• Learning with Sunsail

Canary Islands

Lanzarote

The Canary Islands offer perfect year-round conditions for learning to sail or improving your skills as crew or Skipper. Combine winter sunshine with a stunning landscape, lively nightlife, superb sailing and Sunsail’s expert tuition, and you have an amazing week on and off the water. Lanzarote offers RYA Day Skipper and Competent Crew courses every week, all year round. Here we can also sign off sections of your log book in preparation for Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster practical qualifications (exams taken in the UK).

The sailing area
The largest of the Canary Islands, Lanzarote lies seventy miles off the west coast of Africa. The stunning volcanic landscape is home to subtropical forests and soaring peaks. Cruising is blessed by an ideal year-round climate with the warming influence of the Gulf-Stream and favourable trade winds. You will visit various ports of call on your course from quiet, old fashioned fishing towns to lively modern marinas with all night bars. You may venture as far north as Isla Graciosa or south past the tiny Isla de Lobos to Fuerta Ventura. The sailing area is a favourite with bottle nosed dolphins and short fin pilot whales. Your Sunfast 37 yacht is ideal for a school course and the expert, friendly instruction you will receive will be second to none.

Lanzarote
Fascinating lava landscapes and many sun-drenched beaches – that’s what comes to mind when we think of Lanzarote “The Island of Fire”. Sunsail’s year round sailing school is based at Marina Rubicon where the many modern facilities include a swimming pool, designer shopping, restaurants and car hire for exploring the island. Car rental is cheap, the roads around Lanzarote are excellent and you have the whole day to explore on the Saturday before your return.

There are plenty of places to eat including the excellent La Casa Roja del Rubicón (Red House). The Café del Mar has its own ‘ambient DJ’ and serves cocktails and drinks until around 3am.

The growing resort of Playa Blanca is around 20 minutes’ walk away past two sandy beaches with watersports hire. The seafront is lined with bars and eateries in this bustling resort. There is an Internet café and sports bars with pool, table football, air hockey and video games. If you’re feeling energetic you can walk up the small volcano near the town for a good view of your sailing area.

At the end of your course you have plenty of time free to explore the island or indulge in some superb windsurfing, cycling and volcano running – Lanzarote’s challenging terrain plays host to a famous Iron Man contest every year.