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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Lanzarote or Menorca?

85 replies

Natalie2900 · 09/02/2018 19:06

Hi,

Hoping to get some advice.

I have a family holiday booked in Menorca on 19th May. I am now worried it won't be hot enough for us with pools etc.

I am now looking at lanzarote. I have 10 days to change the holiday!

Has anybody been to either of these places on holiday during april/may?

Any advice on which one is best? and the temp etc?

Thankyou. xxx

OP posts:
MsHarry · 10/02/2018 12:48

Lanzarote has mostly black/grey sand or volcanic rock beaches. We drove around the island and it is dramatic but not pretty. We found one golden sand beach in the north, Cala Blanca would make sense. Fuerteventura has golden beaches but very windy. Menorca we have visited 3 times. Its more unspoilt with beautiful turquoise coves with pine tree backed beaches. It is quieter but that's a good thing. The old city of Ciutadella is good for shopping as is Mahon. easy to drive around. Been twice in May(hot enough for beach but pools were cool, once in August when v hot and sea warm.

MsHarry · 10/02/2018 12:50

Oh and food in Menorca was much better than Lanzarote.

juneau · 10/02/2018 12:57

I haven't been to Menorca, but my DB and his wife went twice when their kids were small and they really liked it. It's quiet and has nice beaches, I think.

As for Lanzarote, we loved it and so did our kids, who were 4 and 8 at the time. It's very volcanic (think black lava and cinder cones), but it's exotic and wild and I didn't think it was grotty at all. Puerto del Carmen and Arrecife are somewhat ugly IMO, but Playa Blanca was lovely. However, the beaches tend to be black sand (there is a one with yellow in Playa Blanca - the sand was imported from the Sahara).

I would think both will be warm in May, but the Canaries will be warmer. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura both have the reputation for being breezy, but they're more unspoilt than the larger islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Costa Teguise is rather soulless btw - I'd rather stay in Playa Blanca than there.

juneau · 10/02/2018 13:01

This website is great for looking up average temps just about anywhere at any time of year: Weather2Travel

Original poster
Natalie2900 · 10/02/2018 16:50

I feel like lanza is winning here! we are only going for 7 nights with a 6 year old and 7 month old. I won't be doing much travelling of the island so the unspoilt land etc isn't top of my agenda.

Aslong as its safe and warm im not overly fussed. Although I love going for walks and looking at the culture. Also as long as the wind isn't ridiculous and more of a breeze that cools you down I can live with that.
costa Teguise ( spelling is awful sorry) is the resort I have looked at and cant find any others with Thomas cook.

OP posts:
goldangel · 10/02/2018 17:09

I prefer Cyprus over Lanzarote & weather will be warmer than Spain, same as Canaries.

Isitwise · 10/02/2018 17:14

Having been to both (Menorca in May and Lanzarote October) I’d go to Menorca every time.

Lanzarote was dull and overcast and had the coldest pool I’ve ever known.

Menorca was mid to late 20’s and the pool was just nicely cool

LizardMonitor · 10/02/2018 17:23

Isn’t pool temperature entirely dependent on whether it is heated and to what degree??

Yogagirl123 · 10/02/2018 17:32

I love Lanzarote, been to Menorca and Tenerife, and would return to Lanzarote every time. Weather should be warmer and more consistent in the Canary Islands they are 365 resorts when compared to Balearics which are seasonal. Have a great holiday wherever you decide.

MinnieMousse · 10/02/2018 17:40

I am another holiday snob who liked Lanzarote. There were quite a lot of interesting things to see and do.

Original poster
Natalie2900 · 10/02/2018 21:39

Just have to decide between Playa Blanca now or costa teguise!
So hard making these decisions when you have your babies coming with you. I want it to be perfect!

OP posts:
Noregrets25 · 10/02/2018 21:41

Hiya I’ve been to both a few times and would say Lanzarote 100%. Playa del Carmen is busier but lovely and Playa Blanca is fab, loads of restaurants and a lovely Marina

TheFairyCaravan · 10/02/2018 21:48

Menorca is so muxh nicer than Lanzarote. We went to Menorca in Sept and we’re going back on 20th May. It’s such a beautiful island where as Lanzarote is just barren.

We hated Playa Blanca. We went at the end of July one year and it was really, really windy.

TheFairyCaravan · 10/02/2018 21:49

*30th May we’re going. Stupid phone,

LemonCakeAndTea · 10/02/2018 21:57

Does it have to be Menorca or Lanzarote? Menorca is lovely but (as you know) cooler in May. Lanzarote was SO windy when we went one August... think magazine left on sun lounger blowing into the pool...
Greece??

tigercub50 · 10/02/2018 22:03

I can’t remember what resorts we stayed in but I loved Lanzarote. DH & I had 2 weeks in Menorca before we had DD & were just about the only childless couple in the whole apartment block. We both said it would have been ideal with young children. Not sure about pool warmth etc in May though ( think we went in July) ☀️

holycityzoo · 10/02/2018 22:29

If you go for playa blanca the princess yaiza is so so good for kids. Really good food and right in the beach.
I'm a holiday snob too and this place is really good.

Original poster
Natalie2900 · 11/02/2018 09:58

princess Yaiza is out of our budget. Its 4k for when we want to go.

If anybody has any knowledge on any other places in lanzarote - Playa Blanca hotels?

Looking at Elba resort and H10 princess hotel , cant find one that has LOTS of slides for my daughter to play on.

OP posts:
LizardMonitor · 11/02/2018 10:02

Hesperia Playa Dorada is on the seafront / pedestrian prom, next door to Princess Yaiza. We stayed B&B and found it brilliant. It is more like a Premier Inn, breakfast buffet was excellent, nice pools, right opposite the beach, lovely walk Left to the Marina area or R to the older port area of restaurants and cafes. Much cheaper than P Yaiza.

LizardMonitor · 11/02/2018 10:03

(But it doesn’t have water slides)

Original poster
Natalie2900 · 11/02/2018 10:04

Yeh I've just looked at that one. No slides :-( .

I don't want her getting bored.

OP posts:
Original poster
Natalie2900 · 11/02/2018 10:05

Has anybody been to Paradise island?

OP posts:
canarypotato · 11/02/2018 10:20

We have been to princess h10. Very family friendly. Mainly brits. Food wasn’t to our taste and restaurant was like a canteen. But the pools were nice and there is a heated one too. Our dd loved the mini golf! But we didn’t use the kids’ club. The staff is helpful.

There are some great Spanish restaurants nearby on the seafront. However we didn’t really like the marina, it felt too artificial.

We found Playa Blanca very Brits Abroad but the weather was good and it was really relaxing winter break with two kids in tow (one baby). Was a bit windy but not overly so.

Eminybob · 11/02/2018 10:30

We are going to the El Trebol in Costa Teguise.
It is a first choice AI place, though not sure if that’s what you’re after?
The things that swung it for me were the water slides, for DS, and apartments rather than rooms.
It’s 3 star but has good reviews on trip adviser.

Eminybob · 11/02/2018 10:32

Sorry, just realised you are tied to Thomas cook.