Lanzarote - the new cruise terminal will be fully open for 2027

Lanzarote is definitely an old favorite for every British tourist. It is one of the islands that we started to flock to when flights opened up and package holidays became a thing. Now it's very cruise popular and as such this new port will be open and functional 100% for 2027. The shops and the bars are filling very quickly so you now have this brand new cruise terminal the only poor thing about it is it's quite a walk for those who can't walk that easily it's quite a walk into the main town but you can get bikes and taxis and everything you need right here that's the taxi stand it's right opposite the ship there's also maps and information and if you're worried about the direction it's pretty easy everything points you in the right direction so it is easy the walk takes about 15 minutes the one thing you need to know is you do have to cross over the road because if you stay on the left the pavement ends just in front there so cross over and walk on the right and as you get up to the marina I suggest you walk into the marina they'll both take you to the same place but all these shops are gradually opening up. Cafes, bars and shops on your left all the way up to take you into Arrecife. Now Lanzarote always has been a sporting island because it's where athletes go to train for the Olympics. There is a huge training facility but you're probably not going to go training so just keep walking and go across the bridge. You might pick up a map but if you're only going to walk around the town you really don't need it it's not that big and the main area that most people go to is here right in front of you many cruisers will just enjoy this area here right by the ship and why not it's really peaceful and relaxing big building at the top of this inlet is a theater cinema and exhibition center it wasn't open but it's just a cinema but all the cafes are around this inlet if you walk towards town it's a very pirate colonial feel to it small buildings with white walls a church all the things that would have been put there when you first went and invaded the church itself is of course colonial it is exactly what you'd expect It's very pretty inside i'll show it to you very very quickly but it is exactly as you would expect to see. This church has a very colonial feel and it's the start of a very nice street of cafes where you can get some lunch. Tapas is huge and the variety is is large but do try and see what people are eating because it does range from frozen food that looks like it's come straight out of a supermarket like Iceland right through to home-cooked cooking. Down here is the market. this is a stretch of shops that is normally always open except on Sunday when Arrecife is just closed. If you cruise the Canaries inevitably you're going to land up somewhere on a Sunday and we were in Lanzarote on a Sunday and Arrecife is the port and Arrecife was closed so for about two euros each we got the bus to Puerto del Carmen. The bus on the coast road is normally the 21-22 that takes you to local beaches only but we'll show you the bus to Puerto del Carmen in just a second let's walk along the beach along the promenade and see what's there just beyond the castle is a place where the locals come and sell their remote controlled boats mainly on a Sunday we saw them last time we came here the day that locals come out and sell their model boats these are the trolleys that the boats arrive on in the sea they're paddle boarding which is something you can take lessons in if you fancy it Looking back at the film we made 10 years ago, none of this was here. This incredible park, the promenade, is all new. The gardens are absolutely wonderful and they're also rebuilding the pavilion. So it's a completely different walk. You can cut the corner off and go direct to the beach. The beach is the same as it's always been. You can take your blue towel from the ship and lay it on the beach and stay there completely free. there are sunbeds if you want them. Playa El Reducto in Arrecife is one of the only yellow sand beaches on the island and you can either hire a sunbed or you can sit under the natural shade of the trees just up here. Ignore the bicycle lanes on the pavement at your peril. It is a serious sporting island. Cycling is big. Now at the end of the beach keep walking because just here is the bus garage you're looking for if you wish to go to Puerto del Carmen times buses prices couldn't be easier so let's take you down there we have a soft spot for it because we used to have a little bolt hole there till the bank decided it would be better in their possession there are a number of places you can catch the bus it's line three and we're at the bus station at the end of Playa del Reductor for about two euros each we got the bus to Puerto del Carmen which is this gorgeous little port it's very commercialized in some parts of it but some parts of it are absolutely charming and this is where we're having lunch if you came to Lanzarote 25 years ago this would have been a beautiful sheltered bay ideal for families now with progress it's a car park the old fishing village is now a marina and it has a different kind of charm what used to be boat houses in the fishing village are now restaurants you can guarantee the fish is fresh the lobsters are still alive i do love the old port in Puerto del Carmen and now we're going to look at the beach this is a lovely little cove perfect for families Lanzarote is diverse with its dramatic landscape there are many things to do from camel rides to exploring caves to looking at volcanoes to many many water sports Puerto del Carmen is the main tourist area in Lanzarote it has over six kilometers of sandy beaches it's open all year round it's very easy to get here from the ship on a local bus but just remember to wear your suntan lotion because when the sun comes out it's scorching you see those tiny bungalows behind the shops well we had one of those right on the front and it is a little shop now. Lanzarote definitely has been modernised. Come back and see it sometime. When you arrive at the port in La Palma just follow the blue line and it'll take you straight to the city centre. Santa Cruz was founded in 1493 and was always closely associated with wine which made it a great place for pirates to come and loot and pillage. In 1553 the French pirate La Clerc came here he was also known as Peg Leg this is the town hall which was originally destroyed by french pirates and was reconstructed in 1949. la palma is an area of mountains volcanic beaches forests there's a tiny rainforest and breathtaking views wow there's a fabulous view of the whole of Santa Cruz from here the naval museum can be found underneath the ship and if If your grandchildren love pirates, they'll love Jim and Dottie's Treasure Island. So there's now two of them, a boy and a girl. And if you've discovered our thrilling cruise novels, the best way to read all ten is in the Mega Box Set. Because it's about the cost of one book. On Amazon, the CSCI Mega Box Set.