THAT HOLIDAY ATTITUDE

Where do you go on holiday when you live on a holiday island? It’s a dilemma most people would love to have, but it’s still one that many of us who live here face.

I’m a little ashamed to admit I’ve never spent a holiday on Lanzarote. The closest I’ve come was winning a night for two in a hotel in Playa Blanca which coincided with one of the heaviest downpours I’ve ever experienced. We were quite glad to pack up and drive back to sunny Arrecife the next day.

But holidays are Lanzarote’s business, and the island has got pretty good at it, sending millions of happy, relaxed, suntanned holiday-makers home for decades. Many of us who live here play a part in that, but I still meet people who live here who haven’t been to the beach for years.

The locals are pretty good at holidaying here, too. You’ll see caravans and campers down at Papagayo, and plenty of locals have holiday homes in towns like Punta Mujeres or La Santa. Their keenness to drive for about 40 minutes to spend a relaxing few days with family shows that a holiday isn’t a place, it’s an attitude.

You can feel that attitude every time you visit one of Lanzarote’s resorts, where you’ll find yourself surrounded by people who are all determined to squeeze every last bit of enjoyment out of their time on the island. Most tourists barely notice the official holidays that happen on the island, but those of us that work here are always grateful for a day off or a long weekend, and we’ll be looking forward to Canary Day on May 30th, when all eight islands celebrate their history and culture.

And it’s worth celebrating. I often use my holidays to hop over to the other islands, and they have always impressed me with their incredible beauty and rich variety. From the heights of Tenerife to the bustling streets of Las Palmas, the islands are a small, sunny universe of experiences.

But even if you’re going nowhere on Canary Day, don’t forget to enter the spirit of things. It’s that holiday attitude – relaxed, curious, friendly, and happy – that’s more Canarian than anything else.