Lanzarote is the Spanish island most different from all others. It does not have the green of the Atlantic Canary Islands or the white sand beaches of the Canary Caribbean: it has volcanoes. Thousands of hectares of black lava, volcanic cones of impossible colors that go from black to red through the ocre and orange, and a light that at certain hours of the afternoon turns the landscape into something that seems painted by a surrealist artist. Lanzarote is the most divided island: there are those who come waiting for the beach and the sea and meet Mars, and who come knowing that they go to Mars and never want to leave.
This guide is for those who want to make the most of Lanzarote: the most striking volcanic experiences, the most beautiful coves on the island, the views of César Manrique that integrate architecture and landscape as anywhere else in Spain, the diving in waters with exceptional visibility and the excursions to the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura. All with available tours, real images and tips so that nothing fails.
Why Lanzarote is different from all the other islands
Lanzarote has 845 km ², a population of 160,000 and a landscape that does not exist anywhere else in Spain. The entire island is the product of the volcanic eruptions of Timanfaya between 1730 and 1736: for six years, a chain of more than 100 volcanoes destroyed one third of the most fertile island of Canarias, burying dozens of villages under the lava and transforming the character of the island forever.
What was left is a landscape of science fiction: the Timanfaya National Parkwith 51 km ² of lava and volcanic cones where the ground still reaches 400 ° C at just 10 meters deep. And there was also something unexpected: a strange fertility that the farmers were able to take advantage of, planting vineyards in holes excavated in the lava with volcanic stone walls to protect them from the wind, creating the most unique wine landscape in the world in La Geria.
To all this we have to add the figure of César Manrique (1919-1992), the lanzaroteño artist and architect who transformed the way of understanding tourism on the island: he convinced the Canary government to ban high buildings and advertising posters, integrated his works of art directly into the volcanic nature (the Jameos del Agua, the Mirador del Río, the Garden of Cactus, the Castle of San José) and created a model of responsible tourism development that is being studied today at universities around the world.
The 8 best experiences in Lanzarote
1. Walk through the volcano of Timanfaya: the island's most unique experience
The Timanfaya National Park is the most striking visit of Lanzarote and one of the most unique in all of Spain. A completely lunar landscape of black lava lacquers, colorful volcanic cones and a silence that breaks only with the Atlantic wind. The soil temperature at 10 centimeters deep is between 100 and 600 ° C, and the park guides show it by pouring water into a hole in the ground: the steam comes out instantly in a pressure column.
The standard visit to the park is made by bus by the Volcanoes route, a road that seeps between the craters for 14 km. But the most special experience is the guided walk through the trails inside the park, which can only be done with official guides of the National Park:
Walk through the volcano - Eruptions of Timanfaya - Top rated. 4 hours of guided walk inside the National Park, visiting the geothermal activity areas and the most spectacular craters. 4.9 of valuation with more than 249 opinions. It's constantly running out. From €42. Lanzarote's most valued experience.
- Council: This walk has very limited capacity (the park trails are strictly controlled to protect the ecosystem) and is exhausted days in advance in high season. Book as soon as you have confirmed dates.
2. Buggy tour in the north of Lanzarote: the wildest island
The north of Lanzarote has the wildest and least tourist landscapes on the island. Land walks between lava lashes, fishing villages on cliffs over the Atlantic, Famara beach with its kilometer of golden sand and Famara Risco 600 meters falling vertically to the sea. The best way to explore this territory is in all-country buggy with guide:
Buggy 3h Tour guided by northern Lanzarote - Top rated. 3h 30min tour in buggy 4x4 along the northern lava roads, with stops at viewpoints and inaccessible beaches by conventional car. 4.8 with over 154 opinions. From €180.
3-hour Buggy Tour from Costa Teguise - Top rated. Alternative version dating from Costa Teguise, 3h 30min. 4.8 with 133 reviews. From €180.
2-hour Buggy Tour from Costa Teguise - The 2h 30min version for those who have less time available. 4.7 of valuation, from €130.
2h Buggy Tour guided by northern Lanzarote - 2h 30min on the northern roads. 4.6 of valuation, from €130.
3. Diving: the most spectacular underwater world in the Canary Islands
The seabed of Lanzarote is one of the best in the Atlantic for diving. The volcanic formation of the island creates subaquatic structures of an extraordinary variety: lava reefs with caverns, tunnels and vertical walls covered with gorgonia, sunken headlights that have become artificial reefs and a water transparency (visibility up to 30-40 meters in the best days) that very few Mediterranean destinations can match.
The area of Puerto del Carmen has the best diving schools on the island, and the bottom of the southwest coast (Playa Blanca, Los Hervideros, La Tinosa) have some of the best dive points.
Diving in Lanzarote (for certified divers) - Top rated. 4 hours of diving with two dives at the best points on the coast of Lanzarote. Perfect assessment of 5.0 with more than 133 opinions. From €80. Only for divers with PADI certification or equivalent.
- For beginners: If you have no diving certification, the island's schools offer diving baptisms (introductory immersion with instructor) in shallow, perfectly controlled waters. It is the perfect way to discover the underwater world of Lanzarote without previous experience.
4. Sail at sunset with dolphin sighting
The waters between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are a cetacean corridor: mular dolphins, listed dolphins and, more luckily, pilot whales and cachalotes are possible sightings throughout the year. The sunset from the sailboat, with the volcanic silhouette of Lanzarote at the bottom and the sun on the Atlantic, is one of the most powerful images you can take from the island.
Sailing tour at sunset with dolphin sighting - 2 hours of evening navigation with high probability of seeing dolphins in your natural environment. From €51.
5. Excursion to Fuerteventura: the dunes and the longest beaches of Spain
Less than 15 km from Lanzarote, separated by the narrow channel of Bocayna, Strength is the island of the dunes and the infinite beaches. The Cormalejo dunes - a natural park of 33 km ² of white sand that enters the interior of the island - are the largest of the Canary Islands and the most similar to the Sahara. The beaches of Falleton the north-west coast, they have turquoise waters on white sand grounds that are among the most beautiful in all of Spain.
Excursion to Fuerteventura: Correjo, Cotillo, Dunes and beach - 9 hours full day in Fuerteventura with ferry included, visit to the dunes of Corralejo, the village of Cotillo and time on the best beaches. From €62.
The works of César Manrique: Art and Founded Nature
César Manrique is the most important artist given by the Canaries and one of the most influential of the identity of an island. His works in Lanzarote are mandatory visits not because they are conventional museums, but because they integrate art with the volcanic landscape in a way that does not exist anywhere else in the world.
Jameos del Agua
The Jameos del Agua is the most surprising work of Manrique: a underwater volcanic tube (a lava gallery that the sea has partially flooded) turned into a cultural space with auditorium, saltwater lagoon and gardens. Inside the lagoon lives the Munidopsis polymorpha, a blind and albino crab that only exists in this place of the world: an animal that evolved in the total darkness of the bottom of the volcanic tube for thousands of years. The visit is completely surreal: you start outside the sun, you come down by a volcanic cave, you come to a stone auditorium and you end up next to a lagoon where they swim unique crustaceans in the world.
Mirador del Río
The Mirador del Río is an invisible engineering work: Manrique excavated the lookout directly on the northern cliff of the island (the Risco de Famara, 480 meters above the sea), so that from outside it is hardly seen. From within, the panoramic window gives over the Strait of the River and the island of La Graciosa: one of the most impressive views of the entire Canary Islands.
Cactus Garden
The Cactus Garden is Manrique's last public work in Lanzarote (inaugurated in 1990): an amphitheater excavated in an ancient volcanic lapilli quarry where more than 10,000 cactus of 1,400 different species grow. The combination of the green cactus on the volcanic red rock with the restored wind mill on the top is one of the most characteristic images of the island.
César Manrique Foundation
The house that Manrique built for himself over five natural volcanic bubbles, united together and decorated with the objects and works that the artist was gathering throughout his life, is today the César Manrique Foundation and the best place to understand your philosophy of integration arti- nature.
The best beaches of Lanzarote
Beaches of Papagayo: the hidden treasure of the south
The Beaches of Papagayo, at the southern end of the island, they are the rather kept secret of Lanzarote. A set of five coves of white sand and protected turquoise waters within the Natural Park of Los Ajaches, with volcanic rock cliffs and a tranquility that in the high season is almost incredible. The car access has a symbolic cost (3 €), and you have to walk about 15 minutes from the parking lot to the best coves.
Famara Beach: the paradise of surfing
The Famara Beach, in the north-west of the island, is the absolute counterpoint of Papagayo: 5 km of golden sand struck by the Atlantic wind, with the Risco de Famara falling vertically to the bottom and waves perfect for surfing. It is not a beach to bathe quietly (the currents can be strong), but the surf scene and the atmosphere of the village of La Caleta de Famara are among the most authentic in the Canary Islands.
White beach: white sand to the south
White Beach is the quietest and most familiar tourist core of Lanzarote. The main beach and the nearby coves have white sand and quiet waters perfect for the little ones. From here come the ferries to Fuerteventura and the excursions to the Beaches of Papagayo.
Las Cucharas (Costa Teguise): windsurfing and water sports
The Playa de las Cucharas In Costa Teguise is the best point of Lanzarote for windsurfing and kitesurf: a constant and regular wind, water protected from the larger waves and well established water sports schools. Perfect for those who want to learn or practice wind sports.
The gastronomy of Lanzarote: the wine of the lava and the canarian cuisine
The wines of La Geria: the most unique vineyard in the world
The Valle de La Geria is the most impressive agricultural landscape in the Canary Islands and probably in all of Spain: thousands of circular holes excavated in the black volcanic lapili, each with a vine strain protected by a stone semicircle that defends it from the wind. The image of the black vineyards of La Geria from above - which from the sky look like thousands of miniature craters - is absolutely unique in the world.
The wines of Lanzarote have a Designation of Origin and a volcanic mineral personality that have no wines from anywhere else. The volcanic marshal grape of Lanzarote produces targets with exceptional acidity and minerality. The most visited wineries (El Grifo, Mozaga, La Geria) offer guided tours with tasting.
The Canary cuisine in Lanzarote
Pipes with mojo: the most universal canary dish, essential at any table in Lanzarote. The red mojo and green mojo of the launchers have a special quality.
Canary Sanchoco: the cherne stew (fish from the Atlantic depths) desalted and cooked with potatoes and potato, served with mojo and gofio. The most traditional Sunday dish in the Canary cuisine.
Iron octopus: the octopus of the Atlantic, more size and texture than the Mediterranean, cooked on the iron with oil, garlic and pepper. The fishing restaurants of Órzola, on the north end of the island, have the best octopus of Lanzarote.
Lanzarote cheese: the wheat goat cheese, cured and smoked, with the pepper on the bark that gives it its characteristic orange color. One of the best cheeses in Spain.
When it's best to visit Lanzarote
Lanzarote has the advantage of being a valid destination during the 12 months of the year. The climate is almost constant: temperatures between 18 and 28 ° C, almost guaranteed sun and just over 100 mm of rain per year. However, there are important nuances according to the season:
Spring (May): the best time for hiking, cycling and outdoor activities. Perfect temperature, moderate winds and the ephemeral green of the lapilli after the winter rains.
Summer (June-August): the largest tourist season. More intense heat (up to 35 ° C in August) and frequent lifting (a hot desert wind that can bring Sahara dust). The beaches of the north (Famara) are very windy; the beaches of the south (Papagayo, Playa Blanca) are the most protected.
Autumn (September-November): Excellent. The sea at its maximum temperature (24-26 ° C), less tourists than summer and more reasonable prices. The best time for diving through visibility.
Winter (February): the season of the northern Europeans fleeing the cold. Perfect walking temperature (18-22 ° C), although the sea is fresh (18-20 ° C). Timanfaya can have a strong wind. The hotels are pretty full.
Itinerario Lanzarote: how to organize the visit
If you have 4-5 days
Day 1: Arrival and beaches of Papagayo (south). Day 2: Walk through Timanfaya (essential reserve). Day 3: North buggy tour, River Mirador, Water Jameos. Day 4: Excursion to Fuerteventura (Correjo y Cotillo). Day 5: Sailing boat at sunset, Valle de La Geria (wineries). If you dive, replace one of the days with two dives.
If you have only 3 days
Day 1: Timanfaya (guided walk). Day 2: North of the island (Mirador del Río, Jameos del Agua, Famara) in buggy or by car rental. Day 3: Quiet South (Papagayo, Playa Blanca, sailing boat at sunset).
Practical tips for visiting Lanzarote
How to move on the island
The rental car is the most efficient option to explore Lanzarote with freedom. The distances are manageable (from Puerto del Carmen to Timanfaya are 30 km; from Puerto del Carmen to the north are 45 km) and the roads are of very good quality. Car rental from the airport leaves from 20-30 €/ day in medium season.
Where to stay
Puerto del Carmen: the largest and best connected tourist center on the island, with easy access to Timanfaya, the north and the south. The best base for those who want to explore the entire island.
Playa Blanca: the quieter and most familiar option, perfect for those who place the beaches of the south as a priority and want to make the excursion to Fuerteventura.
Costa Teguise: the northern tourist core, more oriented to windsurfing and water sports. More quiet than Puerto del Carmen.
Reef: the capital of the island, with little conventional tourism but with the best local environment and the best accommodation prices.
Budget
Lanzarote has generally lower prices than the peninsular islands by the Canary Islands tax regime (IGIC 7%). A traveller with a medium budget can plan between €80 and €130 per person per day including medium-range accommodation, meals and an experience.
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Frequently asked questions about what to do in Lanzarote
How many days do I need to see Lanzarote?
With 4-5 days you can see the essentials: Timanfaya, the north of the island (Mirador del Río, Jameos del Agua, Famara), the Beaches of Papagayo, La Geria and a tour to Fuerteventura. With 7 days you can add diving, the Valle de La Geria with a visit to wineries and explore the villages of the interior calmly.
Is Lanzarote worth it if I don't like volcanoes?
Yeah. Lanzarote also has spectacular white sand beaches (Papagayo), top quality water sports (diving, windsurfing, kayak), dolphin navigation and the excursion to Fuerteventura with the best beaches of the archipelago. The volcanic landscape is omnipresent but not the only attraction.
Is it dangerous to visit Timanfaya National Park?
No, as long as the park rules are respected. Access to the inner paths is strictly controlled and can only be done with official guides. The guided walk is completely safe and the guides know perfectly well the areas of geothermal activity. What is not allowed is to leave the signposted roads.
Can you do free hiking in Timanfaya?
No. Free access to the interior of the National Park is prohibited to protect both the ecosystem and visitors. The only way to travel the interior is with official guided excursions (such as the Volcano Walk available in FeelRoute) or on the Volcanoes Route by bus organized by the National Park itself.
What's the best beach in Lanzarote?
For crystal clear waters and quiet atmosphere: Beaches of Papagayo (south). For surfing and dramatic landscape: Famara Beach (north). For family with young children: Playa Blanca or Las Cucharas. For water sophistication and sports: Las Cucharas (Costa Teguise).
What is César Manrique and why is it important in Lanzarote?
César Manrique (1919- 1992) was an artist and architect who transformed Lanzarote into a model of sustainable tourism integrating art and architecture into the volcanic landscape. Thanks to its influence, the island banned high buildings and advertising posters, and created a set of works (Jameos del Agua, Mirador del Río, Jardín de Cactus, Fundación Manrique) that are essential visits. It is, next to Timanfaya National Park, the main reason why Lanzarote was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993.
Conclusion: Lanzarote, the island that does not seem Spanish
Lanzarote is the island that most disorients those who visit it for the first time. The landscape seems to mark, the vineyards look like craters, the viewpoints are not seen until you are inside and the sea has colors that on the Peninsula do not exist. It is an island that requires predisposition to the strange and that rewards those who embrace it without trying to turn it into something that is not.
If you go looking for the Mediterranean with palm trees, Lanzarote is not your place. If you're looking for a landscape you won't see anywhere else in Europe, with a unique artistic culture, virgin beaches, a wine that tastes like volcanic ore and a world-class diving, Lanzarote is exactly what you're looking for.
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