Any Tips Please

[ClemFandango1978]

Heading off to sunny Spain for a week B&B over Christmas holidays. This will be my first beach holiday in over 10 years and I'm feeling very inexperienced. I don't have a lot of money and was hoping for any tips you may have that will help me out.
Thanks for your time x

Where in Spain? Mainland Spain/Balearics are unlikely to be beach weather at Christmas. Canaries will be warmer.

So my advice would be look at local attractions and take layers- unless you are very hardy I don’t think you’ll be sunbathing at Christmas.

Its not really beach weather then.
Days will be warm and sunny but not hot enough for sunbathing. Nights will be cold

Where are you going?

Look into what you can do that's not sunbathing. The city you fly to (Malaga?) will have lots of museums etc to visit. White towns and villages like Mijas are nice to wander around. We're going in November and will visit Cordoba for the day on the train and also go hiking in the nearby mountains.

If you like sea swimming it might be bearable in a wetsuit. The Christmas lights are supposed to be good in Malaga.

Where in Spain? Unless it's the canaries it'll not be beach weather.

Where are you going? As others have said it won't be beach weather in most of Spain, and if you're going to a resort lots will be closed down for winter?

Sorry should have been clearer, Lanzarote.

Oh thanks for those suggestions! Could look out for a day trip nearby. Hope you have a fabulous holiday.

So 18-21° is the average temperature there in December. Is there good walking there - take advantage of the cooler weather to explore some of the island like that? Maybe a boat trip?

Great ideas!! Thank you so much.

I’ve just come back from there. It’s still not guaranteed hot- it could be sunny and 26c and it could be 17c and windy. Cesar manrique stuff is lovely.

Thanks I'll look into that. I'd be more than happy with low 20s. Fingers crossed it doesn't be lower lol.

Likely to be windy, but I have found that a lot of places are built to take the wind into account, so built shelters on some beaches. It'll be lovely, certainly better than here. The food and drink is fairly cheap, we paid €1.80 a pint and only €3or €4 fir cocktails in some bars in Teguise in April this year.

Wow! That's so cheap! Did you have a great time?

Have you packed at least one converter for plug sockets?

Yes, I will be 🙂

Asking because last time I went to Italy I forgot mine & had to go hunting for one. Have a great time!

It's such a good tip

Thank you x

I don't know Lanzarote at all but I would suggest having a google of 'things to do near ' for where you are staying, then look on the individual website for attractions to check whether they are open over Christmas period or not. 'Get your guide' app can be useful. Also see if you can find out transport options for the area you are staying / where you want to go to. Particularly useful to have an idea of what the options are if the weather isn't as good as you hope.

If you are staying in a hotel there may be entertainment in the hotel too.

Do you have children with you?

Useful to have a couple of films / books downloaded onto laptop/ipad/kindle in case you just want to relax in your room with a bottle of wine a couple of the evenings.

I hope you have a wonderful time. We often visit mainland Spain during the winter and even though it's only around 17 degrees, if the sun is shining it feels a whole lot warmer - and definitely nicer than the UK.

For eating out - look out for places offering a 'menu del día' - normally a set 3 course menu with 2-3 options for each course, often includes a glass of wine and coffee.

Or we found a few places doing a special on paella and half bottle of wine for 2 during the afternoon.

Ah, that makes a difference.

Lanzarote is great and it could be beach weather. You can also visit the volcano Park, vineyards, Cesar Manrique house, caves, take a day trip on the ferry to Fuerteventura.

There's a huge Sunday Market in Teguise which is the island capital. I've never been because its likely crowded and selling a load of crap but it's obviously popular with a lot of people.

Lanzarote is a great choice for what it sounds like you're looking for - good weather, good value, safe and easy to get around! It's also got stunning beaches and inland scenery.
Getting around - the bus system is excellent - cheap and very reliable. I think there are buses that go from the airport to each of the main resorts - so much cheaper than a cab! If you want to hire a car, the roads are good and the driving is easy - Cicar are very reasonably priced.
Eating out - restaurants of just about every cuisine, reasonably priced and good food. Going a few streets back from beachfront makes it cheaper still.
People - I may have been lucky, but always found them to be friendly and helpful
Organised tours are great - especially those to see the volcanoes (stunning and other-worldly), Manrique sites, wine region and lovely boat tours.
Which resort are you going to, as then you may be able to get more specific advice? Most have their own Facebook group too, which are great to browse for info and to get you excited about your trip!

I like Lanzarote. Try to go up the volcanic park if you can, it is absolutely amazing. The tax regime is cheap, so spending can be cheaper than over here, but make sure you check. We stayed in a lovely adult only hotel, which was brilliant. Found Teguise a bit too Brits abroad. But lots if fun. Live music in lots of bars, and some very cheap bars too. Arricife is worth a visit, they have a modern shopping centre with a Mango and other big stores, which were cheaper than the UK, but again, check before you go. The whole island is fairly low rise, so no rows of high hotels as you see in mainland Spain. There is one high hotel on the front of Arricife which is now the Gran Hotel. They have a lovely, but not cheap, cocktail bar on the top floor with views right across the city. If you haven't been before, be prepared to be shocked at how bleak it looks at first, but it is a volcanic island, so away from landscaped areas it is dry and grey, but interesting to see how the locals manage in such a hostile environment.