Time zone: GMT | Currency: Euro | Average temperature: High: 23°C Low: 16°C

Average coffee price: £2 | Local delicacy:  Estofado – stew with meat, chorizo, chickpeas and vegetables.

Local advisories: Face masks must be worn at all times indoors and on transportation.

Social distancing of 1m inside and outside. 

On Lanzarote’s East coast we are greeted by its largest city & capital, Arrecife. Named after the stunning reef covering the beach, an eclectic collection of sun kissed buildings and Mediterranean promenade await you.

Castles are the name of the game here, with the city boasting not one, but two, both built to ward off the threat of encroaching pirates. The first, Castillo San Gabriel, built in 1590. Now the Ethnographic Museum, exploring the history of the island’s original locals, the Guanche. The second, Castillo San Jose, known as the ‘Fortress of Hunger’. The nickname was given due to the castle being built to provide jobs and some much-needed wealth back into the city after the devastation following volcanic eruptions in the 1730s. Now also a museum, this time an impressive collection of contemporary art. Head to the basement for breathtaking harbour views and delicious local cuisine.

So what’s the point of all this, other than trying to sell you one of our bespoke tours? Well, if you think the jump into the world of advertising is going to be glitz and glamor, constant cocaine fuelled Caligulan orgies, champagne receptions at the Ritz and being flown business class to the Sahara to shoot an array of stunning models for a Brillo campaign, you’d be 76% wrong. Money is going to be a big consideration, at least for a few years. 

Of course there’s the first year, living the student life in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Then following along for a year or two is your stint as an intern, before you finally reach the heady heights of a junior creative role, if you make it that far without a breakdown. You’re probably going to need a job and it’ll need to be flexible enough to allow you to work around briefs and well paid enough to only work a handful of hours a week. 

So for me, it’s writing guides to Lanzarote for wrinklies who like to sit on a slow boat for a few weeks, as well as the occasional weekend spent showering down an overweight man in his mid-thirties. If you’re planning on heading down the rabbit hole, find what works for you to make sure you don’t starve.