Amanda’s Blog: Matthew's 30th birthday – a family celebration in Lanzarote

Three years ago, we hired a villa in Cyprus for a week to celebrate Ashleigh’s 30th, so it was only right that we did something similar to mark Matthew’s 30th at the end of March.

Villa Select were again my go-to, and once we’d chosen Lanzarote as our destination, they provided several great options. Our wishlist was simple: four en-suite bedrooms (Mum was coming too), a heated pool, and walking distance to a resort.

We also needed flights from Bristol, Manchester and Newcastle, arriving and departing as close together as possible.

Home for our six-night stay was Villa Mirador Mojones, set above the coastal resort of Puerto del Carmen. Everything was on the ground floor, apart from the rooftop terrace.

Each of the four bedrooms had doors leading to its own outdoor seating area and more than enough wardrobe space.

All the bathrooms had showers, with the master having a separate bath as well.

Inside, there was a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and washing machine, a large dining table, and a spacious lounge area with a huge TV.

The gardens wrapped right around the villa. At the upper level were sunbeds and a table and chairs for alfresco dining. Past the BBQ area and down some steps was the pool, with more sunbeds and even a pool table. The outside space was excellent, with panoramic views of the sea and mountains.

As an extra surprise for Mum, my sister and brother-in-law were also out in Lanzarote that week - she didn’t know until they got on the plane and found them sitting right in front of us! They stayed at a hotel nearby, and we met up a few times while we were there.

The villa was a 10-minute walk from an Aldi (our first stop), and around 15 minutes from the main strip full of bars, restaurants, the beach, and the lovely old town set around the harbour, where we enjoyed relaxed meals while watching the sun sink behind the mountains.

Just a note - this wouldn’t be the ideal location for anyone with mobility issues. The walk down was fine, but the walk back up was tough… at least we worked off some of the calories we were consuming each night!

Apart from Mum, none of us had been to Lanzarote before. Being a family that can’t sit still for long, we wanted to see as much of the island as we could.

We took local buses to other towns and markets, went on scenic coastal walks, and while hubby and the kids went on an off-road buggy safari, Mum and I opted for a more leisurely wander around the shops (and stayed well away from all the dust!).

The highlight of the trip was a private tour to Timanfaya National Park. We were picked up from the villa at 9am and taken to this incredible volcanic landscape, which honestly felt like a film set. It’s how I imagine Mars would look - beautiful but eerie at the same time.

Visiting Timanfaya should be on everyone’s to-do list when in Lanzarote - it’s like nowhere else I’ve ever seen. One tip: don’t drive yourself. The queue for cars was ridiculously long, and we were told you could be waiting up to three hours just to reach the visitor centre! Coaches and minibuses bypass the queue and, even better, they’re the only vehicles allowed to take the full 40-minute drive through the park. The route takes you past huge craters, volcanic rock formations and surreal lava fields - it was magnificent.

Lanzarote was the perfect place for our family celebration. There was plenty to do and see, though it was very windy for the first few days - apparently more so than usual! We also found eating out really reasonable - much cheaper than UK prices.

By the end of the week, we all agreed: staying in a villa beats a hotel. You have more space, a private pool you can use whenever you like, and no fighting for sunbeds at 6am!

Roll on the next family villa holiday. 🙂

Amanda x