Guestbook

CASA RANA

Guest book

2026

Arrival and departure

Welcome to Casa Rana, a 3/4 bedroom holiday and residential villa in one of the earliest communities established in Playa Blanca, originally built in the 1970s and close to the town centre, beaches and all amenities.

At handover you should receive keys for the front door and grille, and for the front ensuite annexe. The entrance gate is electrically operated, using the fob supplied with the house keys. These may alternatively be located in the lockbox by the front gate.

There is an alarm system that is simple to operate and you will be shown how to turn it off when you first arrive in line with holiday rental privacy policy.

Emergencies

If you require urgent police attention, ambulance, fire brigade etc.	112 (no area code)
If you want to report assault, robbery or accident to the police	902 102 112
Road accidents or information about weather and traffic congestion	011

For domestic emergencies, eg plumbing, contact Ann Connolly, or contact owners (as above).

Heating and electricity

All power is electric.

Water is also heated by thermostatically controlled mains electricity, and fed via a hot water cylinder on the roof.

Wifi

Wireless internet is available throughout the house.

The lounge has internet TV with numerous stations in many languages and integral DVD. A separate DVD player and screen is located in the annexe.

Kitchen appliances

The all-electric cooker has a ceramic hob and integral grill, with pull-out extractor hood and overhead light. There is also a separate microwave oven. A dishwasher is located adjacent to the sink. There are also a toaster and coffee maker and ample cutlery and kitchenware.

General appliances

A washing machine and drier are located at the end of the passage by the back door, with an Ironing board and iron and clothes lines on the solarium wall outside the back door. Mop, dustpan and brush also in the pantry and a vacuum cleaner in the cupboards facing. Rooms are equipped with hair dryers. Please don’t run washing machine and drier at the same time – can overload circuit and blow fuse.

Waste disposal

There are recycling and general waste bins at the end of the road, and a waste bin under the sink. Bags are available in the kitchen drawers along the pantry wall. Please do not leave waste for any length of time, since ants and cockroaches will swiftly take advantage.

Outside

There is a dining area and adjacent barbecue available for use – charcoal can be obtained from any of the nearby supermercados.

The garden is typically Canarian, with volcanic gravel (picon) and various tropical shrubs and plantings irrigated by waterlines under the topsoil, please don’t dig or damage these.

There is a folding table tennis table on the patio, bats and balls in the wooden bowl adjacent.

A pool/billiards table is available for guests to use – cues &c in adjoining TV room/study.

Garage

The garage and adjoining studio are currently reserved for owners’ storage.

Pool

The pool has Roman steps for easy access and is heated in the cooler months, or additionally by arrangement. It is salt-chlorinated and we ask that pool the cover be kept on at all times when not in use as this keeps the temperature from dipping overnight. Be extra careful when using the pool cover in windy conditions. Make sure that young children are supervised at all times when using or near the pool. There is a pool light switch by the barbecue. Our pool management come once a week, to clean the pool, and check filtration, pump and heater. Please note:

Wash/shower off any sunscreen lotion – it fouls the pool and can turn it green
Keep glassware away from the pool terrace (plastic cups &c available instead)
Pool depth unsuitable for diving

Shops and amenities

The villa is located in a very central location, close to the beaches and all amenities.

Hiperdino and Spar for general groceries within walking distance or short drive
Fresh fish sold in the port (and Hiperdino on south side of main road Avenida de Canarias)
Pharmacy on corner of roundabout by bus station
Petrol station on mini roundabout adjacent to Los Calamares
Post office in Calle Coreilo
Numerous restaurants and bars along seafront and around town
ATMs and banks in town centre
Watersports facilities at main beach (Playa Dorada) and Marina Rubicon
Car hire (Carrera Medina) in town centre
Bikes, quads and segues for hire on Av. De las Canarias

Medical services

In Playa Blanca, the Dr Mager Clinic is in Avenida El Varadero. This is the road that runs down from the main roundabout at the entrance to Playa Blanca towards the sea and the pedestrian shopping street – Calle Limones – where the tourist information office is located. All staff are fluent in English, German and Spanish.

Dr Mager Clinic

Avenida El Varadero, 6

Playa Blanca

Tel : 0034 928 517 938

Web : http://www.lanzamedic.com/

There is one large main public hospital on the island. In case of an emergency or an accident the persons are taken here. Note holidaymakers have to carry with them their passport / National ID together with their EHIC card for treatment here. Please note you may not always find a speaker who understands any English or other foreign language. If available a Spanish translator or speaker would be quite handy:

Zona Hospital General de Lanzarote

35500 Arrecife

Tel: +34 928 59 50 00

Beaches

Playa Dorada

The nearest beaches are Playa Dorada (the main town beach) with bars, watersports, shaded sunloungers and a short walk from the many seafront restaurants along the maritime walk which stretches from one end of Playa Blanca to the other. A smaller beach, Playa Flamingo, is a short walk along the seafront from the port and is especially popular among families with small children.

Travel

Airport is at Arecife (ACE) about 40 mins by car/taxi. Hourly coach service from main bus station at junction on Calle Calamares, to airport (161), and various points in Playa Blanca and further afield on Lanzarote.

Buses go all over the island from the main terminus at the entrance to the community - just 5 mins walk.

There is a very good minibus service from the airport (and many other locations and facilities in the area) which will collect and deliver passengers from the front gate. Order online: http://www.lastminute-transfer.com/index.asp

There are regular ferry crossings between Playa Blanca and Corralejo on neighbouring Fuerteventura. Timetables from the port (which is visible from the garden) for these and other sailings to mainland, islands and fishing and sightseeing tours.

The villa is close to all main facilities, beaches and amenities in the area so a car isn’t essential, but rentals readily available for trips away from the town. Numerous hire companies operate in Lanzarote, the nearest to the villa being local operator Carrera Medina on the roundabout in the town centre, with a wide choice of local and international providers at the airport.

Roads are generally well-maintained though it is advised to stay on paved surfaces as the countryside is pretty rugged and you may not be covered by insurance for damage incurred offroad.

Places to see, things to do:

Timanfaya National Park

This part of the island is a must for any visitor to the island because of its unique 'Martian' landscape and rare plant species.
After you arrive at the visitors Car Park you will witness several demonstrations of how hot the area is (temperatures just a few metres below the surface reach between 400°C and 600°C).
Dry brush thrown into a hole in the ground catches fire immediately, while water poured into a bore hole erupts seconds later in the form of steam - like a mini-geyser.
The 'El Diablo' restaurant provides an impressive backdrop to all of this and serves Canarian food which is cooked using geothermal heat (a cast-iron grill placed over a large hole in the ground). It is advised to arrive here early if you would like to sample the food, since the Kitchen closes at 3.00pm.
While it is not possible to just wander freely around the Volcanoes, a coach trip around the National Park (La Ruta de los Volcanos) is included in the entry fee. The tour features an audio commentary that includes excerpts from the diary of a local priest who was an eyewitness to the devastating eruptions in the early 18^th Century.

Jameos Del Agua

Jameos Del Agua, located in the north of Lanzarote, is part of the Atlantida volcanic cave system formed by the eruptions of the Corona volcano about three to four thousand years ago. This larger cave system also includes Cueva de los Verdes.
The word 'Jameo' refers to a volcanic cave with a collapsed roof, of which there are many in this part of Lanzarote.
The Lanzarote-born artist César Manrique has helped to create this spectacle, where these natural 'jameos' have been turned into an auditorium, swimming pool, gardens and restaurants, while still blending into the surrounding volcanic landscape. Jameos del Agua was the first of the local government's Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism and first opened its doors to the public in 1966, though the centre has seen near-continuous additions and refurbishments since that time.
The recently re-opened natural Auditorium has seating for 600 and is renowned for its excellent acoustics. The premier of the Pedro Almodóvar film, Los Abrazos rotos, starring Penelope Cruz was held there in March 2009.
The underground salt water Lagoon, Jameo Chico, is host to a species of blind albino crab (Munidopsis Polimorpha) that is found nowhere else.

Fundacion Cesar Manrique (near Teguise)

The César Manrique Foundation is located in the studio-home that the artist lived in, situated in Taro de Tahiche (Lanzarote). It is probably the work that best represents Manrique's artistic and personal ideals.Built in 1968 on top of a volcanic trail from a volcanic eruption that occurred in 1730-36. It uses, in the lower level, the natural formation of five volcanic bubbles to make an unusual and exemplary living space within a natural space. The outside of the house and upper level is an inspiration from the traditional architecture of Lanzarote.The César Manrique Foundation, created in 1992, is a non profit private institution. César Manrique Cabrera was born on April 24, 1919 in Puerto Naos, Arrecife (Lanzarote), the son of Francisca and Gumersindo. His father was a food merchant and his grandfather a notary public. César preceded his twin sister Amparo by just a few minutes. He had another brother, all of whom are alive today. Don Gumersindo came from Fuerteventura of good family background and emigrated to Lanzarote.
It is impossible to imagine Lanzarote as it stands today without César Manrique. He was a painter, sculptor, architect, ecologist, monument preserver, construction advisor, planner of urban developments, outliner of landscapes and gardens. Contemporary and friend of Picasso, Manrique felt that he had to transform the island before the increasing amount of tourists overwhelmed and disfigured it irreversibly, creating unique and inspiring landscapes and buildings using the natural volcanic rock of the region, and incorporating the lava-like sense of flow and contour into his remarkable sculptures and architecture.

Papagayo Beaches

Cactus Garden

Lanzarote's famous Cactus Garden (Jardín de Cactus), based toward the north of the island in Guatiza, is one of the island's hottest attractions all year round. Developed under the guidance of César Manrique it showcases over 10,000 different plants. This truly is a celebration of the plant world's spiniest species, comprising one of the best collections of cacti in the world. These have all been displayed to their optimum effect against the beautiful backdrop of an amphitheatre like giant bowl, hewn from an old quarry, that's laid out in steep terraces, echoing the stone wall patterns of the local fields.

Lag'O'Mar

Holiday residence once owned by Hollywood actor Omar Sharif – now open to the public as a house museum, boasting a fascinating history which has become mythologised on Lanzarote over the years. The Museum of Casa Sharif is open every day from 10.00 to 18.00, with guided tours available every half hour. The property was constructed as a pilot house in the 1970’s by an English developer called Sam Benady. The idea being that it would work as a show home to attract investors and property hunters who wanted something similar built for themselves. The developer was greatly assisted by the architectural talents of Jesús Soto, a Lanzaroteño who worked on numerous projects alongside César Manrique, including the internal lighting and layout of the route through the Cueva de los Verdes and various aspects of the Timanfaya National Park

Rancho Texas

Kids go wild for Rancho Texas – an excellent theme park in Puerto del Carmen. As well as offering a whole host of wild-west themed activities Rancho Texas is also the biggest zoo on Lanzarote – giving kids a chance to see an impressive array of animals. From the small and cuddly creatures in Lilliput Farm, such as the miniature ponies – through to bigger and wilder species such as buffalo, antelope, puma and even some rare white tigers. There are live shows featuring sea lions, birds of prey, parrots and crocodiles throughout the day as well as an on site restaurant. Rancho Texas is open daily from 09.30 to 17.30.

Markets

A spectacular market takes place every Sunday in Teguise, about 40 mins drive north of Playa Blanca. Arrive early and find a bargain! Closer to home, Wednesday and Saturday mornings are market days in the Marina Rubicon – about 20 min walk. Seemingly endless stalls of all kinds, food, handicrafts, clothing, antiques &c meander through the streets and alleyways at both locations.