Tjs Caribbean tapas bar
This tapas bar in the old town is a mix of Canarian seafood and meat dishes from the Caribbean. So on one table you can have curried goat and jerk chicken, next to prawns in garlic sauce and salted cod. Owners Tony and Jeanette – the T and J – are the friendliest of hosts and keep the atmosphere light and cheery. Try the Cuba Libre from one side of the cuisine, or maybe a Lanzarote red wine from the other.The Timanfaya volcanoes, about an hour’s drive away, have to be the island’s top attraction. You can take a bus tour right up through the arid landscape and around the semi-dormant volcanoes. And if you want find out just how hot it still is underground, pop into the Cesar Manrique-designed restaurant, where they’ll rustle you up lunch using the lava’s heat.
Read MoreThe main strip Avenida de las Playas is a procession of Thai, Mexican and Indian, plus a couple of Spanish places, too. A 10-minute walk to the old town gets you to the more authentic tapas bars. The famous Canarian speciality papas arrugadas – wrinkled potatoes – is served up here, alongside chipirones, baby squid fried in olive oil. The tapas go well with a glass of Canarian red.
Read MoreThey’re very relaxed about things at Sunset Beach Bar, so you can pop by in shorts and a T-shirt for a cold beer or one of their sparkler-decorated cocktails. There are board games on the tables to start up some friendly competition, and some nights you’ll get a live rock band for entertainment, too.
Read MorePuerto del Carmen’s smallest beach, Playa Chica, is actually the number 1 spot for scuba diving. There’s a dive school on the beach and the gently shelving sands mean you don’t need a boat to get out to the dive sites – just wade right into the waters. The centre offers taster sessions and courses for beginners. But if you already know your way around, you can get straight underwater to look for barracuda, starfish and arrow crabs.
Read MoreThe Biosphere Shopping Mall is rather a chic place on Calle Juan Carlo, overlooking the old town. It’s a one-stop mall, really, because as well as duty-free electronics, high-street names and designer clothes, you can also hunt for local arts and crafts. Meanwhile, if you’re in the capital, Arrecife, on a Saturday, you can pick up handicrafts from the market in the old quarter.
Read MoreAvenida de las Playas stretches out for a good mile. There’s a great choice here, with jazz clubs and cocktail lounges sitting alongside clubs and casinos. It’s all quite lively, though there’s a friendly vibe wherever you go. If you’d like things a little more low-key, there’s always the old town, where you can have a quiet drink at one of the English-style pubs.
Read MoreThis 10-day fiesta celebrates Arrecife’s patron saint, San Gines. A lot of the fun takes places at El Charco lagoon, where you can watch sailing out at sea, or a bit of Canarian wrestling on the sands. On the last night a new Miss Lanzarote is elected and there’s a huge fireworks display around midnight.
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