From Serenity to Soundwaves: Dolphins by Day, Carnival by Night
Dolphin Watching
Journee had also arranged an itinerary of activities for us, and today’s plan was a dolphin and whale watching trip. The logistics of these excursions were well handled, with activity providers contacting us via WhatsApp with meeting details, times, and what to bring.
We arrived at the harbour early, watching the surfers before checking in at FuerteCharter. The boat trip itself was good with just Anan and I, a couple from Bristol and a girl from London on board, along with the skipper and a crew member. Everyone was nice. We saw dolphins pretty quickly and got to spend time watching them. However, the crew didn’t provide much information, and we started feeling uncomfortable with how much the boats seemed to be ‘chasing’ the dolphins. It felt intrusive, and that the dolphins were constantly trying to avoid the boats when they just wanted to be left alone. The scenery around Isla Lobos was beautiful, though, and we enjoyed a swim, snorkel, and paddleboarding session before being served a surprisingly decent seafood paella on board. We were gioven shots of Honey Rum as we disembarked too.
Carnival Chaos
Back in Corralejo, we were hit by the full force of Carnival Week. The noise was relentless, and for some reason, much of the celebration seemed to be happening right outside our apartment. Among the chaos, one particular performer—who we dubbed ‘Karaoke Colin’—set up camp directly beneath our window with an absurdly loud karaoke cart, complete with disco lights. He and various enthusiastic participants sang (badly) at full volume all afternoon. Having specifically requested somewhere peaceful as our number one requirement, this was not what we had signed up for.
We headed off away from the carnival noise for dinner at a restaurant near the harbour which was a nice break from the noise.
When we returned the carnival craziness was building and didn’t abate until the early hours of the morning, it just got louder and louder until around 3 am.
After enduring the first night, we contacted Journee, sending them a video of the madness. Their solution? A £200 goodwill gesture that would help fund a relocation elsewhere. However, it took 24-48 hours for them to make the offer, by which time the main carnival events had moved to a stage further away, making things a little quieter. We decided to stay put and instead used the £200 towards the rental of a car later in the week—our own way of finding the peace and quiet we had originally hoped for.
