Vacations travel

The Parque Tropical is open every day of the year including bank holidays from 10:00 to 17:00 hours. Admission is 14 Euros per adult and 5 Euros per child and I’d recommend allowing a half day to go around the Park
although some visitors have been know to spend the whole day there.

Parque Tropical is located in the north of the the island at the foot of Mount Corona
an extinct volcano which is the highest point of the island
close to the Famara Cliffs and 400 meters above sea level
with spectacular views to the islands of La Graciosa
Alegranza and Monta๑a Clara.

We arrived via the most scenic route which took us through Teguise
the old capital of Lanzarote
up through Los Valles to some stunning views of the island and down into the beautiful province of Haria (the valley of a thousand palms). From Haria we took the road past the Mirador del Rio (Article 22 of mine covers a separate day trip there). You will see the signs for Guinate and the Park from this point in the journey.

The park covers 11 acres of land (45
0
square feet) and includes gardens
waterfalls and lakes. The park has many species of bird (around 300 species in total)
including Ostriches
Flamingos
Cranes
Hornbills
Toucans
Cockatoos
Macaws
Pheasants
Ibis
Ducks
Pigeons & Doves. There are also many species of the smaller birds like Finches
Cardinals and Love Birds. There is also a large walk-through aviary
some 3/4 of an acre (about 3200 sq. meters) with six species of Weaver Birds that breed naturally in the area. It is quite fascinating to watch them building their hanging nests within the aviary.

In the same area you’ll find Parrots and many other small birds that fly free in a this almost natural habitat. Within this aviary there is a lake of some 70metres by 7metres full of Koi Carp
some measuring a length of nearly a meter. You will also see Mandarin and Carolina Ducks swimming around between the fountains. A fascinating area of the park which must not be missed.

The Parque is known to have a successful breeding program of macaws
cockatoos
african greys and other species of parrots. Also with various doves
finches
pheasants
ornamental ducks
ostriches
rheas
trumpeter hornbills and many other small birds.

In the gardens you’ll find many different varieties of plants
shrubs and trees in the park
many of which have been labelled with interesting information about their particular uses and countries of origin. There is a cactus walk on the hillside with a large variety of cacti and where a waterfall drops down into the flamingo
duck and swan pool below.

Every day
there are six bird
at no extra charge. These take place at 11.30
12.3
13.3
14.3
15.3
and 16.30 where macaws and cockatoos can be seen riding their bicycles on the high wire
driving cars and scooters
adding and taking away numbers and many other tricks. The theatre where the show is performed seats 200 people and hot and cold snacks can be served to you as you watch the show or you can relax on the bar terrace which overlooks a large area of the park. There is a children's play area here where the children can let off a bit of steam whilst the parents enjoy a quiet drink.

There is a well stocked shop in the Park
many items of which are exclusive to the Park and will not be found in any other shop on the island. There are two toilet areas in the park. The first is situated near the entrance and exit and has baby change facilities in the ladies. The other is near the bar and show theatre. There are ramps for wheelchairs
around the park and into the theatre. No dogs are allowed in the park.

Before telling you about my particular day out at Teguise Golf
the more avid golfers amongst you will probably want to know what views they can expect to see and the technical stuff that goes with playing golf. For me it was simply a great opportunity to spend a morning with a former work colleague (Colin) and his son (David) as they were staying in a neighbouring villa on La Goleta
part of the wider Faro Park Development.

The course runs along the side of an old volcano (no surprise there given Lanzarote’s landscape) and has inspirational views of volcanic lava
cacti and over includes over 3
0
palm trees and has superb views of the Atlantic Ocean throughout. A Golf course such as this one
is quite simply
in my opinion
nature at its best. C้sar Manrique
the man who taught the people of Lanzarote to care for their natural habitat has clearly left his influence everywhere. If you are a Golf ‘anorak’
you might also want to read the next paragraph of technical data ? If you’re not
simply skip over it.

The course measures 6041m (White) ; 5582m (Yellow) ; 5289m (Blue) ; and 4938m (Red). Generally
visitors play off the blue tees. The Slope Rating of the course is 127 (White) ; 127 (Yellow) ; 130 (Blue) ; and 124 (Red)
We played off Blue Tees. The course measures 5289 Metres (5791 Yards for the non converts) and is a Par 72 course.

I’ve since found out that the course was designed by British landscape architect John Harris and built in 1978. It is a truly a fantastic course
not only because of its design but also thanks to the excellent condition in which it is kept all year round and at Easter (April 2006)
it was in superb condition. Given its location
it benefits from a warm and pleasant climate all year round
tempered only by sea breezes from the island’s almost constant trade winds. The course is designed to be smooth yet varied. It has more than your average number of doglegs
designed to test your ability (or lack of it) and allows you to bring all your clubs into play. It will test everyone from scratch players to those of us with more modest ability.

Address : Avenida del Golf
s/n. 35509 Costa Teguise (Lanzarote).
Telephone : (00 34) 928 59 05 12
Fax : (00 34) 928 59 23 37
Email info@lanzarote-golf.com
Webiste :www.lanzarote-golf.com

The Following services can be found at the Club - Club hire
trolleys
buggies
driving range
pro-shop and club storage. There are separate male and female changing rooms and you can hire lockers. There is a Bar and Restaurant. The restaurant offers a varied menu
based on Mediterranean cuisine.

The prices vary according to season. In the “Summer” months (1st June to 30th September) it costs 53 Euros (for 18 Holes) and 36 Euros (for 9 Holes after 4pm). In the “Winter” (we played in Winter and it was scorching !)
it costs 65 Euros (18 Holes) and 52 Euros (9 Holes after 3pm). The Course has discount agreements with most of the hotels on the island
so check at your hotel
or check out a nearby hotel if you’re in private accommodation as you can often get a better deal than this by doing so.

And so
to our day out. We planned to set off at 7am from our ‘home’ in Playa Blanca (the idea being not to spoil the day for others and ‘Brownie Points’ for everyone !.

There was to be four of playing
but that quickly became three when Gary (“The Rainman”) decided he was on holiday and was not coming to Golf at 7am (given that he left the British Open on Faro Park at midnight the night before (to prepare for golf)
I was very surprised to get the “Dear John “ text first thing in the morning. Gary’s nickname is a long story
but basically when its cold he wants it hot and when it’s hot he prays for rain (and usually gets it
so I’m not that keen on going on holiday with him !)

The three of us (Colin
a work colleague
his son David and yours truly) set off around 7:30am and we drove along the LZ-2 and then headed towards San Bartholme and then into Costa Teguise (avoiding Arrecife !)
When we arrived we were told it was members day (Saturday !) and that they had no tee times for 3 hours. A quick bit of lateral thinking later
we asked if we could play 10-18 and then get a Tee time for 1-9 which they agreed to (something you’d almost expect them to suggest in the UK
so ask if you need to)

We decided we’d have a ‘friendly’ game of singles (if there is such a thing) - Loser buys the beers at the 19th hole.

We played stableford
off full handicaps (you’ll need them). To cut along story short (ish)
Colin was ‘flying’
I was struggling to even stay in touch and David
well David was having a bad day (it’s just as well he hired his clubs !). Colin was five points in front with five to play before he decided to show us his impression of “Devon Loch” (he’s the horse that collapsed of exhaustion 50 yards from the finishing line in the 1956 Grand National when leading by 20 lengths !)

Going up the 18th Colin was one behind (but I did not rub it in
honest) !

Colin tells me his wife Jackie really enjoyed her first trip to the island and that they may return. I’m sure if we ever go ‘into combat’ again
David will have been the range beforehand to shake off the cobwebs and Colin will make sure that he does not sprint when it’s a marathon.

Me
well I had my day !

Before telling you about my particular day out at Teguise Golf
the more avid golfers amongst you will probably want to know what views they can expect to see and the technical stuff that goes with playing golf. For me it was simply a great opportunity to spend a morning with a former work colleague (Colin) and his son (David) as they were staying in a neighbouring villa on La Goleta
part of the wider Faro Park Development.

The course runs along the side of an old volcano (no surprise there given Lanzarote’s landscape) and has inspirational views of volcanic lava
cacti and over includes over 3
0
palm trees and has superb views of the Atlantic Ocean throughout. A Golf course such as this one
is quite simply
in my opinion
nature at its best. C้sar Manrique
the man who taught the people of Lanzarote to care for their natural habitat has clearly left his influence everywhere. If you are a Golf ‘anorak’
you might also want to read the next paragraph of technical data ? If you’re not
simply skip over it.

The course measures 6041m (White) ; 5582m (Yellow) ; 5289m (Blue) ; and 4938m (Red). Generally
visitors play off the blue tees. The Slope Rating of the course is 127 (White) ; 127 (Yellow) ; 130 (Blue) ; and 124 (Red)
We played off Blue Tees. The course measures 5289 Metres (5791 Yards for the non converts) and is a Par 72 course.

I’ve since found out that the course was designed by British landscape architect John Harris and built in 1978. It is a truly a fantastic course
not only because of its design but also thanks to the excellent condition in which it is kept all year round and at Easter (April 2006)
it was in superb condition. Given its location
it benefits from a warm and pleasant climate all year round
tempered only by sea breezes from the island’s almost constant trade winds. The course is designed to be smooth yet varied. It has more than your average number of doglegs
designed to test your ability (or lack of it) and allows you to bring all your clubs into play. It will test everyone from scratch players to those of us with more modest ability.

Address : Avenida del Golf
s/n. 35509 Costa Teguise (Lanzarote).
Telephone : (00 34) 928 59 05 12
Fax : (00 34) 928 59 23 37
Email info@lanzarote-golf.com
Webiste :www.lanzarote-golf.com

The Following services can be found at the Club - Club hire
trolleys
buggies
driving range
pro-shop and club storage. There are separate male and female changing rooms and you can hire lockers. There is a Bar and Restaurant. The restaurant offers a varied menu
based on Mediterranean cuisine.

The prices vary according to season. In the “Summer” months (1st June to 30th September) it costs 53 Euros (for 18 Holes) and 36 Euros (for 9 Holes after 4pm). In the “Winter” (we played in Winter and it was scorching !)
it costs 65 Euros (18 Holes) and 52 Euros (9 Holes after 3pm). The Course has discount agreements with most of the hotels on the island
so check at your hotel
or check out a nearby hotel if you’re in private accommodation as you can often get a better deal than this by doing so.

And so
to our day out. We planned to set off at 7am from our ‘home’ in Playa Blanca (the idea being not to spoil the day for others and ‘Brownie Points’ for everyone !.

There was to be four of playing
but that quickly became three when Gary (“The Rainman”) decided he was on holiday and was not coming to Golf at 7am (given that he left the British Open on Faro Park at midnight the night before (to prepare for golf)
I was very surprised to get the “Dear John “ text first thing in the morning. Gary’s nickname is a long story
but basically when its cold he wants it hot and when it’s hot he prays for rain (and usually gets it
so I’m not that keen on going on holiday with him !)

The three of us (Colin
a work colleague
his son David and yours truly) set off around 7:30am and we drove along the LZ-2 and then headed towards San Bartholme and then into Costa Teguise (avoiding Arrecife !)
When we arrived we were told it was members day (Saturday !) and that they had no tee times for 3 hours. A quick bit of lateral thinking later
we asked if we could play 10-18 and then get a Tee time for 1-9 which they agreed to (something you’d almost expect them to suggest in the UK
so ask if you need to)

We decided we’d have a ‘friendly’ game of singles (if there is such a thing) - Loser buys the beers at the 19th hole.

We played stableford
off full handicaps (you’ll need them). To cut along story short (ish)
Colin was ‘flying’
I was struggling to even stay in touch and David
well David was having a bad day (it’s just as well he hired his clubs !). Colin was five points in front with five to play before he decided to show us his impression of “Devon Loch” (he’s the horse that collapsed of exhaustion 50 yards from the finishing line in the 1956 Grand National when leading by 20 lengths !)

Going up the 18th Colin was one behind (but I did not rub it in
honest) !

Colin tells me his wife Jackie really enjoyed her first trip to the island and that they may return. I’m sure if we ever go ‘into combat’ again
David will have been the range beforehand to shake off the cobwebs and Colin will make sure that he does not sprint when it’s a marathon.

Me
well I had my day !

Located next to the Golf course in Costa Teguise
you will find Lanzarote’s one and only Aqua Park
which is open every day from 10.00 to 18:00. Most hotels offer excursions to the Aquapark (with Ticket prices including coach transfers). If you are staying in a private villa and have hired a car
it’s relatively easy to find. Even though there are no sign posts as such
the slides can be seen from a distance due to the low lying land in the area. We were 2 adults and 2 children. Admission cost €20 per adult + €15 per child. €2 Euros per locker
€2.50 for a sunbed
it was not the cheapest excursion
so be prepared.

The Aquapark offers a wide range of slides and pools and is an ideal day out for families of all ages. It's fun for all the family and makes for an unforgettable day out
but go prepared.

My two boys were 6 and 11 respectively when we went there and age/size can be a problem
so make sure you check the rules on each ride before joining the queues as they will not let small children ride on the white knuckle slides (eg ‘kamikaze’ and perhaps ‘spiral’ depending on height). Both my lads enjoyed the ‘fast-river’ and the eldest was brave enough to try the kamikaze (but only once !). The youngest will have to wait a few years. There were gentler options like the children's pool
and play area (free) and on the day we went there was a bouncy castle
trampolines and paddle boats (extra charges apply for these).

There is also a shop and a restaurant. We had packed lunches
but having inspected the menu
we found the prices reasonable
so will probably eat there next time.

None of the pools are heated
so again choose your day. If its cloudy or overcast
it will probably be be cold in the water too. We were fortunate as the weather turned in the afternoon and it was very hot
so we were pleased the water was cold.

The life-guards were fewer than I had expected but they did seem to be very aware an at least as good as anything I’ve seen in the uk. There were also limited inflatable rings on some of the rides
perhaps because people had taken them into the pool or kept them by their sunbeds !.

Conclusion : The waterpark was a great day out. Yes
the water is cool
perhaps even too cold
but so is the water everywhere (unless you’ve got a heated pool of course). There were not too many people in the waterpark on the day we went
which meant few queues
but I’d guess this changes in the six weeks school holidays !

Rancho Texas is located on the outskirts of Puerto del Carmen and on one of our many trips recently
we decided to spend a day out their with the children. Rancho Texas features amongst its attractions
an Indian amphitheatre where we witnessed a stunning display in falconry
a Nature Park where our children watched and even played with some of the animals
a Goldmine Where the big water-wheel runs water to gold-bearing sands and where the children can try to find hidden treasure and an Indian Village where they took a ride in an Indian canoes and visited the Tepees.
If you’re looking for somewhere for the adults
then why return when they host one of the now legendary Rancho Texas Country and Western Nights.

We started our visit in the Nature Park
host to a wide variety of Animals and Birds. This area includes ‘The Opera’- A round enclosure with a great variety of singing birds where you can experience amazing sounds
‘The Promenade of colour’ – with its sensational variety of birds and colours
‘Liliput Farm’
where the children held the worlds smallest farm animals and saw much larger ones in the form of Turtles
Iguanas
Armadillos and Prairie dogs.

Before we could finish
we were attracted to crowd gathering in the Indian Amphitheatre (one of three live shows we would witness on the day). Once we settled down
the guide entertained us with a fantastic falconry demonstration
part of which involves the falcons flapping people on the head with thweir huge wings as they swoop from high gantries to the central ‘stage’.
After this
we took the children to the Indian Village to calm them down a bit. Our youngest (4 at the time) played in the Tepees
paddled a Canoes and found ‘Treasure’ having followed the water from the big water-wheel to the gold-bearing sands. Our eldest (9 at the time) thought it was too young for him but agreed to ‘look after his brother’ and clearly enjoyed himself
although he denied it at the time.

Next we were attracted to the restaurant area as we were informed that a second show would start in 15 minutes time. Like everyone else
we decided this would be a good time to have something to eat and drink and were surprised to see our Falconry ‘expert’ helping out behind the food counter (we assumed he had washed his hands !). This would not be our last meeting
as he hosted the Parrot show whilst we had lunch. Another good show and some great pictures for the family.

Our two boys wanted to let off some steam
so we let them play for a short while in the adventure play area
before going back to complete out tour of the animals.

Our third show of the day
was to be the best. Our ‘expert’ returned (clearly multi-talented) and decided he’d jump into a pit with the Alligators. He then crept up behind one of them and played with it (in case you’re wondering
he has very quick reflexes). Toward the end of the show he decided to jump on the Alligator and sis finale involved holding the Alligators mouth closed between his chin and his chest – some show !

The children were as amazed as we were and it just about rounded off a great day out and fantastic value at 14 Euros per adult and 9 Euros for the children (under twos are free).

One of the most modern of Lanzarote’s attractions
Rancho Texas
still has an element of the Manrique influence
with 60
0
mฒ of theme park
designed with the utmost respect to the ambience and everything built with natural materials such as stones and wood.

At night the place comes alive with the Rancho Texas Country and Western Night
legendary in these parts. A party night for the whole family and the entertainments team (yes… he was back)
kept everyone entertained with Live Music and Line Dancing and special entertainment for the Kids. You can eat as much of the American Food
BBQ and Desserts as you like and enjoy free-flowing Beer
Sangria and Soft Drinks.
Adults: 44
0
€ Children 2-12 years : half price Children to 2 years: free

and… finally
if you want to Discover Lanzarote on horseback
Rancho Texas also has riding stables. Why not plan your day to include a trek on this wonderful island (three hour trek to the beach
for experienced riders only @ 54€ or a One hour trek
no experience needed @ 21€).