We’ve left Tenerife and hopped over two islands to get to Lanzarote, the closest of the main islands from the African coast (about 125km). Declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1993, 📍Lanzarote is known for its volcanic landscape and beaches. It’s home to cities with a unique architecture that reflect the artistic vision of César Manrique, a renowned Spanish artist and architect who called the island home.
The flight between the two islands was fairly short and uneventful. Our plane, an ATR-72 has its cargo area at the front and passenger stairs at the back. Being seated at the front was a boon for boarding and comfort but it’s a first in last out situation. We tried our best to grab the public transit but we arrived just as it was leaving. Not willing to wait the next 20 minutes under the afternoon sun, we opted for what we thought would be the faster option: a taxi. We had to wait 10 minutes for the cabs to fight over who’s going to take passengers next. It did save us crossing the city on foot with our backpacks but was about ten times more expensive. It feels like the slower bus service might be serving the taxis industry well.
Check-in to our apartment took an hour. Our host seemed to have gotten lost on the way and decided he might as well run a couple of errands before making it to us. There are worse things than waiting an hour in warm sunny temperatures but I wish the city’s architecture took that possibility into account and designed their stone curb to be more comfortable. Why can’t an artfully designed city be more comfortable? Maybe adding some protective padding?
Our first impressions of 📍Arrecife, the island’s main city, are best summarized as: quiet as a museum after closing time. I get that Lanzarote is essentially a museum to the glory of the local artist but they are pushing the metaphore a bit. We had to go and do a little shopping for our necessities: sparkling water, wine, snacks, sunscreen, really the stuff we can’t live without on vacation. We were struck by how the city seems mostly closed in the early evening. Most businesses split their opening hours between morning and evening with a siesta in the middle. Who can blame them for building a beach break in the middle of the day? But it seems like most forego reopening.
Nevertheless, with our essentials in hand we proceeded to hangout on our patio until dinner time and make peace with the slower pace of things in Lanzarote.