Day 5: Monday 9 September

Before we came on this holiday we had decided that we wouldn’t rent a car this time but use the local buses instead.  They’re cheap and reliable and it would save having to drive around.

But before we got our first bus today we discovered that we could rent an Opel Corsa automatic from around £20 per day all in, so we decided that we’d have one for just 3 days so that we coild go to one or two other places that would be harder to reach by bus.

So we decided that we would go into Puerto del Carmen today. Firstly we caught the bus that does a regular circular route of Playa Blanca which took us to the bus station and which runs every 30 minutes at a flat fare of €1.40 each. Unfortunately they wouldn’t accept our bus passes!  We then caught the bus to Puerto. The journey lasted about 40 minutes and cost €2.70 each - a bargain!

We got off the bus near the San Antonio Hotel and set off walking along the prom at Pocillos beach until we eventually got to the Scirocco bar at the commercial centre at Matagorda and stopped off for a drink and a browse round some very familiar shops.

We then walked back being careful not to get run down by the electric scooters and bike riders moving at speed.  We called in at the Hotel Las Costas where we will be staying in February and then kept walking until we got to our old favourite restaurant - the Antica Trattoria - where we enjoyed an ice cream and a beer.

By this time we had done 14000 steps but we carried on regardless past another old favourite - the Golden Corner - and eventually reached the Los Fariones Hotel where we believed we could get the bus back. It was true and luckily the bus arrived within a few minutes. We were pretty tired by now.

When we got back to the hotel we decided to have a dip in the pool which was very refreshing, then had a cocktail each, got changed and had dinner. 

Manrique car!

A Surrey with a fringe on top!

The 5 star Lava Beach Hotel

Golden Corner

Camels!

Day 4: Sunday 8 September

We awoke early after a really good night's sleep. We had planned an early breakfast as we wanted to see Keir Starmer's interview on Laura Kuenssberg promising that things can only get better - after they've go much worse! We know, we're sad 🤣.

For a few years it has been a family tradition to have a lunchtime bottle of cava. Here it's part of our daily morning breakfast routine. The Spanish know how to live!

Today was designated a relax by the pool day so we found ourselves a couple of sunbeds and an umbrella and enjoyed listening to our own music and reading until our time was shattered by aqua aerobics with the portable speaker sitting right next to us.

We went for our usual lunchtime beer and decided to have a snack whilst we listened to the hotel pianist who played a lovely selection of music by well-known singer-songwriters.  This is the first time he has played at lunchtime o we hope it might now happen more often.

Dinner tonight was the usual extensive buffet and we discovered an area we hadn't seen before where we could get a range of desserts including ice cream.

We’re staying at the Hipotel Natura Palace in Playa Blanca.  The demographic here is quite interesting. The majority of guests are retired with a number of younger people in what is an ‘adults only’ hotel.

The vast majority of guests are from the UK but there is a smattering of Spanish, French and German being spoken.

There is some low-level musical entertainment each evening which starts around 9pm and which doesn’t go on until much after 11pm.  There are some activities during the day including the aqua aerobics as already mentioned and bingo!

Gin and tonic on the right and a Hipotel cocktail on the left with white rum, blue Curacao, triple sec and pineapple juice

Day 3: Saturday 7 September

We had heard that there was a Saturday market near the Rubicon Marina so after breakfast we set off along the seafront promenade. We never found the market but we did come across lots of gift shops and bars.  One of the bars was advertising 'happy hour' which lasted from 10 until 5! 

We spent the afternoon chilling in the shade before dinner when, as usual, we ate too much! 

When an hour seems to last for seven!

Ferry coming in from Fuerteventura

It was only a matter of time!

Think he/she was disappointed that we didn't have any food

Very pleasant covered area

On the left an Islas Canarias cocktail (their version of a rum punch) and on the right is a Virgin Colada (alcohol-free pina colada)