Looking to swap the cold for some sunshine? We review Club La Santa in Lanzarote, one of the world’s leading sports and active leisure resorts…
As a family of four, it can be tough to find a holiday that offers something for everyone, but we all returned from Club la Santa in Lanzarote feeling completely fulfilled. I’d had my fill of multi-sport races and functional fitness sessions. My husband had enjoyed exploratory runs and long-distance rides.
The kids had fun spending hours and hours in the pool, daily trips to the playground and trampoline park, and day outings to the theme park and zoo. It really was a holiday to remember. And with the average daily high temperature in Lanzarote being 20-21°C in February, it’s the perfect place to head for winter warmth.
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An active arrival at Club La Santa, Lanzarote
We arrived at our two-bedroom suite, with views of the volcanic mountains in the distance and over the lagoon, just before lunchtime on a Friday. There’s an array of accommodation at Club La Santa, ranging from a one-bedroom Comfort apartment that sleeps three, to a Luxury three-bedroom sea-view suite with both balcony and terrace plus a jacuzzi, but I would recommend splashing out on your living space if you’ve children and are, therefore, likely to spend more time in it.
That being said, the fantastic thing about the resort is that all accommodation is located near to the bustling activity, so you’re never far from a class, shop or restaurant. But being on the periphery of the water was bliss – my kids certainly loved watching me doing the morning 5K run around the lagoon from our terrace!
After unpacking and refuelling, we couldn’t wait to get started. My husband and I had already checked the schedule of activities for the week from the Club La Santa app (it’s worth downloading it prior to your arrival as activities can get booked up) and, despite feeling a tad tired from our early morning flight, managed to squeeze in a workout each before dinner. I did a HIIT class, while he booked a swimming lane at the nearest 50m pool (there are two, one at either end of the resort). While one of us exercised, the other spent time with the kids poolside – everyone was happy, which made taking some ‘me-time’ that little bit easier.
Related: What is a HIIT workout?
Dad and the girls take in the view on a cycling break
Refuel & refresh at Restaurant Atlantico
We settled down for dinner that evening in the Restaurant Atlantico, which is a self-service buffet open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As a half-board booking, we had every breakfast and dinner here. The choice was vast, with plenty of healthy options for all, including fish, lean meats and veg. Plus, some treats – the chocolate fountain that appeared some evenings was an instant hit with the kids.
If buffet-style dining isn’t your bag, there are other restaurants available on site. El Lago wasn’t too far from our suite and offered an à la carte menu, plus had live music entertainment one night, which we enjoyed watching from the lawn. There’s also the La Plaza restaurant for dinners, which is in the main accommodation block, and near to the shops and stage (where the kid’s club does a rehearsed performance and awards ‘Olympic’ medals each week). Plus, the Pool Bar is open daily and seemed to be very popular.
Family fun at Club La Santa, Lanzarote
The rest of the week ebbed and flowed in a similar vain, with my husband and I doing a couple of workouts daily – functional fitness, CrossFit, TRX, road cycling, running and even an aquathon – while also having plenty of time to spend together as a family. There are fantastic kid’s clubs (Play Time, Fun Time and Young Time, depending on your children’s ages), headed up by the Green Team. With plenty of crafts and activities, my girls just loved going to Play Time – this meant that we could do activities as a couple, which is a rarity for us parents!
But it wasn’t all about spending time separately, as there are plenty of things to do as a family. My eldest went to Surf & Play with her Dad, we hired bikes (a balance bike and small pedal bike) and cycled around the resort together, plus we all enjoyed trying slack-lining on the beach. But perhaps my proudest moment of the entire holiday was seeing our three-year-old run 400m around the track as part of the Kid’s Olympics. The pride she beamed with when receiving her medal at the awards ceremony afterwards made my heart melt.
Of course, if you’re worried about spending too much time at the resort, there are excursions that can be booked on site – a trip to Puerto del Carmen beaches, a volcano walk, go-karting or catamaran sailing, to name a few. We booked a day trip to Rancho Texas, a water park and zoo, at which we saw a dolphin show and had fun on the water slides. After days spent exercising furiously, I really recommend taking an ‘active rest day’ on a day trip. It was well worth the additional expense.
Club La Santa, Lanzarote is the perfect place to learn how to paddleboard
Club La Santa, Lanzarote review: our verdict
Does this trip sound too good to be true? If you’re an active individual and are concerned that a sporty holiday can’t possibly be as much fun for the kids, let me put your mind at rest: when doing travel role play now, my girls always go ‘to Lanzarote’. It was a holiday made of memories, and we all came home feeling rejuvenated, re-energised and with a renewed zest for life.
Club La Santa is one of the world’s leading sports and active leisure resorts, offering 80 free sports and activities, including cycling, aerobics classes, tennis, yoga and Pilates, as well as a range of watersports in the nearby lagoon. For more information and booking, visit clublasanta.co.uk or call 0161 790 9890. Prices start from £903 for a ‘comfort’ one-bedroom apartment for seven nights, which sleeps up to three adults and a child under 15 years.
Words: Sarah Sellens
