Looking for a holiday with serious green credentials? Leading island holiday firm Lanzarote Retreats have added a second luxury eco-yurt on their 30,000 square metre estate in Arrieta. The twin-yurt –a traditional Mongolian dwelling – features the same luxurious furnishings as the other eco-properties on the finca such as marble flooring, walk in shower and outdoor hard wood decking.
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Arrieta is a traditional Spanish fishing village 30km to the north of Lanzarote’s capital, Arrecife. The finca, on the edge of Arrieta, offers wind and solar powered holiday properties for ethically minded travellers who favour extraordinary landscapes but want to inject a little luxury in their eco-lifestyle. When combined with the charm of the coastal village, the laid-back atmosphere at the finca offers the traveller an essence of the real Lanzarote.
“We love the north of the island,� says Michelle Braddock who rents out the finca’s eco-dwellings through the family company, Lanzarote Retreats, that owns 10 properties across the island. “ To us Arrieta is the real Lanzarote, a hidden jewel of the island and mainly undiscovered by tourists. It has a certain charm – it’s a sleepy fishing village where everyone knows everyone else.�
Arrieta may well be hidden from the tourist hordes, but the finca is helping put the village on the map – not least because its 30 solar panels and two wind turbines mean it has the largest green energy system on the island.
Partly surrounded by a low wall made of local stone, the finca is perched on the edge of the village but is only a five-minute walk from the sea. Formerly farming land, the finca has two natural wells within its grounds that provide some of the estate’s water.
The stylish retreat offers four rental properties – a yurt, a twin-yurt for larger groups, a luxury villa and a garden cottage. All use low-energy lighting and are powered by the sun and wind. Each property is beautifully designed, from the silk-walled yurts with their al fresco dining areas to the stunning villa complete with mountain views and Indonesian and Moroccan design touches and the snug garden cottage with its private walled terrace.
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The Braddocks have a house on the finca, so Michelle is something of an on-site local guide for travellers staying on the estate. As she explains, tranquil Arrieta is a world apart from the monolithic concrete developments and crowds that suffocate the tourist coast and, so far, seems not to be on the radar of the major holiday operators. The estate’s unobtrusive, low-rise design reflects the philosophy of Lanzarote-born artist and architect Cesar Manrique, who urged islanders to retain the traditional square, white houses that the region had come to be known by.
In Arrieta itself there is one supermarket, a handful of sea front restaurants, a diving school, cafe, bookshop and small specialist jewellery shops while its sandy beach, Playa de la Garita, boasts its own tapas bar and children’s playground. Local activities include surfing, sailing, fishing, wind-surfing, cycling, horse riding, paragliding, golf and mountain biking. A short drive brings you to local attractions like the Jardin de Cactus, the volcanic cave system Jameos del Agua and volcanic ‘green caves’ Cueva de los Verdes.
While there is plenty to do in Arrieta and beyond, it is tempting to spend the day at the expansive finca, collecting eggs, picking the organic fruit, diving into the solar-heated pool or curling up with a book on the poolside daybed. Younger visitors, meanwhile, will be amused not only by the free-range hens but by the resident donkey, Mollie, and can let off steam in the finca’s mini-adventure playground or on the trampoline or sandy football pitch.
“People might have preconceptions about Lanzarote but a visit to Arrieta will change that and make them fall in love with our island life� says Michelle. “We’ve got a beautiful landscape and some amazingly friendly people, wonderful beaches and a relaxed way of life. What more could you want?�
Arrieta quick tips
If you only have 24 hours in Arrieta you should…spend the day relaxing at the beach have a lunch in the tapas bar with a bottle of Bermejo local wine, head back to the beach then enjoy early evening meal at the traditional restaurant the Amanecer, offering fantastic fresh fish with a terrace on the rocky shore break in the village.
And if you think Arrieta sounds a bit too quiet…the village is great for water sports like snorkeling, bodyboarding, windsurfing and surfing. The area’s ideal for birdwatching as well as mountain biking plus local tourist attractions like the Cactus Garden in Guatiza are a few minutes drive away. On a Saturday morning there’s an artisan marketin the village of Haria, five minutes away by car.
Don’t forget the seafront bars…The beach bar El Chiringuito is good if you fancy picking at lunchtime tapas whilst watching the bodyboarders and fishermen.
For those on a shoestring…remember the beach is a free local attraction, see the sunrise from the sand and try some star gazing from the shore.
