Puerto del Carmen

On Friday the 28th, I'd left Matt in my flat at 13.30 and taken the train from Westminster to Victoria in time to catch the 14.00 Gatwick Express which took 30 minutes to reach Gatwick. After taking the shuttle train from South to North Terminal, I walked across the road to the Premier Inn in time for checking-in at 15.00.
The total cost of the overnight stay was £89.00 which included a meal-deal of a 2-course dinner with a glass of wine plus a full English breakfast.
After dinner, I watched rugby in the bar, and chatted to a couple who had just returned from the USA, which they said was getting very expensive, partly due to the weak Pound, and who were going on a relocation cruise from the Mediterranean to Jamaica.
On Saturday the 29th, I checked out of the hotel at 10.30, walked across the road to the North Terminal, and, once the check-in for my easyJet flight was open, self-checked in my bag. I passed through security quickly and was well in-time for the 14.35 flight, but this was delayed until 17.15 because the plane was needed for an emergency elsewhere. Eventually, the Airbus 320 left for the 4-hour flight to Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote.
Arriving at Arrecife at 21.30, I passed quickly through security and joined three others for the short taxi-ride to the Costa Mar Aparthotel on the outskirts of the resort of Playa del Carmen where we were met by Gaby, the tour leader, who was German but lived in Barcelona where the tour operator used by Explore was based.
My apartment had two double-bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge and bathroom plus a small terrace with a washing-line.
The aparthotel had a number of blocks rising to three levels with terraces for some apartments, plus a swimming pool, a large reception, and a dining room. It was conveniently opposite a pharmacy and a SPAR supermarket, and just behind the main road running behind the wide black-sand beach. Snack lunches were purchased from this and other SPARs on the other islands.Read more