Barceló Playa Blanca

The Canarian group HD, owner of the Hiperdino supermarkets, built Barceló Playa Blanca on a 100,000 m² seafront plot between Playa Dorada and Marina Rubicón, and Barceló runs it. The first guests arrived on 1 December 2023, and with 720 rooms it is the largest hotel on the island. The low buildings take their shapes, colours and textures from the volcanic landscape around them, the gardens are planted with island species, and the whole resort faces the strait between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, with Fuerteventura in view on clear days.

The rooms are open-plan and modern, and every category comes with a balcony or terrace. The Superiors measure about 30 m²; the Superior Sea Front, 33 m², looks straight out to sea; the Junior Suites, 37 m², add a separate sitting area, a bathtub and a separate shower. Swim-up rooms open onto a heated semi-private pool and are for guests over 13. Inside the resort, the Royal Level is an adults-only area sold as a hotel in its own right: 132 rooms with their own buffet, pool bar and heated infinity pool, from 30 m² swim-up rooms and 36 m² Deluxes to a 100 m² suite with a whirlpool bath.

The pool is the reason to come. The main infinity pool winds some 140 metres from the main building down through the gardens, with the ocean and Fuerteventura beyond its far edge, and part of it is heated. Sunbeds and parasols line the pool deck, and guests keep remarking on how easy it is to find a lounger. Children get a heated pool with a pirate ship and slides, the Barcy Club and a snack bar beside their pool; teenagers get a space with a climbing wall. The Wellness Centre adds a 32°C hydrotherapy pool, a Finnish sauna and a steam room, and the gym looks over the sea.

The trade is scale and sand. This is a very big complex, and Playa Dorada, the nearest beach, is a 13-minute walk from the main entrance. Only part of the main pool is heated, which matters in winter, and the spa, parking and padel courts cost extra. Breakfast is in the starting rate, with half board and all-inclusive above it. Book it for a pool-centred week in the sun, with children or without them, and choose the Royal Level if you want an adults-only pool to come back to.