Oh, to get away to where the sun always shines, just a short three-and-a-bit-hour hop from the capital.
With top temperatures well in to the twenties all year round, sun-seeking Londoners have been jetting to the Canary island, Lanzarote for decades. Quieter and smaller than its party-popular neighbour Fuerteventura, it’s the perfect place to top up the tan and bask on beautiful black sand beaches. (Fact: they get the colour from ancient volcanic eruptions!)
And it’s CHEAP! At least – cheaper than bigger cities on mainland Spain. The island’s tax-free status means you’ll be paying less for beers than in blighty and, if you shop around, you can eat out for less than a tenner.
COMPETITION MINI-BREAK
The best news? We’re sending two lucky people to the serene Nautilus Lanzarote for a FREE four night B & B mini-break in May!
It’s a ten minute taxi ride from the airport and is the perfect bolthole for a quick trip abroad.
The 4* guesthouse has recently undergone a makeover and has everything a sun-seeking Londoner will need! Outside, there’s a stunningly landscaped 12,000-square-metre garden where you’ll unearth a crazy golf course, pool and ping pong tables plus a whopping great swimming pool.
Nautilus is just a couple of hundred metres from the beach at Puerto del Carmen
Inside there’s a useful in-house convenience store and a nicely stocked library for those keen to get on with poolside reading and bronzing.
Unusually, there are more than 600 art installations dotted around the grounds both inside and out. The owners invite sculptors and painters to stay for no charge in exchange for creating pieces to hang up in the hotel!
Fancy a paddle in the Atlantic? A blue-flag awarded beach is less than 100 metres from the hotel’s doors. Oh, and make sure you stop off for a Sangria at one of the nearby sea-viewing restaurants too; would be rude not to, you’re on holiday!
Skint’s David Lewis tests out the Nautilus pool. Oh what a tough life!
TOP THREE SKINT THINGS TO DO IN LANZAROTE
🍷 Go wine tasting! There are more than a dozen vineyards – or bodegas, as they’re known locally – to visit for a lovely local drop of the island’s specialty dry white. Some ranches – like the fab Vega de Yuco – have a shop and cafe on site too! Entry is FREE.
💃 Visit the FREE Sunday market at Teguise! Each week the bustling bazaar sells everything from kitsch souvenirs to locally made beauty products and hand-crafted chocolates. It’s a popular hang-out for tourists and locals. Keep your eyes peeled for street musicians who entertain shoppers in traditional Canarian dress!
🌵 Check out the Cactus Museum This might seem like an odd choice but the fascinating Jardin de Cactus is a must see. The garden holds more than 1,000 different species of the prickly plant; many native to the island. Cacti are beautifully presented in this disused quarry. (€5 adults, €2.50 children, open daily.)
The Cactus Museum is home to hundreds of different plant species!
THE LOWDOWN:
☀ The winner will receive a four night stay for two (including breakfast) at a self-catering apartment in Hotel Nautilus from Friday 19th May – 22nd May 2017.
✈ We have partnered up with the lovely people at easyJet who are offering FREE return flights from Gatwick.
☀ Fly out: Friday 19th May Gatwick – Lanzarote. Dep 06.10 – Arr 10.20am.
Return: Tues 23rd May Lanzarote – Gatwick. Dep 11am – Arr 14.55pm.
✈ easyJet flies from four London airports to 119 destinations across Europe from just £29.99 (per person, one way). Book your next getaway here.
☀ Both hotel offer and flights are ONLY valid on the days and times given.
✈ Closing date is Thursday April 20th, 10pm and late entries will not be accepted. Our decision is final.
☀ Entering this competition will automatically sign you up to the Skint London newsletter.
