 |  |  |
 |
 |
| SPOTLIGHT | | Sandy
beach, is great for diving, swimming, sailing, snorkeling, and windsurfing. |
| |  |
 |  |  |
| | | |
Highlights
The white beach — from which
the town takes it's name — has a European Blue Flag for cleanliness and is at
the heart of the resort.
It’s central location means that there is no
shortage of bars, cafes and restaurants as well as the other shops and amenities
you might need, to make your sunbathing a pleasure.
Although only small,
this beach is one of my favourites, as there is plenty to see and if you like
people watching, it’s an ideal place to be.
You have to watch out when
the new Fred Olsen Ferry comes into the harbour, as the waves break all the way
up the beach.
The only way to avoid a soaking is to follow the locals
and move everything up the beach as the ferry approaches.
Playa Blanca (white beach) is a very sunny spot which is also the most valued
attraction of it. The sun shines between 11-12 hours a day during the dry season
(December-April), heating the coastal system with an average maximum temperature
of 36°C during March and April, and an average annual temperature of 27.7°C. The
rainfall of around 1800 mm, lasts only a short time.
We don't know much
about this particular beach which is 1 km long, and located about 25 kilometres
from the city of Liberia between two points of the southwest end of the Gulf of
Papagayo and from where you can enjoy the views to the beaches called Monte Barco,
and Panamá.
An old fishing village, Playa Blanca is nowadays one of the
most important tourist centres on the island. Various very attractive beaches
make up this part of the coast. Playa Blanca is a beach of golden sand, easy to
access from the promenade, which ends where the port of Playa Blanca begins. Playa
Flamingo and Playa Dorada are beaches of golden white sand with calm waters near
to all the services that the town has to offer.
Playa Blanca is the fastest
growing resort on the island of Lanzarote.
Originally a fishing village,
a modern port has been built allowing the twice-daily car and passenger ferry
from the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura to dock.
There are 2 beaches
in the resort; the original is small, and looks out towards the port and the distant
island of Los Lobos, the new man made beach is larger, offering a range of water
sports and refreshment facilities.
The golden sands are popular for families
and the gently sloping sea entry into placid waters is safe for children.
What's it really like ?
Transfer time: Approx 30 minutes
Location:
A resort which cleverly combines an authentic fishing harbour
with modern Canarian-style developments.
Set around three town beaches
and 7 miles away from some beautiful, unspoilt stretches of coastline.
A promenade runs along the main beach and is lined with quiet bars and cafés all
retaining the traditional, quaint colour-scheme of white walls with green shutters
contrasting dramatically against the charred landscape.
That same theme
is echoed throughout the resort's low-rise apartments.
Beaches:
Three quality beaches and winners of the 'Blue Flag for cleanliness; one man-made
with a stone breakwater - all get crowded in the peak summer months. Out of town
are the secluded Papagayo beaches which comprise three areas of natural landscape.
These attract out-of-town day trippers as well as naturists who like
to do their thing on a stretch known as Puerto Muelas.
Days out:
Locally there's little to do other than Watersports or exploring the coast. Playa
Blanca is well-positioned for ferry trips to neighbouring Fuerteventura with its
breathtaking sand dunes.
Other island attractions can be quite a trek
away but are worth visiting. Fire Mountain is a 'must see' along with the famous
lava caves (Cueva de los Verdes) which spread for miles underground.
Costa Teguise is home to a water park and golf course. Shops provide holiday basics
... more choice in Puerto del Carmen.
Nights out :
Low-key
bars, some with 'live' music and karaoke form the hub of Playa Blanca's nightlife.
Eating out around the resort offers a variety of menus with some traditional
fish restaurants near the harbour. Also Chinese and pizza places.
Bucket
and Spade Brigade:
Playa Blanca's gently shelving beaches are safe
for kids comprising fine sand and some rocky outcrops for little ones to explore
(some of the out-of-town beaches allow naturism). For more entertainment try Costa
Teguise with its water park. | |
 |
Top Beaches |  |
| |
Carmel Beach | | Carmel Beach, for one,
is a tranquil cove of blue water bordered by soft white sand and cypress-covered
cliffs (the tides are deceptively strong and dangerous, so be careful if you chance
a swim). | | |
| Hermosa
Beach | | Have fun with volleyball, paddleball
or beach ball, while creating a golden tan or toning up. Surfboarding, skateboarding
or boogey boarding are all here. | | |
| Long
Beach | | As you drive along the coast
of Long Beach, don't be fooled by the sight of the bright pastel islands just
off shore; far from natural, they're actually oil-drilling platforms in disguise. |
| |
| Surfrider
Beach | | Surfrider Beach here was the
surfing capital of the world in the 1950s and early 1960s, as seen in the Beach
Blanket Bingo movies of Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon (the surf is at its
best in late summer). | | |
|
Malibu | | Malibu, at the top of the bay
twenty miles north of Santa Monica, is a whole other world, its beach-colony houses
owned by those famous enough to need privacy and rich enough to afford it. |
| |
|
Zuma Beach | | Five miles along the coast
from Malibu Pier, Zuma Beach is the largest and most crowded of the Los Angeles
County beaches. | | |
|
Point Dume State Beach | | Adjacent Point
Dume State Beach, below the imposing promontory of Point Dume, is a lot more relaxed. |
| |
| Pismo
Beach | | Just outside San Luis Obispo,
on Pismo's 23-mile stretch of prime beachfront, flip-flops are the shoes of choice
and surf wear is the dominant fashion. It's all about beach life here, so bring
your bathing suit, your board, and a good book. | |
|
|
Ocean Beach | | Ocean Beach, six miles
northwest of downtown, rivals Pacific Beach in its surfing and party atmosphere,
although Ocean Beach has a more down-to-earth, bohemian feel, and is replete with
excellent secondhand music shops. | | |
|
La Jolla | | A more pretentious air prevails
in La Jolla, an elegant beach community just to the north that mystery writer
Raymond Chandler once described as "a nice place - for old people and their
parents." | | | |
| | | |
