Lanzarote is the 4th largest island, in the Canary Island archipelago. With its stunning volcanic landscape & moon like features, this island is home to endless adventures & things to do way beyond the comfort of your hotel room.
I have been visiting this island every single year of my life & in January 2023 I finally got the chance to show Harry what all the hype is about. It’s safe to say that he well & truly caught the ‘Lanzarote bug’ as we call it. So here we are, writing this blog for you to be introduced to & experience all the incredible wonders, this little island in the Atlantic has to offer.
Please note: we were kindly gifted the CACT Lanzarote pass by Turismo Lanzarote for this trip, which gave us free entry into most of the paid attractions, in exchange for a tiny bit of content. However, we totally recommend purchasing this pass, as it can save you money if you plan to visit multiple centres.
1. Timanfaya National Park
Let’s start with the most famous & biggest tourist attraction on the island, but is still absolutely worth visiting, especially if this is your first time to Lanzarote. Entry is 12 Euro per adult & 6 Euro per child. You can purchase a CACT ticket that includes multiple centres, which may save you money, you can find it here.
To understand the island you must first understand that it was formed due to historical volcanic activity, more specifically from 1730-1736 there were constant eruptions on the island. Today Timanfaya National Park is home to 25 volcanoes, one of which is still active.
To visit the park you’ll have to pay an entrance fee of 10 Euros for Adults & 5 Euros for children. Once you arrive at the main parking area, you’ll be directed to get on a tour bus which will take you through the park. Please note, that this is the only way to visit the main area of Timanfaya due to the environment being incredibly unique & fragile, it must be preserved so general traffic & walking is not permitted.
Once on the bus, it will take you through the park, driving through deserts & along craters. There will be opportunity to stop along the way to take photos, so don’t worry! Once you return to the visitor centre, hang around to watch the display of geysers.
There are also other areas of the the national park that you can access yourself, with short walks to smaller volcanoes.
2. Playa de Papagayo
Looking for a beach day? Luckily you’re on an island so there’s no shortage of them. But with endless beaches to choose from, it’s hard to know where to start. Papagayo is one of Lanzarote’s most well known beaches but it’s surprisingly tricky to get there.
Located on the southern tip of Lanzarote, about a half an hour drive from the neighbouring resort town of Playa Blanca, you’ll have to take a dirt road to reach it. It isn’t the worst road in the world, but it’s certainly not a pleasant drive, so remember to take it slow. About half way down the track you’ll come to a check point where you’ll be required to pay 3 euros per vehicle to enter the area.
Once you reach the beach, you’ll be greeted by some of the clearest waters on the island, don’t forget to pack your snorkel! & with the surrounding mountains in the background, its a truly special corner of Lanzarote.
There is a large gravel car park & a small restaurant at the top of the cliff. We aren’t aware of any toilets, so just bare that in mind before visiting.
3. La Geria – Wine Tasting
Did you know that Lanzarote is home to some of the most unique varieties of wine? Due to it’s volcanic geology the wine has a very distinctive taste. Furthermore, driving through La Geria you will have a totally different vineyard hopping experience to anywhere else in the world. The landscape is covered in black sand & dotted with individual vines, sheltered by small curved stone walls, to protect from the strong winds.
You can visit the region through an organised tour, which is a great option for if there’s a group of you & no one wants to drive. Tours can start anywhere in the region of 30 euros per person, & usually include a specified number of tastings.
If you do have a car, & someone willing to drive you around, then we think that a self drive tour is a much better option as it gives you all the time in the world to explore the region. Plus drink as much wine as you want! This is how we decided to spend our day in La Geria & it ended up being one of our favourite days on the island.
Our top 3 Bodega recommendations:
- Bodega’s Rubicon – Tasting’s cost 2 euros per wine
- Bodega’s Antonio Suarez – Small family owned, tasting’s cost 1 euro per wine
- Bodega La Geria – Tastings cost 2-3 euros per wine
- Bodegas Stravs– Tastings cost 3-4 euros per wine
4. Cesar Manrique Foundation
You’ll learn a lot about Cesar Manrique if you visit the spots we will recommend in this post. However, his foundation is the epicentre of his work & story. Entry is 10 Euro per adult & 3 Euro per child.
Manrique was an artist, sculptor, architect & nature activist. Who was born on the island & lived an extraordinary life. By helping to conserve the natural beauty of Lanzarote. Unlike the neighbouring Canary Islands, you’ll notice that Lanzarote is somewhat more naturally beautiful & picturesque. Even the buildings & architecture integrate well with the environment, this is all thanks to Manrique.
At the foundation you will get the chance to visit one of his properties, a home he lived in for 20 years. That has been carved out of the volcanic landscape & built underground, inside a lava field. It is such an experience to enjoy this unique place & learn more about the history of Lanzarote & the Cesar Manrique story.
5. Teguise Market
If you’re like us & are a sucker for a pop up market, then you’ll love this one. Every Sunday 9am-2pm, in the small town of Teguise in the heart of the island, a market is held.
You can find everything here from souvenirs, clothes, trinkets to food & drink too. Plus many cafe’s & shops in the area will open their doors. Even if you don’t want to buy anything, we highly recommend visiting just for the atmosphere of a proper Canarian market, its magic. Plus, the town is extremely picturesque with stunning views over the island & out to the ocean on both sides.
It would be wise to visit early as it does get busy. If you are travelling by public transport, which is possible, cheap & very easy. Then you should definitely plan to get there early, as many of the buses fill up quickly as its such a popular Sunday activity. The buses run from most major resort towns, you can find the timetables here.
6. El Bosquecillo Viewpoint
Also known as, possibly the BEST view on the entire island. If you only have time to visit one viewpoint, be sure to make it this one & then thank us later. It’s also still a total hidden gem, which only adds to the charm of it.
Being a hidden gem it’s not clearly marked & you may struggle to find it if you don’t have a clear idea of where you’re heading. So, we are going to explain a little more about how to get there, but leave the rest up to you as it’s all part of the adventure after all. Please note that we are referring to the entire cliff edge in this post, there are multiple viewpoints here, it’s up to you which you choose.
This viewpoint is most easily accessible by car, there are no bus routes to it. There is a bus route to the nearby town of Haria but from there you’ll have to do a long uphill hike to this point. If you type in ‘El Bosquecillo’ on Google Maps, it will definitely come up & this is where you are going to navigate to. When you reach this spot in your car, you wont see the view, just a dirt road that looks extremely bumpy. At this point it’s advisable to find a safe spot to park & walk from here.
Follow the dirt road, you’ll come across a sign saying ‘El Bosquecillo’ pointing to the right, we didn’t take this route. But you absolutely can & will most likely end up at the actual marked viewpoint of ‘El Bosquecillo’. However, as we mentioned there are multiple, so we carried on straight ahead.
You will eventually be able to make out the cliff edge so just continue to walk towards it. Once there you will be rewarded with the most breath-taking view across Famara Beach, from on top of the high cliff tops. The entire walk from where you’ll park your car is around 10 minutes. Be super careful here as the ground is uneven & the winds are strong. You are a definite gonner if you slip & fall, our tripod very nearly met it’s death here.
We think it’s best visited at sunset as you’ll get that lovely golden glow across the beach & the ocean.
7. Playa de Janubio
Something that makes Lanzarote so unique is that it’s one of the few places within Europe that you can find black sand beaches. It’s hard to say how many there are on the island, but we think this is the best & most accessible.
Playa de Janubio is situated in the South of the island, right next to Timanfaya National Park, so you could combine a visit to this beach with a visit the park. It is the perfect place to enjoy some raw beauty on a hot summer’s day, as the black sand will for sure warm you up quickly, after a dip in the cold ocean.
There are no facilities here, so bear that in mind when choosing to visit, but you are only 15 minutes from Playa Blanca. The views are incredible, the contrast of the ocean against the black sand is just mesmerising. Especially great if you own a drone & can shoot some pretty epic photos/videos here.
8. Jameos Del Agua
This is probably our favourite paid attraction in Lanzarote, it’s a wonderful place to get some tranquillity & spend an afternoon immersing yourself in. Entry is 10 Euro per adult & 5 Euro per child. But it is part of the CACT group, you can buy a pass for multiple centres which may save you money, find it here.
Another creation by Cesar Manrique, Jameos Del Agua is a beautiful art installation, that has been created with nature inter woven with it. You’ll start by descending into a volcanic tunnel, where at the bottom of the cave there is a lake full of small white crabs. The atmosphere here with the peaceful music playing would make anyone feel instantly calm.
Once you come out of the cave you are then greeted by a beautiful pool, made in the typical Lanzarote style. This area is an oasis & is the most idyllic place to stop and sit in the sun for a while.
There is a café & gift shop on site. There used to be a museum here too, which was my favourite museum on the whole island. As it explained more about the formation of Lanzarote & the Canary Islands. However, unfortunately it had been removed when we visited this year. We hope only for renovation as it was really part of the whole experience & very informative.
9. Arrieta
If you are tired of the resort towns & want to escape for the day. Or perhaps you’re looking for somewhere a little more local & quieter to base yourselves, then look no further than Arrieta. This tiny fishing village on the North East coast of the island is everything you need for an authentic island experience.
We chose to stay here for half of our time on the island & couldn’t have picked a better spot. There are plenty of local restaurants to choose from, serving mostly fish as that is the main produce here. Be aware that in low & shoulder seasons the restaurants here will likely shut at around 6/7pm as it’s that quiet! We can recommend this cafe for a delicious & ridiculously cheap lunch with an ocean view.
It’s also home to one of the island’s most popular surf beaches. ‘Playa de la Garita’ so if that’s your jam, you have to check it out. This beach is also great for relaxing & swimming in the ocean.
10. La Graciosa Island
Okay, it’s not technically on Lanzarote as it is a separate island, but you do need to catch the ferry from Orzola in Lanzarote. It makes for a great day trip from here, so we’re including it. Ferry tickets cost 28 Euros return per adult & 15 Euros return per child, you can book tickets here. Or at the Lineas Romero office at Orzola port – we were kindly gifted tickets for this crossing.
We won’t dive too deep into La Graciosa Island in this post as it deserves a post of it’s own. But it’s totally worth visiting, as it is super remote & is one of the last places in Europe yet to receive tarmacked roads. Meaning it is totally off the beaten track.
The landscape is wild, rugged & rocky. & it has many hidden beaches to explore as well as some great hiking. The best way to get around the island is to hire bikes from the main village for only 10 Euro per bike, we can recommend this bike shop.
11. Caleton Blanco
Located in the North of the Lanzarote just outside of the small village of Orzola, you’ll find this beautiful lagoon. Protected from the immensely strong waves of the Atlantic ocean, the waters here are calm & crystal clear, teeming with fish & wildlife.
As it can get quite windy in Lanzarote & especially in the North. There are wind shelters that have been built out of the volcanic rocks laying on the beach. These shelters provide the perfect sanctuary away from the winds, & the ultimate sunbathing spot on a hot day.
This beach is always fairly quiet as it’s quite far from the resorts. It is mostly only known to locals, adventure travellers & people who happen to stumble across it as they drive by. If you have a drone, again its a fab spot to capture some awesome footage over the lagoon.
12. Mirador del Rio
Another fantastic viewpoint on the island, but this time you have to pay entry. Only a small fee of 5 Euros per adult & 2.50 Euros per child. It’s a small price to pay for these magnificent views. Again it’s included in the CACT multi centre ticket, that you can find here.
The viewpoint is yet again a creation of Manrique’s. Featuring a café that overlooks the neighbouring island of La Graciosa. Outside you can walk around to multiple levels & get a view from every angle. Taking in the Jurassic Park like cliffs, the ocean & La Graciosa.
There is also another free viewpoint to the left of the centre as you approach it. Take the narrow road, hop over the fence (be careful) & you can enjoy some free views of the same incredible cliffs, they’re jaw dropping beautiful.
13. Montana de Tinaguache
For all of you that enjoy a hike, we’ve got you covered! & if you aren’t much of a hiker, this one is still for you because it’s an easy one.
Located approximately 3.5km outside of the resort town of Costa Teguise, you can access it either by driving to the base of the volcano. Or by walking from the centre of town, which will take you approximately 40 minutes & is mostly flat the entire way to the base.
It will only take roughly 30 minutes to summit the volcano. Although it is a steep climb & you may be on your hands & knees for part of it. The ground is loose so wear suitable footwear. Once you reach the top, the views are just incredible as you’ll be able see across the island from East to West & have views over the surrounding volcanoes in the distance.
You’ll notice how much like Mars, Lanzarote looks from here!
14. Cueva de los Verdes
If you’re into visiting caves then this one is right up your street, as this isn’t just any old cave. It was formed by an underground lava river millions of years ago. That came from the nearby La Corona volcano. Entry to the cave is 10 Euro per adult & 5 Euro per child.
The cave itself is pretty impressive & you will be shown through it on a guided tour in multiple languages. There are a lot of stairs & it gets tight in some parts where you’ll have to duck your head. So if you aren’t comfortable with that, then it’s best not to visit.
Towards the end there is the best part of the cave, but you’ll just have to go to find out what that is yourself!
15. Costa Teguise
I couldn’t write a blog about Lanzarote without including my second home. This is where I spent a lot of my time over the years & know like the back of my hand. It is the smallest of the 3 major resort towns, which is why I also believe it is the best as it is much quieter.
Located on the East coast of the island, Costa Teguise is a vibrant town boasting heaps of restaurants, cafe’s, bars, shops & beaches. If you enjoy staying somewhere not too busy but also not too quiet then it’s definitely for you.
Alternatively, if you are staying elsewhere on the island it’s a great place to come visit for the day to enjoy the beaches, stroll around & eat in the local restaurants. Our favourite beach is Playa Bastian, which is definitely in the quieter end of town, this small beach is lined by palm trees & is a little more natural than other beaches in town.
Let us know if we have inspired you to add Lanzarote to your bucket list or helped you out in anyway with planning your trip. Leave your comment below & we will be sure to get back to you. Happy travelling!
What a great overview! I think I might go there. ????
Get that house bought haha!!