Lanzarote surprises in the nicest possible way

Expecting nothing more than a bland cup of herbal tea she must have seen my eyes light up at the sight of a large chocolate truffle and shot of brightly coloured liquid – cactus liqueur, she explained.

Now this was definitely my kind of postmassage treat and one of several surprises that greeted me on Lanzarote, the fourth largest and most easterly of the Spanish Canary Islands.

At one time holidays on Lanzarote were met with predictable jokes about ‘Lanzagrotty’, usually from people who’d never been there.

It’s hard to know how this even began as Lanzarote basks in almost constant sunshine and is very different from its sister islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria in the nicest possible way.

For a start the dramatic lunar landscape shaped by volcanoes means much of the terrain is uninhabitable, creating sweeping open landscapes of lava fields set against a backdrop of 300 volcanic cones.

Areas where development has taken place are governed by the strict environmental legacy of the island’s most famous son, artist and architect Cesar Manrique.

This means no billboards or high-rise buildings and attractive white villas that sport matching green windows and doors.

Our hotel, the Hesperia Lanzarote at Yaiza, had been cleverly built into the hillside leading down to the sea.

After getting used to the fact that reception was on the top floor and the only way to the rooms, restaurants and other facilities was by going down we soon got to grips with the layout of the luxurious 300-plus room resort.

Situated on the south side of the island the hotel is only 15 minutes from the airport and a short drive from bustling Puerto del Carmen with its wall to wall restaurants, bars and tourist shops.

But for relaxed and unhurried holiday Hesperia definitely ticks all the right boxes.

Our days soon fell into an easy-going routine, starting with one of the most extensive breakfast buffets I have ever seen.

Fresh fruit threaded on skewers, rows of fresh bread and cereals called to the healthy inner-self whilst creamy rice pudding, pancakes, waffles and a more than full English, including the option of chips, tempted the ‘to hell with it, I’m on holiday’ side of the brain. And that’s without mentioning the goodies cooked to order by the resident chef.

By night the Botavara restaurant metamorphosised into an equally expansive evening buffet, although I preferred the stylish El Risco restaurant serving beautifully presented Italian and Mediterranean food.

One lunchtime we lazed on cushions and huge chairs at the beach club where enigmatic Asian statues helped create a chill-out zone in the sunshine and a barbecue sizzled in the corner.

This was all interspersed by trips to the large spa set around a gym and, for the less energetic, an indoor pool where whirlpools bubbled and water jets cascaded down at the touch of a button.

The succulent cosmetic and medicinal plant Aloe Vera grows all over Lanzarote, hence my decision to indulge in the £57 Aloe Vera massage.

I wasn’t expecting it to include a relaxing hot stone foot massage or the aforementioned cactus liqueur, which I’m sure was for medicinal purposes.

It would have been quite easy to spend the whole holiday there, and I’m sure some guests do.

But on an island which measures in at just 36 miles by 12 miles it’s easy to get out and about, either with a hire car or on organised excursions, and for golf fans the 18-hole Lanzarote Golf course is ten minutes from the hotel with green fees starting at £33 for nine holes.

Due to Lanzarote’s unique geography in 1993 UNESCO declared the whole island a Biosphere Reserve, the green equivalent of a World Heritage Site.

This means the main attractions are natural rather than man-made and there are plenty of weird and wonderful spots to explore.

The indisputable hot spot is Timanfaya National Park where the volcanic heat provides the spectacle of dried grass bursting into flames as it’s thrown into a hole in the ground and inside the restaurant food is barbecued on a grill set over Mother Nature’s 400C oven. (Don’t worry, in real terms things have cooled down quite a bit on the island and the last eruption was back in 1824).

Back on the coast volcanic activity has created amazing rocky shorelines. Beaches range from black sand, another reminder of the volcanic heritage, to snowy white strips that are completely uncommercialised and where you need to go equipped with everything you need for the day.

Papagayo, on Lanzarote’s southern tip, is regularly rated as one of Spain’s most beautiful beaches.

The idyllic spot is not the easiest of places to reach, but well worth the ride down dirt roads to get there and £2.50 admission.

Another geographic wonder is the curious green lake at El Golfo, which has provided the background for sci-fi films and TV programmes, including Planet of the Apes and Dr Who.

Visitors can go underground at Jameos del Agua, the world’s longest volcanic tunnel where a molten lava stream left behind a seawater lagoon that’s home to rare miniature white crabs.

There’s a further surprise if you head down into the Cueva de los Verdes cave system, but I won’t spoil it and you’ll need to take a look for yourself. Lanzarote is VAT-free so shopping is a relative bargain.

There are some chic designer stores at the smart little Puerto Calero marina, a five-minute walk from the Hesperia hotel, and some good bargains at Teguise, Lanzarote’s pretty former capital where the colourful Sunday market is a weekly institution.

I picked up some striking jewellery made from black lava stone and olivina, a green semi-precious stone found inside lava rocks, fitting souvenirs of this fiery, hauntingly beautiful and often surprising island.