Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the fourth largest of the Canary Islands, about half the size of its neighbour Fuerteventura. It is 1000 km away from mainland Spain, and about 125 km to the African coast. It has been a biosphere reserve since 1993.
The resorts of Lanzarote are in the south and southeast of the island, most of them are only a few decades old. The traditional municipalities are in the middle of the island, and agriculture is still present. The north-west of the island is sparsely populated and is characterized by bizarre volcanic structures. To the north is the Chinijo Archipelago. It includes the smaller island of La Graciosa and four other islands, including Alegranza and Montana Clare, both uninhabited.
The island is divided into several regions around the biggest cities:
Arrecife. – Greatest area, the island's capital. It's the nerve center of the island and almost obligatory entrance point of Lanzarote (unless you come via Playa Blanca). The city has no great attraction except for its coastal area: Playa del Reducto, a pretty calm beach, Fort San Gabriel on an islet accessible by La puente de los Bolas, and the Charco of San Gines, lagoon of sea water surrounded by a beautiful walk. The other center of interest of the city hides towards the merchandise port. It is the International Museum of Contemporary Art which took its quarters in the fort San José. Designed by Cesar Manrique, the museum also houses a gourmet restaurant at reasonable prices.
Arrieta – A nice town with an interesting break for surfing. The wave does not break for a while and builds up and goes down several times, a good chance to practice as an intermediate surfer. Depending on the tide the length of the break and ultimately wave varies, so get some information beforehand.
Famara – A beach and surfers town with excellent waves for beginners and intermediates. The town itself though is dull and overpriced, there is no competition and all shops and rentals have the same prices, one overpriced supermarket, and above than average priced restaurants. The "deals" the schools and shops offer are not worth their name. However, it's the best place to surf and take lessons in Lanzarote—maybe go with a one/two day lesson and learn the rest by yourself. Surfboards are €15-25/day, neoprene €5/day, and they also have all the other (newest) gear; kite, foil, wings, etc. As for later discounts beforehand, when going with one surf school—often they offer reduced accommodation and rental if you did a course with them. You are better off buying equipment and suits used, e.g. on Wallapop or Facebook Market, and even stay in the car or van along the eastern stretch of the beach, in case you intend to stay here longer and just take your time—there are many offers for used surf boards and suits below €100 (for both), especially by people that are in a hurry to sell since they have a flight scheduled.
Haria. – In the north, with famous volcanic caves and the most green area. After crossing a pass from Teguise, Haria appears like an oasis at the bottom of a valley. With a nickname "Ten thousand palm trees valley", Haria contains palms than a classic city. The major attraction of Haria is the house of César Manrique. Eccentric, the artist's last home is an unfinished work. The center is quite small but nice. At the Leon y Castilla square, it is possible to take a break on the terrace of a café, in the shade of eucalyptus. On the same square, a craft market happens every Saturday morning, selling local products.
San Bartolomé. – Central city of the island. San Bartolomé is above all a large crossroads between the North (Tinajo), South (Arrecife), East (Geria Valley) and west (Teguise). A gigantic sculpture by Cesar Manrique The monument to the peasant is visible at the intersection of these roads. Beyond this symbolic work, Casa Museu, in the same place, allows to appreciate the local culture and its (peasant) history. Half way between a museum and a craft shop, the creation "manriquienne" also houses a restaurant.
Teguise. – Former capital, with the holiday resort Costa Teguise. It naturally presents the most representative face of the traditional aristocratic architecture. Walking through ancient cobbled streets or around the church square, the visitor can admire numbers of facades, massive doors or other wooden balconies. The Spinola Palace, home to the Timple Museum (local musical instrument) and the piracy museum hosted at Santa Barbara Fort (outside the city, placed on a volcano) are the two unavoidable attractions of the city. Also here, a large weekly market occurs on Sunday, attracting crowds of tourists.
Tías. – The city is not very interesting, the municipality is primarily known for Puerto del Carmen seaside resort - which is even bigger than the city. The vineyards of the Garia valley are also here.
Tinajo. – At the north of the island and the edge of the Parque Natural de Los Volcanes, it's the most authentic and secluded. The flow of tourists from the south and east of the island stops mostly in the Geria Valley or Timanfaya National Park. Two points are worth a visit: Mancha Blanca on one side (hermitage of Los Dolores and Sunday morning market) and the agricultural museum El Patio on the other. The Lanzaroteño identity is undoubtedly most present here.
Yaiza. – A tourist center and ferry port Playa Blanca. The most spectacular scenery on the island. If the north of the island has been valued by the artistic work of Cesar Manrique, the landscapes of the south (and thus the municipality of Yaiza) are sufficient for themselves. Yaiza resides between Timanfaya, Papayago and el Golfo - a charming little sleepy village. There is little to see except maybe in the neighboring village of Uga, a smoked salmon smokehouse (you can buy one, too) and a dromedary (camel) breeding center. The latter organizes daily round trips to Timanfaya, performing a promenade for the coming tourists.
Lanzarote is in the same time zone as rest of the Canary Islands—Western European Time (WET). This means the time is the same as in Portugal and United Kingdom.
La Graciosa - Derived from the Spanish word for 'graceful', this volcanic island was formed by the Canary hot spot.The entire island is composed of volcanic rock and sand. It is also apart of the Islands conservation groups Parque Natural del Archipiélago Chinijo, Reserve of the Biosphere, and "Marine Reserve of La Graciosa". Having only a population of approximately 700, there are only two inhabited areas on the Island. those areas are Caleta del Sebo and summer-friendly Casas de Pedro Barba. The island has a school, lyceum, post office, supermarkets, a bank, port, beaches, and — except bar-restaurants — a square where bicycles can be hired (plaza). The main industry of the island is tourism and fishing. The climate of the island is one of the most commonly reported pull factors for travelers. Streets and roads on La Graciosa are unpaved sand. The Gracioseras can often be seen early each morning sweeping the streets smooth of the previous night's footprints. Motor vehicles are strictly prohibited and limited to a handful of licensed vehicles for special purposes. Since the roads are bad, and cars have to be shipped to Lanzarote for repair, about 70% of the motor vehicles on the island are old Land Rovers which often can be repaired by a local serviceman. There are no natural water sources on the island. Desalinated water has to be piped directly from Lanzarote since 2001.
Alegranza – In the most northern part of the Canary Islands, Alegranza is another one of the smaller scaled islands. Its name comes from the Spanish word for 'Joy'. The terrain is mostly flat, home to only one small volcano. The island is part of a conservation act with (Chinijo Archipelago) Natural Park, so it has no active or documented inhabitants. The historic lighthouse of (Punta Delgada) can be found on the eastern part of the island. Built in 1865, it was declared a historical monument in December 2002.
Montaña Clara – The smallest island of the Canary Islands.
Not all that much is known about the island's early history, because most archaeological evidence has either been buried under lava or carried off by raiders. The Phoenecians were there, followed by the Romans. The Arabs then settled the island, the French explored it, and the Spanish conquered it.
It was named after Lancelotto Malocello , who is considered to be the (re-) discoverer of the Canary Islands. The old Canarian name of the island was Titerrogatra or "the red mountains", which refers to the volcanism, which has shaped the island more than all other Canaries.
The island thrived for a while by producing cochineal, an expensive, crimson dye taken from the carapace of a scale insect that lives on cactus. Cochineal is used for dying fabric, decorating china, in cosmetics, and as a food colouring.
The eruptions in 1730-1736 covered a quarter of the island's surface, destroying its most fertile farmland and eleven villages. Still, visitors marvel at how stone walls and semi-surrounds are used to capture moisture to grow crops elsewhere on this decidedly desert island.
The coherence and beauty of the island's cultural and tourist centres is largely the legacy of the local artist César Manrique (1919-1992). He also played a key role in having the island declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993.
Lanzarote islanders speak Spanish (Castilian) with a distinct Canary Island accent and some vocabulary not found on the Spanish mainland.
Lanzarote's principal economic activity is tourism, and a large proportion of tourists are from Ireland and the UK as well as Germany, so most people working with tourists can speak at least some basic English.
Most restaurants offer menus in Spanish, English, and German. Although, do remember that this is a Spanish speaking island and try not to get too flustered if the local people cannot understand you. Many residents speak some English or German as a second language, but it helps greatly to speak slowly and use simple words and grammar.
In addition to the charter flights that serve Lanzarote from Northern Europe, there are scheduled flights operated to some of the other Canary Islands, to the Spanish mainland and to a few international locations, most notably London (Gatwick). Live arrivals and departure information for the airport at Lanzarote is available here: Lanzarote Airport Live Arrivals information (dead link: December 2020)
Some of the airlines serving Lanzarote (ACE) include: Iberia, Air Europa, Vueling, EasyJet, Thomsonfly, Jetair, Aer Lingus, Ryanair, and Jet2. Two local companies are Islas Airways and Binter Canarias, with mostly flights between the Canary Islands.
ATMs at the airport charge about €8 to get cash; wait until you get out where it can be as low as €1.50.
Getting there and away:
For more information on available ferry companies, times and prices, see Canary Islands#By boat 2.
There are several several small marinas that allow ship docking. One of the more interesting is Marina Rubicon at Playa Blanca because of its architecture and available services.
It only takes about 40 minutes to cross the entire island from North to South by car, and about 25 minutes across. Fuel is cheaper than on mainland Europe.
Lanzarote tends to be a bit windy, and often a bit more in July, making motor scooters or bicycles a little difficult and risky. This is compounded by the rocky landscape and mostly lacking bicycle ways.
So, the best way to travel on the island is probably with a rental car—see Canary Islands#By rental car for more information. The streets are good and the island is small, so you can see the main sights in two to three days.
A bus ride always costs between €1.40 and €3.60 (Jan 2023). If you plan to travel mainly by bus, get a prepaid card at Arrecife bus terminal which offers a slight discount and saves you the hassle of paying with coins every time. Let Google Maps or Moovit find the right bus line for you.
There is also a hop-on, hop-off bus service called Vision Bus which stops at all major attractions and the island's three resorts.
All taxis and drivers have a license and are generally friendly and honest. There are fixed prices for an overland trip, otherwise taximeters are used. There are four tariffs: tariff 1 applies to trips in cities, tariff 2 for round trips, tariff 3 for landings (which do not have fixed prices) and tariff 4, which applies to holidays. In all larger places there are taxis and parking, otherwise taxis can be stopped by handsignal when the green lamp of the roof light is on.
With many tourists around in their rental car, it can be quite easy to catch a ride in remote places. But also locals are happy to take people for the short ride. Inside of towns or cities you will be less lucky, but if you walk somewhere where there is obviously just one direction to go, you won't have many problems finding a ride.
Lanzarote has many interesting sights and trails within its volcanic environment. For reliable maps and comprehensive trails, a good deal of sights and tourist attractions, and general map information, consult OpenStreetMap, which is also used by this travel guide, and by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz. Or just download the according GPX or KML files through Waymarked Trails for such trails on OpenStreetMap. (Note, you just need to change the OpenStreetMap relation ID to download the GPX or KML files through the same link.) If you are in an area with less information mapped, feel free to add and update what is there so subsequent travellers have an easier time!
Sites managed by the island administration, designed by César Manrique (and with the participation of other local artists such as Jesus Soto). They are the entry points for the knowledge and discovery of the island. They can be visited separately but it is preferable to go bulk: 3 centers for €21, 4 centers for €28, or the best 6 centers for €32 (the entrance to the San Bartolomé is free).
Scuba diving – From Costa Teguise, Playa Blanca or Puerto del Carmen, some of the best diving in Europe. Water temperatures are fairly constant, ranging from around 18-24 throughout the year, which allows for year-round scuba diving. Wearing a wetsuit is still advised.
Surfing – There are many surf schools in Lanzarote and most will transport you to this beach for the lesson. Mostly in Famara (surfing, wind surfing, kite boarding), where you have a long stretch of sand and continues waves. Depending on the weather, you might want to head to La Santa, where you also can find a good break. But since it is a rocky beach, it is probably only interesting for intermediate or advanced surfers. Furthermore, there is also an interesting break in Arrieta on the other side of the island. Otherwise, you will want to head to Fuerteventura, where there is much more choice of any.
Cycling – Lanzarote being a flat island (about 600 m as the highest elevation), it is ideal for cycling. Almost all asphalted roads can be reached, the main axis between Arrecife and Tías, the LZ-2, can be used, since edge strips are present. Lanzarote is also suitable for the use of mountain bikes—keep in mind that it is not permissible to go off the slopes, roads and paths, as it disturbs growth of lichens.
There is a water park (with bus service from Puerto del Carmen), a Zoo Park (Guinate Park), an aquarium-type park and a wild-west themed animal park (Rancho Texas). You can also take submarine trips from Ports in Puerto del Carmen and Puerto Calero.
There is an array of tourist shops ranging from digital hardware shops to bazaars but be wary, you can get a good bargain if you can haggle a little with the shopkeepers. Don't worry, these guys are well used to people asking for a better deal than what they are offering.
One of the island's most enjoyable things to do is relax, lie at the beautiful beaches during the day and enjoy a nice meal in the evening.
The island is not a great paradise for hiking compared to La Gomera or Tenerife. There is too little vegetation and the landscape is too bare. Nevertheless, it is very worthwhile to hike here. There are guided hikes, for example in the national park Timanfaya (the guides provide a lot of information about the lava landscape). It is also possible to walk freely—there exist many trails around the volcanoes or along the beaches. Strong and durable shoes are recommended, as the sharp-edged lava cuts through sneakers or sandals easily. It is also necessary to carry a lot of water, since there are very few water sources. Often the summer is too hot for extended hikes. The most suitable are early spring and spring itself, as the plants sprout.
OpenStreetMap provides the best maps for hiking on Lanzarote–see #On foot and navigation.
Some great hiking spots, in the order of popularity:
The local cuisine is typical of the Canary Islands:
Restaurants noted for local cuisine:
However, in many of the resorts there are very few true Canarian restaurants. Most of them tend to focus on English food (English fried breakfast, roasts, etc.) If you are going on a package holiday it would be a huge saving to pay the extra for all-inclusive, especially if you're not likely to travel far from the resort.
There are many non-traditional places to eat out in the main resort towns, serving a wide range of food such as Greek, Chinese, Indian, and Mexican.
The 'old town' area of Puerto del Carmen is home to Blooming Cactus Vegetarian Restaurant, but those with vegan or vegetarian dietary requirements will find limited choice outside of this eatery.
See Canary Islands#Money for more information on cash, ATMs and credit cards.
In case you are looking for a used surfboard, neoprene, car or anythings else in this direction, check out Wallapop, which is quite popular in the Canary Islands. However, people seem to be slow answering here. So, you might be better off with Facebook Market.
Teguise, 29.060237°, -13.559162°. Su 09:00-14:00. Very touristy, a lot of handicraft. Good for having a lunch in one of the restaurants around the market, enjoying some of the delicious tapas while watching the world go by. 2021-05-06
Haría, 29.146598°, -13.499044°. Su 10:00-14:30. More authentic, a lot of handicraft, but also local produces. If you only have time for one market, visit this one over the one in Teguise. 2021-05-06
Mancha Blanca, 29.044621°, -13.681311°. Not very big. Mostly agricultural produces and bakery. 2021-05-06
There are also markets in San Bartalomeo, Arrecife, etc.—check out the links above for all listings.
Lanzarote has a broad selection of hotels and other forms of holiday accommodation. Most hotels are clustered in and around the major resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise.
There are also plenty of hostels and Airbnb offers for short-term accommodation, so check OpenStreetMap and respective services.
While a generally safe country, as always beware of pickpockets and keep hold of any personal belongings. There are local police stations in all major cities and somewhat frequent police patrols around the streets. Emergency service phone number is the European standard 112. Always take a printout of all the Important Numbers and keep with you all the time.
Beware of Weather Envelopes: It is useful to take a rain cover despite the cloudless sky. A hat is greatly recommended to protect against sunstroke. Use sunscreen when coming from less sunny regions and observe the signals of your body to prevent sunburn.
It is not permitted to go off the slopes, roads and paths, as that disturbs growth of lichens.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division