegetation. Water poured into holes in the ground immediately turns into steam geysers.
The building next to the parking lot has a restaurant where meat is cooked using the heat from a well dug into the volcanic rock.
On our way back, we drive to Playa Blanca, a seaside town with a small sandy beach.
We return to the hotel in the late afternoon and have dinner.
Wednesday, 24
We get up early and have a quick breakfast—there aren’t many people at this hour. Two days ago, we booked a 10:00 AM visit to Los Verdes, lava tunnels created by eruptions and lava flows from the La Corona volcano, which solidified on the surface while continuing to flow underneath. The tunnels stretch 8 kilometers to the volcano, but we only walk one kilometer.
The inside of the tunnel is impressive, with narrow passages and larger chambers.
You can see the marks left by the flowing lava—different colors and twisted shapes.
At the end of the route, a large chamber has been turned into a concert hall with perfect acoustics.
Next, we visit Jameo del Agua.
This is a continuation of the lava tunnel, designed by Manrique.
There are beautifully arranged bar and restaurant spaces, and an underground lake where you can see small blind white crabs—a protected species in the very pure water.
Higher up, there’s a lovely space with a central pool that could double as a swimming pool, surrounded by pure white pathways that contrast with the blue water.
Further on, you reach a large space inside the lava tunnel, set up as a performance hall with perfect acoustics.
Stairs let you view this beautiful space from above. There’s a gap in the lava landscape with the ocean in the distance.
We head back to the village of Yé, at the foot of the La Corona volcano.
A 160-meter walk from the church, a path through vineyard plots leads up to the volcano’s crater in about 30 minutes. It’s the island’s highest volcano.
At the crater’s edge, you can see how deep it is, with steep slopes inside forming a large circular opening. The place is grand and awe-inspiring.
We drive back to the hotel via a road that climbs quickly, offering a beautiful view of the island’s north.
Thursday, 25
After another enjoyable and varied breakfast, we head to the center of the island to the volcano park and stop at a roadside parking lot where a path leads to the Montana Cuervo volcano.
This is a crater with an opening on one side. During an eruption, an explosion blew a hole in the crater.
Huge blocks of rock were thrown dozens of meters away. The path goes through the breach and down into the crater, letting you walk around it. It’s impressive—you really feel small and fragile in this environment.
The crater walls are different colors, highlighting the rock formations. The crater is surrounded by a sea of lava with sharp, jagged rocks.
You can walk around the outside of the crater, but it’s not very interesting. We head to the west coast, stopping at a spot with a small green lake next to a beautiful black sand beach.
Next, we stop at Salinas de Janubio, a pretty viewpoint over the salt marshes with different water colors. A small shop sells local products.
Then we head to the famous Papagayo beach.
The road ends at a gate where they charge 3 € to continue.
From here, the land is private, and you have to pay to drive down a 3-kilometer rocky dirt road.
Quite a few cars are driving on it, kicking up clouds of dust. The car gets a dusty makeover.
We arrive at a large parking area, with several paths leading to different small beaches.
We go to Papagayo, a small blonde sand beach surrounded by red rocks.
The beach slopes gently into the water, which is a nice temperature. The setting is peaceful and pleasant.
We stay for a while before heading back to the hotel.
Friday, 26
We start with a visit to the César Manrique Foundation in Tahiche. It was originally one of his homes. The modern, multi-level building is integrated into the lava flow, using natural gaps to create living spaces. Large windows make the rooms bright and open to the scenery. The place is lovely, with flower-filled gardens outside. It’s definitely worth a visit.
Next, we drive to Las Grietas, where a path leads to a narrow crack in the volcanic rock—only one person can pass through at a time.
The passage isn’t very long, but progress is slow because of all the selfies being taken.
Then we stop at Casa del Campesino, a renovated farm with several artisan shops.
We taste a local wine recommended by a charming woman and buy two bottles of Lanzarote red wine on her advice.
Now we head to Playa de Famara, a beautiful, wide beach at the foot of high cliffs. There are always big waves here, making it a surfer’s paradise.
On the way back to the hotel, we stop at the cactus garden—the last creation by César Manrique. It’s designed with great aesthetic sense around an old windmill and features 4,500 varieties of cacti in a beautiful space.
We return to the hotel in the late afternoon and have dinner.
Saturday, 27
After another hearty breakfast, we head north to Haria. We stumble upon another house where César Manrique lived for a long time. This one is more traditional than the last, but still has large, modern, and comfortable rooms. At the back of the garden is his spacious studio, where he created his works.
Next, we visit the craft market—this was our original plan. There are various stalls selling local goods, and it’s very crowded. No room at the café terraces to sit down.
Then we return to Famara beach for a long stay. The waves are still great for surfers, and the water temperature is perfect—we enjoy it.
On the way back to the hotel, we stop at a gas station to refill the car, which has been very fuel-efficient. Gas is much cheaper here than in France—1.16 € per liter of SP95.
We also wash the car, which was very dusty after the long dirt road to Papagayo beach.
At the hotel, we enjoy a farewell cocktail before dinner.
Sunday, 28
We spend the morning by the hotel pool before checking out at noon. For lunch, we go to a restaurant called "Doña Lola" near the hotel, with a terrace overlooking the coast. We order tuna carpaccio, which is delicious.
Then we head to the airport, just 15 minutes away.
We return the rental car and go to the airport.
There’s a long line to check in our luggage.
The return flight is on time.
We take the shuttle bus to Saint-Charles station.
Then we head to our overnight rental. The boulevard slopes down, making it easier with the suitcases.
The rental is between the old port and the train station.
Once there, we pick up the keys and make one last effort—carrying the luggage up to the third floor.
The studio is nice, clean, and simply furnished—perfect for one night.
Original post
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far-from-exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
And in Kyoto, the Nishiki Market:
A little sneak peek?
Since Albania isn’t part of Europe when it comes to phone service (at least not yet! :-)), we had to buy a physical SIM card—otherwise, the bill would’ve been sky-high if we’d used our French plan! We got one from Vodafone AL at the airport. You can buy online before leaving with a virtual SIM (e-SIM) for compatible phones, so you don’t have to swap cards. But given the uncertainty about choosing a plan online, we preferred buying one directly at Tirana Airport. Cost: 31 € for 100 GB. That’s way too much—100 GB is overkill. For 40 GB, it’s 27 €, and the plan lasts 21 days. The price difference isn’t huge, and it was cheaper than online. This plan covers all the countries along the Balkan range.
Money tip: All guesthouses and accommodations accept euros. The local currency in Albania is the LEK. In Montenegro, it’s the euro. Bank fees for withdrawing money from an ATM in Albania are pretty steep: 8 € for a withdrawal of 600–700 LEK (about 200 €)! So it’s better to withdraw cash (euros) in France. Oh, and we booked all our accommodations before leaving, but payment is always in cash. Budget around 400–500 € for 9 days of trekking.
I really liked Shköder, especially its pedestrian street lined with restaurants and lit up at night. It’s a great place to stroll and eat. The food isn’t expensive—two big salads and two beers: 14 € :-) . Fruit prices are also very reasonable: 3 € for a kilo of cherries, compared to 9–10 € in France.
Religions coexist peacefully in these countries—Catholics and Muslims. From our balcony, my friend heard the call to prayer for the first time, coming from one of the city’s mosques.
We slept in the heights of Theth at a new guesthouse, "Mountain Vista Shkafi," with an amazing view.
But Bologna’s real charm lies in its porticoes, which were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021: 62 km of arcades running along buildings, letting you walk sheltered from the sun or rain. Back in 1288, the city required houses to include private arcades for public use. In the city center, you can stroll under 32 km of porticoes in all sorts of styles—some plain, some ornate—with a strong presence of red tones.
Ooooooooh, des géants !
Ah comme je les aime ! Dans le Nord nous avons beaucoup de ces géants, comme Reuze Papa et Reuze Maman à Cassel, ou encore Gayant, Marie et leurs enfants Binbin, Jacquot et Fillon à Douai, et bien d’autres encore.
La ducasse d’Ath est de surcroît remarquable par son ancienneté, et son ancrage local ; il est fait mention d’une procession dès 1399, et aujourd’hui les nombreuses compagnies musicales sont encore locales (Ath et communes avoisinantes). Le rendez-vous est extrêmement populaire : une bonne partie de la population est là, toutes générations confondues… Tous connaissent les groupes, chars et géants, et chacun a son préféré ! A l’origine, ce sont des groupes religieux qui défilaient et illustraient des épisodes de la Bible ou de la Légende dorée. Puis progressivement le défilé s’est sécularisé et n’a cessé d’évoluer en intégrant de nouveaux géants, des personnages historiques ou des allégories, en lien avec l’histoire locale (Ath, Hainaut belge, Belgique).
Pour finir avec cette longue introduction, sachez que la Ducasse d’Ath dure plusieurs jours mais que le point culminant en est la procession extrêmement codifiée qui a lieu le 4ème dimanche d’Août (en fait la procession passe 2 fois, une le matin et une l’après-midi).
Il est suivi d’un géant humain, juché sur des échasses. C’est « Saint christophe de Flobech », qui tient un bâton fleuri et porte le Christ sur ses épaules (là ce n’est pas un vrai enfant !). Apparu au 19ème siècle, il disparut ensuite du cortège avant d’y être réintroduit en 1976.
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
