We found paradise at Paradiso

Now I know that each person has their idea of their perfect holiday, for some it is an all-inclusive break in the sun with copious amounts of alcohol and as much british inspired mass-produced food they can eat. As you can tell this is not my idea of fun. Now I do enjoy having to not worry about the cost of food and drink whilst on holiday but I then feel that I am missing out on sampling the local cuisine which is something I really enjoy.

Early this morning we landed back in the UK from Lanzarote on what has been one of our most relaxing holidays yet.

We have just spent a week in the beautiful Paradiso villa in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote courtesy of James Villas.

We paid for our flights and car hire separately although you can book these through James Villas as well.

I was really impressed with the quality of the prearrival paperwork we were sent. It had fabulous driving instructions including details about current road works and my mind was put at ease straight away. I am a bit of a worrier and if I am not 100% sure of what we are doing when we arrive in a foreign country I get a bit tense. With this paperwork in hand we picked up our hire car and got straight on the road.

When we arrived we were immediately struck by how quiet the area was and how beautifully landscaped the front garden is. The massive driveaway was also really useful as it meant we didn’t have to park the car on the road.

On entry to the villa the huge open living space really surprised me and the room felt light and airy. Villa Paradiso sleeps six people and there was plenty of space for everyone without feeling crowded.

The living room/dining room had an air conditioning unit on the wall, two patio doors and plenty of seating. I have to say that what really made this stay special was the added extras that the villa included. The shelves on the wall was full of books and dvds and there was even some board games for us to play with. We also had Sky tv which included the Movie channels which was brilliant for when the kids had gone to bed or even during the hottest time of the day to keep them occupied.

The Kitchen came with everything we required and the fridge and freezer were plenty big enough for us to self cater for the week. When we arrived there was dish cloths and tea towels ready for us and that really made a big difference.

The bedrooms were light and airy and contained either a ceiling fan or a stand-alone fan. The bedspreads were beautiful and there was extra bedding in the wardrobes if required. We had ample storage space for all of our clothes and suitcases which was fantastic as it meant we could properly unpack and feel settled.

With an ensuite and a separate shower room it gave ample washing facilities for 6 people and having the bath was great for the kids.

Obviously, the highlight of having our own villa was the private pool. During the winter months, it is heated free of charge but we were not in the winter months so it wasn’t heated. This wasn’t a problem, although the pool was slightly chilly to get into (aren’t they all?) it was lovely to swim around in and by the time the sun hit the surface it was lovely. The pool cover really helped to keep the heat in overnight and the garden is a perfect sun trap from about midday until the sun goes down in the evening.

As you can see above the outside area is spacious with plenty of sunbeds and seating however I think it doesn’t really show off the pool so here is a picture of the kids and Gaming daddy of two enjoying themselves.

We have been on a lot of holidays over the last two years since Elizabeth was diagnosed with Leukaemia but I don’t think any of them were anywhere near as relaxing as this past week. With the lack of wifi, I have had a very welcome break from my work (although my to-do list is crazy) and we took each day as it came with only a few scheduled activities throughout the week including Alison’s Birthday trip in a Submarine and an amazing day at Rancho Texas, both of which I will be writing up after I have edited all my photos. We spent many hours in the swimming pool and alternated between cooking in the villa and eating out so managed to sample some local cuisine as well as use the bbq facilities and the oven. We read books, played games and chatted. We just generally enjoyed each other’s company as we spent the last full week together before the kids return to mainstream school. I have enjoyed homeschooling them and we have had some fantastic adventures together but with Elizabeth’s treatment drawing to a close in a few months’ time, it is time for normality to resume. One thing I do know for certain is that I am now a convert to Villa holidays and I really do believe we found our own little slice of paradise.