Why Playa Blanca, Lanzarote is perfect for families

Jess, aged 14, writes: Some of my earliest memories come from our family's trips to Playa Blanca, a seaside resort on the south of Lanzarote. Our family generally visited every other year along with my Grandma and Grandpa, and having not been for four years, I was ridiculously excited to go back last month. Our family stayed for a week and had a relaxing, enjoyable, and exciting time. It really is a great place for a family holiday.

[caption id="attachment_3599" align="alignnone" width="1200"] In between the villas at Las Casitas[/caption]

Our family stayed in a bungalow at Las Casitas resort, where we had stayed every time we've been to Lanzarote. There's something so special about going back to a place with so many memories attached to it, and it was just as good as I remembered it. The villas are spacious and full of everything we needed, and I preferred the beds to my one at home! The complex includes a tennis court, a pool, and a bar, and everyone we met was lovely. The atmosphere at the quiz night was astonishingly friendly and we talked to lots of people we didn't know afterwards. The WiFi was also pleasingly reliable, although we didn't have to use it much. Las Casitas is in such a perfect and accessible location that we spent most of our time away from the villa.

[caption id="attachment_3634" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At Papagayo. The waves were massive![/caption]

We visited two different beaches in Playa Blanca, and both were lovely. The main Playa Blanca beach is situated directly in front of the promenade, but it's quite small, so we walked past this to Playa Papagayo, which is large and full of deck chairs. The view of nearby Fuerteventura was also beautiful to see. Mum and dad soaked up the sun and lounged on deck chairs, while Robert and I went to the sea. The wind meant that the beach was quiet and the waves were large, but I enjoyed swimming and jumping through them. Playa Flamingo is much busier than Papagayo, but the water was clear and perfect for swimming in. Dad and I also saw fish swimming around our feet!

Robert says: Dad and I went to AquaLava, an awesome waterpark near our resort. It had 5 great waterslides, a heated lazy river and a big area for little kids full of small slides and fountains. There was also a wave pool that started up every hour.

[caption id="attachment_3602" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We had lots of fun on our walks, discovering castles, lighthouses, old buildings, geocaches, carousels, and more.[/caption]

 

Jess writes: Playa Blanca is perfect for walks, as much of it is along a promenade so it is very accessible, and the weather is usually lovely too. One day, our whole family walked about 4km when visiting the Castillo de los Colorados - an old fortress. Another day, mum and I took a 9km walk to the Pechiguera Lighthouse. These walks were lovely as the sea and the views are gorgeous, there were lots of geocaches to find, and more than enough restaurants to try out if we got hungry...

[caption id="attachment_3604" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Enjoying home made ice cream from Gelateria Italiana Verderosa.[/caption]

We were spoiled for choice for food, as Playa Blanca is full of places to eat. We particularly enjoyed the home-made ice cream at Gelateria Italiana Verderosa, and the ridiculously sugary slushies and milkshakes at Good Times. The Canarian potatoes (salty potatoes with two sauces) at La Bahia were the best we had all holiday and I particularly liked eating at Caribe by the marina, where my tuna crêpe was delicious.

Playa Blanca is very convenient for shopping - among the numerous restaurants, there are three supermarkets, clothes shops, and a few very touristy shops, which we avoided.

[caption id="attachment_3605" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We delighted in finding a playground we remember visiting when we were younger.[/caption]

There are lots of other things to do in Playa Blanca. I was very excited when we found a playground that I remember visiting when I was much younger. There are also lots of other things to do on the island with children, such as going to the cactus garden, looking at volcanoes, the animal park Ranco Texas, and visiting César Manrique (an influential architect)'s house. Mum has written a proper guide to the island, so please read it here.

I had so much fun in Playa Blanca when I was small, and it's lovely to know that it's as great as I remembered. There's a lot to do for children and adults alike, and while it's more touristy than I thought it was, I had such a great time. It's such a wonderful place for families to visit and I would love to go again.

You can find out more about holiday rentals at Las Casitas via their website - prices vary throughout the year. We flew with Thomas Cook from Gatwick to Arrecife, which is about 40 minutes away from the resort by taxi.

What to do in Norwich (by all of us!)

Jess, aged 14, writes: During half term, our family visited Norwich and the Norfolk Broads. Over the course of our two days in Norwich, we visited fascinating museums, ate delicious food, and saw gorgeous sights, such as the castle and cathedral. We were very lucky to have a fair bit of sun, and loved walking around the city. Here are our favourite bits (don't miss the video which Robert made too - just click on the link!)

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JVJqGPn57g" width=200 height=100 ]

 

We stayed in the Norwich City Holiday Inn, which was very convenient and great for families. We always find inter-connecting rooms useful, and the fact that Robert and I had separate beds was a bonus. The food was good, and everything was clean and tidy. It wasn't luxurious, but it is a great budget choice for families, and it's right next to Norwich City's football stadium!

Sarah says: We decided to start at our trip at the Museum of Norwich at Bridewell and were really impressed by this lovely, informative gem of a museum. The museum gives the story of this city (once England's second in terms of importance), and taught us a lot, impressing all of us. It is bright and easy to navigate (it's set out logically) and also very interactive, which appealed to the children.

[caption id="attachment_2303" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We loved looking around the Norwich Museum.[/caption]

Norwich's story includes that of the "strangers" - Huguenots who were invited to come from the Netherlands in the 16th century in order to help the textile industry. Thirty families of master weavers came initially (soon followed by more) and made a huge contribution to the city's fortunes.

Norwich's story is not only one of textiles and weaving, but also of mustard (Colman's of course), plus football (we found out why Norwich City are called the Canaries), chocolate (Caleys and Rowntrees) and shoes (Norwich used to provide eight million pairs of shoes a year!).

[caption id="attachment_2305" align="alignnone" width="900"] We loved looking at the old fashioned objects from Norwich[/caption]

We were surprised by how much there was to see in this small museum and I was especially fascinated by its darker side, as it used to be a prison. The stories of some of those who spent time here were really sobering.
The Museum is in Bridewell Alley, off Bedford Street and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 to 4.30am. It costs £5.20 for adults and £3.90 for children. You can also pop in for an hour for just £1 which seems a great idea to us.

[caption id="attachment_2307" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We loved visiting Norwich Castle![/caption]

Robert, aged 10, writes: I really enjoyed exploring the medieval castle. We studied an array of interesting displays on the top floor and had fun taking part in some interactive activities on British History on the first floor. My favourite was an activity where you catapulted a rock and had to try and knock over a wall. The castle used to be a prison and there was a very interesting display about this, including stories of criminals and even a prison cell.

The second floor was my favourite though. When we went there was an exhibition on dragons and the How To Train Your Dragon books so there were loads of things to do on that topic. They included listening to books being read out and arts and crafts. I created my own mini dragon.

[caption id="attachment_2309" align="alignnone" width="851"] There was so much to do, see, and make in Norwich Castle[/caption]

Jess says: Norwich Cathedral is one of the most complete major Romanesque buildings in Europe, and has the second tallest spire and largest monastic cloisters in England. It was absolutely beautiful, and we walked around for about half an hour. There are guided tours around the 900 year -old Cathedral but we did not take one, preferring to walk around at a leisurely pace.

[caption id="attachment_2301" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Cathedral was absolutely beautiful.[/caption]

We really enjoyed reading the inscriptions on the walls and tombstones, and reading the memorials. We also thought the staff were extremely friendly.The Cathedral is free to enter, although they do ask for donations.

[caption id="attachment_2310" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert loved looking at the art and making his own versions of it at the Sainsbury's Centre for Art[/caption]

Robert says: I loved going to the Sainsbury's Centre for Art as it displayed a large assortment of intricate sculptures and detailed painting that had been made over the years. I was stunned by the art and felt so relaxed when I drew some of my favourites on a piece of paper I was given, as it was so quiet and calm. The building itself was enormous; you could go outside and walk around the giant plot of land surrounding the gallery which had a starring role in the second Avengers movie. I really enjoyed going there and it was the highlight of my trip.

Sarah writes: Norwich was a lovely city to walk around and we really enjoyed the combination of the old and new side. There are lovely cobbled streets to walk along and small, independent shops and galleries in the Lanes and the medieval quarter, but there are also all the high street favourites, and it's so convenient to walk everywhere! Don't miss the huge market, which is right in the centre, and which is full of all sorts of different stalls (from food to clothes).

[caption id="attachment_2312" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Norwich was full of lovely shops.[/caption]

We especially enjoyed the fantastic food at the Macarons and More shop in the Royal Arcade (look at their website for some amazing pictures!) and had a terrific lunch at the Britons Arms, which is set in a 15th century building - and which featured in the film Stardust.

[caption id="attachment_2313" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We had a delicious lunch at the Britons Arms[/caption]

We had hoped to visit the Strangers' Hall, which has been a home to merchants and mayors in Norwich since 1320, but unfortunately it was closed, so definitely check up on its opening times if you're interested in a visit.

Jess writes: We had a lovely time in Norwich - the castle was beautiful, the museum was fascinating, and I loved my cinnamon pretzel, massive pistachio macaroon, and my raspberry meringue pavlova. Norwich is full of scrumptious food, which was one of the reasons that it is perfect for families. Norwich is full of so many things to see and do, and we would love to go back and see them all.

Disclosure: Our visit to Norwich was organised with help from Visit Norwich. We stayed in the Holiday Inn on a complimentary basis, although neither Visit Norwich not the hotel had any input into this piece. Our rooms at the Holiday Inn would have cost £95 per night including breakfast. Kids eat free at the hotel (we took advantage of this!)

More by us:

Seeing seals at Horsey Beach in Norfolk

Our Top Tips for Getting Around in London

A Fascinating Day at the Newseum in Washington DC