Just had a week in Lanzarote, Playa Blanca

[Dog Star]

These cocktails are second to none - a bit weapons grade too. Definitely be getting a good tripadvisor review.

[TheChampers]

If (and I appreciate it’s not for everyone) you “get” the unforgiving landscape which conjures memories for me of Space 1999, then Playa Blanca is wonderful as a lying by the pool reading books (sci-fi mainly) holiday; we did our fifth visit to Princesa Yaiza this year, marvellous hotel

[Dog Star]

steve-5snwi said:

Its much quieter in Feb !! anyone been to Francos for a Pizza yet ?

If you mean Francos Just down from the Ice House and above Burglar King then it’s either closed down or closed for the season.

[daemon]

Dog Star said:

steve-5snwi said:

Its much quieter in Feb !! anyone been to Francos for a Pizza yet ?

If you mean Francos Just down from the Ice House and above Burglar King then it’s either closed down or closed for the season.

Thats a shame - we've been watching for it being opened but its always closed

[Scabutz]

okgo said:

Never got why anyone goes there. It looks fking ste.

I went to Gran Canaria for some cycling, it was fine. I wouldn't go to any of those places for an actual holiday.

I went this on a Triathlon training camp, going again next year and then again to do IM Lanza. I thought it was perfect as a winter training location. We went March and the weather was perfect, yes its windy but you get used to it. Sea is great for swimming in. Cycling is great, roads are mostly good condition and the drivers a 1000% better with cyclists than they are in the UK.

I did think though at the time though that id didn't look to be a very good place for a holiday. Other than for the cheap and tacky winter sun.

[daemon]

okgo said:

Never got why anyone goes there. It looks fking ste.

I went to Gran Canaria for some cycling, it was fine. I wouldn't go to any of those places for an actual holiday.

Sitting by the pool of our villa at the moment. Just about to get another ice cold beer. 28 degrees

Literally cant hear a thing other than the odd car trundle past in the distance.

I think people come here to avoid holidays like this....

okgo said:

I am in Oia in Santorini currently. And I was going to make a thread like this.

Ok, so I am in one of the best spots on the island, and we have a terrace overlooking the caldera, and also an upper level with a private hot tub. But nothing prepared me for what we have seen here. I see maybe 20 different Asian couples in wedding gear having pro photos taken a day, mostly trespassing to get better pics, I've had to kick them out of our areas about 10 times so far, and I could see about 15 people on our terrace from the other side of the bay yesterday while I was not here.

The small cobbled streets are rammed, its like walking down Oxford Street, none of the people here on day trips (presume from the 4 fk off cruise ships I can see in the distance) seem to buy anything, they're just walking around with selfie sticks, all taking the same fking photo as each other.

When you think you've got rid of most of them, (my partner and I have to wade through people to get in and out of the place we're staying. And they congregate on the path, which should be private, above our hot tub, anyone would think it was the Clooneys in there, as its like having paps following you) as the sun goes down you then start to get the drones, the sky is lit up with fking drones everywhere, all going to get the sunset shots.

Everyone here is obsessed with taking pictures of everything, seen two tts staying below us bring out their brekfast earlier, it must have taken the woman about 10 minutes to get the perfect picture of it overlooking the bay before they actually thought about eating it. The selfie culture is worrying and disgusting really, I'll never come back here, and I'm convinced its the cruise ships that contribute most of these wkers to the place.

That and the weird Asian obsession with these wedding photos, I literally was speechless the first few days, now I just laugh as every angle you look there is some total trying to take a photo of something vs just enjoying the place for what it is. The only way to escape it is to go down one of the long step paths to the sea, as they're all to fat and fking unfit to manage it.

Which would you say sounds like the more relaxing experience?

Edited by daemon on Wednesday 11th October 14:48

Edited by daemon on Wednesday 11th October 14:52

[Eddie Strohacker]

Not been for a few years, but it's one of my favourite places in the world. Perversely, I quite like that it has that Daily Star & Stella image, it leaves the good bits for the rest of us

I started going in the nineties when I was Paragliding & that, combined with schlepping along with a friend who knew the place inside out ensured we ended up in some great spots. Probably all been noted now but off the top of my head, Lagomar - Omar Sharif's old house in Nazaret is a fabulous place to eat, there used to be a Farmers club you could wander in & eat very well for a handful of Euros around Tias. Mirador in the north is spectacular, then again, we flew from Famara ridge, so were spoiled for views & I'd strongly recommend heading into Caleta de Famara for sea food.

Arrecife is great, there was a night club called El Convento that was pretty good & another discovery was a grotty looking but amazing Tapas bar up the side of the Mercadonna supermarket just out of the airport - a cabby told us about that place. Orzola on the northern tip has a lovely bay away from the tourists as does Arrieta in the east although that's really a little working village.

I really must get myself back for week.

[daemon]

Ice House is for sale if anyone fancies taking the plunge....

https://uk.businessesforsale.com/uk/ice-house-bar-...

[steve-5snwi]

Interesting, I thought Simon the original owner held the rights to the lease and the current owners Peter (I think ... ) just run the business, well own the business but the lease.
its a great little bar but i'm not sure its worth 175k, any idea why the current owners are giving it up ?

[Dog Star]

steve-5snwi said:

Interesting, I thought Simon the original owner held the rights to the lease and the current owners Peter (I think ... ) just run the business, well own the business but the lease.
its a great little bar but i'm not sure its worth 175k, any idea why the current owners are giving it up ?

We asked him about that last week - he said it was just down to the working hours, family, kids etc, he’s not going back to the UK.

We went back to that Indian Fusion place next door - bloody fantastic food there.

[steve-5snwi]

I thought most of his family was out there, they used to run the pub in on the sea front in the town centre next to Asia.

I agree the Indian is very good.

Did you try Francos ?

Edited by steve-5snwi on Tuesday 17th October 20:28

[anonymous-user]

For those unsure if somewhere new might be a bit windy for their next winter sun choice, if it is listed as a destination by one of these guys below, then yes it might be a bit breezy

http://www.sportif.travel/

http://www.planetwindsurfholidays.com/

So the below might look lovely, but it averages about a force 6 during high summer, so might be a bit uncomfortable, unless you're perfecting your flaka/ diablo/grubby etc when it's fun

[daemon]

Dog Star said:

steve-5snwi said:

Interesting, I thought Simon the original owner held the rights to the lease and the current owners Peter (I think ... ) just run the business, well own the business but the lease.
its a great little bar but i'm not sure its worth 175k, any idea why the current owners are giving it up ?

We asked him about that last week - he said it was just down to the working hours, family, kids etc, he’s not going back to the UK.

We went back to that Indian Fusion place next door - bloody fantastic food there.

I see they are closing 2 days a week now - Sunday and Mondays. Seriously long hours they do. We did notice they werent the happy people they were a year or two ago. They looked very drained - just going through the motions.

I suspect theres decent enough money at it if you put the hard work in and do the hours but it must get very draining - maybe not the "running a bar in the sun" dream that some people would love.

I personally dont see it as being worth 175,000 Euro but i guess there will be someone who is selling up back home or gets an inheritance who will bite.

We also noticed that Casalle Franco opens just 6 days a week and only opens 18:00 to 10:30 when it does open.

[Dog Star]

He was closed on I think it was Thursday evening too. Francos was shut on maybe Tuesday too (can't remember) as we thought it might be worth a try.
Wonder if things aren't too busy for them out there?

[steve-5snwi]

Francos has always closed on a Tuesday, in march the hours for the ice house always seemed hit or miss, you would turn up for a drink and they would be closing up, they didn't stop you drinking but when someone is turning lights off and stacking tables it kind of makes you want to leave.

While i can understand its long hours I guess that's to be expected, coupled with most people are on holiday and no doubt demanding. Closing mondays and sundays seems madness, surely less hours is the answer, so monday 9-5 and sunday, given there is always football on that must be a popular day ? just cut out the food and serve drinks, again reduce the hours. Its always struggled with staff too, never being able to get anyone local. The price is way to optimistic, its probably worth 100k, while you are really buying the name you could easily upset people and lose your investment

I guess with Lanzarote being an all year destination it doesn't help compared to the likes of Majorca that opens April and closes October meaning you have 6 months of late nights.

[daemon]

steve-5snwi said:

Francos has always closed on a Tuesday, in march the hours for the ice house always seemed hit or miss, you would turn up for a drink and they would be closing up, they didn't stop you drinking but when someone is turning lights off and stacking tables it kind of makes you want to leave.

While i can understand its long hours I guess that's to be expected, coupled with most people are on holiday and no doubt demanding. Closing mondays and sundays seems madness, surely less hours is the answer, so monday 9-5 and sunday, given there is always football on that must be a popular day ? just cut out the food and serve drinks, again reduce the hours. Its always struggled with staff too, never being able to get anyone local. The price is way to optimistic, its probably worth 100k, while you are really buying the name you could easily upset people and lose your investment

I guess with Lanzarote being an all year destination it doesn't help compared to the likes of Majorca that opens April and closes October meaning you have 6 months of late nights.

Funny, our conclusions were pretty much the same as yours.

We would always have stopped on our way down for a drink or two in Ice House, but found this time in particular that they were closed sporadically. So we went to Barneys instead and then pretty much were hitting there 2/3s of the time rather than Ice House. So their closing could cost them the loyalty of customers? Do holidaymakers really give a monkeys that its a sunday or a monday? Plenty of other places open the 7 days.

We commented too that it seemed to be trying to be all things to all people - open early for breakfasts AND serving drink AND doing full blown menu for lunch AND serving drink AND doing a full on menu for dinner AND staying open late to serve drink. All of a sudden you're doing a 14 hour day. It seems to be trying to be a restarant AND a bar AND a cafe? All very well but it makes it all very intense and very long hours, spread across a small amount of people.

And yes, funny we were think the same about Majorca or mainland Spain - you could knock your bks in for six months of the tourist season then take the winter off and do bugger all. What they're doing would just be relentless.

[daemon]

On the plus side, booked to go out again in March. Going to a nice fresh modern looking apartment down very close to the main resort which is working out quite a bit less than the villa which is good. We've a couple of extended weekend activities between now and then to keep us amused so March is the first opportunity to get away again somewhere hot.

Booked via AirBNB and direct flights with Jet2.

[mikal83]

Done GC 3 times and its getting a bit PAH, Tenerife was OK but no "quiet secluded beaches easy to get too. Lanza, beaches too far away from accom, Fuerta only once stayed at Costa Antigua and a long walk to CC. BUT we fancy a last last minute back to Fuerte to explore the south coast. Anyone been there? Theres a few el cheapo flights mid/ late Nov with a cpl of Airbnb;s for 40 pn.............or its way up top El Cotillo??

I know nothing

[Jaguar steve]

Jaguar steve said:

mikal83 said:

Done GC 3 times and its getting a bit PAH, Tenerife was OK but no "quiet secluded beaches easy to get too. Lanza, beaches too far away from accom, Fuerta only once stayed at Costa Antigua and a long walk to CC. BUT we fancy a last last minute back to Fuerte to explore the south coast. Anyone been there? Theres a few el cheapo flights mid/ late Nov with a cpl of Airbnb;s for 40 pn.............or its way up top El Cotillo??

I know nothing

Here ya go. Mine from another thread:

For November pretty much read Feb and March too. El Cotillo is lovely. Bit basic 'tho

Furteventura is usually mid 20s and sunny with a gentle NE breeze in Nov. You may get unlucky and have a couple of days of dull and more windy weather and possibly a short rain shower but mostly the weather pretty settled in autumn. Most stable climate is in the north as Corralejo benefits from the shelter of the Papagayo mountains on nearby Lanzarote. If you do have a dull day with low cloud then head to whichever coast is upwind. Chances are there will be a strip of sunshine running along it with the clouds forming a couple of km inland. Sea will be cold and likely to try to kill you if you stray into the strong currents offshore and away from shelter.

It's not as picturesque as Lanzarote or Gran Canaria inland and there's not as many attractions or things to do compared with the other Canary islands unless you're into fairly hardcore stuff like surfing or diving but it has the best beaches by far - IMO some of the best in Europe. Beaches range from miles upon miles of white sand to intimate rocky coves and pretty much all are very quiet and clothing optional. The island has very low population density so out of the resorts and off the main north to south road and away from the airport and Puerto del Rosario it's not at all touristy.

Landscape is not much more than barren rock with the odd palm tree. Roads are mostly really good and inland often deserted. Mountain range runs down the western side towards the south with a epic road going over the top. It's a bit of a mission but a drive right round the island going down through the middle and back up along the east coast taking in the FV30 from Betancuria to Pajara is worth the effort.

A lot of money has been spent refurbishing Corralejo over the last 20 years which has turned it into probably the largest and and smartest resort on the island. Plenty of restaurants to choose from there, a international shopping mall and at least two live music venues with pretty good bands. Most of the accommodation deals are mediocre half board and there's not a huge choice of hotels compared with other islands and none of them are particularly up market. Jandia right in the south is pleasant enough resort too but the older part of Calletta de Fuste on the coast is very run down and grubby in places and almost on top of the flight path into the airport.

We always self cater in a rented villa, usually in Lajares which is a little village away from the crowds and popular with hippies and surfers. It's got a couple of low key bars, a shop and a bakers as well as a weekly food market. If you CBA to drive - which you really should because a car for a week is often cheaper than a airport transfer and it's essential to drive to find the real Furteventura - buses are cheap and frequent, taxis are cheap in resorts but get really expensive if you go anywhere further.

Furteventura is popular with German and Scandinavian families and not quite so much with the English as Lanzarote or Gran Canaria which is a very good thing indeed as it helps to keep the mouth breathing all u can eat breakfast and karaoke and beer and chips in the sunshine Chavs away.

Consequently there's still a very laid back and less commercial vibe to Furteventura that's long gone from all the other Canary islands.

We've been going to the Canaries in March and October or November every year since the early 90's and are back in FV for a fortnight next week. Nobody goes to any Canary island for the culture or a top quality holiday experience as there's much more opportunities for both in Europe but for reasonably priced winter sunshine when the rest of Europe is scraping frost off the windscreen in the dark it can't be beat

[steve-5snwi]

daemon said:

Funny, our conclusions were pretty much the same as yours.

We would always have stopped on our way down for a drink or two in Ice House, but found this time in particular that they were closed sporadically. So we went to Barneys instead and then pretty much were hitting there 2/3s of the time rather than Ice House. So their closing could cost them the loyalty of customers? Do holidaymakers really give a monkeys that its a sunday or a monday? Plenty of other places open the 7 days.

We commented too that it seemed to be trying to be all things to all people - open early for breakfasts AND serving drink AND doing full blown menu for lunch AND serving drink AND doing a full on menu for dinner AND staying open late to serve drink. All of a sudden you're doing a 14 hour day. It seems to be trying to be a restarant AND a bar AND a cafe? All very well but it makes it all very intense and very long hours, spread across a small amount of people.

And yes, funny we were think the same about Majorca or mainland Spain - you could knock your bks in for six months of the tourist season then take the winter off and do bugger all. What they're doing would just be relentless.

I guess if you compare it to the Jungle Bar they cope with a small number of staff and lots more tables although the food comes from the Harp or whatever the Irish bar is known as now.

We spent less time in the Ice house this year, less drinks during the day less meals in the evening, in the past with Simon we would call in for a drink on the way into town, end up getting comfy and then staying until close. I guess there are regulars, if you look at the feedback on trip advisor there is a lot comparing it to other visits. It has every chance to be successful, they just need to plan hours and what's served much better. If you look on TA at any criticism if you look at negative reviews the response is appalling, sometimes you have to git your teeth, take it on the chin and apologise even if you are right. If they make the changes they could have it all. If not I hope the next owners make a success of it. I'll be back in late feb/march.

Did you find the you find the food in the Ice House quite expensive ?