Costa Teguise - HSA Ficus Apartments
We had always chatted about leaving rainy grey cold England for sunny shores in January but never actually took the plunge. However this year we researched the best & most budget friendly ways to have some R&R in Jan and Lanzarote was up there. The av temp for Jan is 21degrees & with blue skies, palm trees and choices of excursions, day trips and lots of local beaches it ticked all the boxes.
We did not need luxury - our check list was simple - clean, easy walk to local bars & beach, all inclusive, good wifi so we could work, a place to relax by the pool and take some needed time out.
We stayed at HSA Ficus Apartments in Costa Teguise- a resort on the east coast of the island. The Ficus Apartments ticked all boxes of our checklist. The apartments were spacious - our balcony overlooked the pool and was actually really big with a table & chairs to work outside on. The hotel was very full of Brits but in true Brits abroad style we found the whole resort was very catered towards thats scene. However, as I said we just wanted somewhere to relax & be able to work in the sun on a budget and this was perfect for that.
There were activities every night such as Karaoke, Bingo, Pub Quizzes & live music & the food was plentiful although after more than a week I can imagine it does get repetitive. However, every night is a different theme - obviously they embraced the Sunday Roast on Sunday. Our favourite was the Spanish night as we do not tend to be the holiday makers to seek out English cuisine when in a different country but we embraced the holiday & hotel as a whole and as long as you do that - you will love it here. We enjoyed not having to think - we got into a routine in the evenings of - meal in the restaurant, enjoying the entertainment & then wandering the 15 minutes into Costa Teguise centre for a drink or simply to stretch our legs.
Location - The hotel was a 15 minute easy & flat walk to the centre where there was a square of bars, restaurants & shops. Walk another few minutes & you come to the beach where you can do a loop across the sea front and back to the hotel. If you just needed a Spar there is one at the end of the hotels road along with a few cafes and a bar called Cactus Jacks which seemed popular with tourists. The whole resort is very catered to Brits. With Irish pubs, lots of Fish & Chips, Curry houses or Full English options and you need to put the work in to find a good Spanish meal. However, we embraced the town, admired its beauty & used it as an opportunity to just relax. If you want to venture into the bigger & more bustling Puerto Del Carmen it is a 20 minute taxi or there is a direct bus that takes 50 minutes.
Excursions - We only went on 2 excursions whilst staying in Costa Teguise and the first was the Sunday market in Teguise - the biggest on the island. Teguise as a place is beautuflly pictureque. Brightly coloured doors stand faded against the white wash walls of the local independant shops and restaurants. Bright coloured flowers weave up the walls & the cobbled streets and a lovely way to spend an afternoon. The market sits in the centre of the town - filled with local crafts and leather goods to equal parts fake Gucci , Dior and whatever the latest must have is.
