What to see and do in Lanzarote
Land of volcanoes
A guide to Lanzarote with 44 hand-picked places. Each one with how to get there, useful tips and any permits you need.
- Nature & scenery (13)
- Adventure & sport (10)
- Camping & vans (1)
- Towns, heritage & food (15)
- Nightlife (2)
- Fiestas & tradition (3)
Upcoming events in Lanzarote
Nature & scenery
Viewpoint
Mirador del Río
Haría, Lanzarote
César Manrique’s work hidden in the Famara cliffs, with La Graciosa and the Chinijo Archipelago below.
⚠️ Paid entry.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
El Golfo & the green lagoon
Yaiza, Lanzarote
A green lagoon inside a crater open to the sea, between black sand and red rock. Admire it from the viewpoint.
📷 Best light: at sunset
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Beach & cove
Papagayo beaches
Yaiza, Lanzarote
Golden coves and turquoise water in Los Ajaches Natural Monument. Best early in the day.
⚠️ Dirt-track access with a vehicle fee.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa Blanca
Yaiza, Lanzarote
Calm light-sand beaches at the southern tip, facing Fuerteventura and Lobos.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa Grande
Tías (Puerto del Carmen), Lanzarote
Puerto del Carmen’s main beach: golden sand, calm water and a lively promenade.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de Las Cucharas
Teguise (Costa Teguise), Lanzarote
A light-sand beach with steady wind, Lanzarote’s windsurf hub. Schools right on the beach.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa del Reducto
Arrecife, Lanzarote
The capital’s city beach, with white sand and calm water sheltered by a reef.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de La Garita
Haría (Arrieta), Lanzarote
A sandy beach by the village of Arrieta, with surfable waves on swell days and fresh fish nearby.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de Janubio
Yaiza, Lanzarote
Wild black sand next to the salt flats, with an impressive rough sea.
⚠️ Strong currents: better enjoyed from the shore.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Rock pool
Punta Mujeres rock pools
Haría, Lanzarote
Pools among lava flows in a northern fishing village. Calm, crystal clear and loved by locals.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Photo spot
Los Hervideros
Yaiza, Lanzarote
Waves explode through lava caves and tunnels. Spectacular in big swell, always from the walkways.
📷 Best light: at sunset
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Janubio salt flats
Yaiza, Lanzarote
A mosaic of colourful salt pans by the sea. Come at sunset, when the water mirrors the sky.
📷 Best light: at sunset
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de Famara
Teguise, Lanzarote
Miles of sand beneath the Famara cliffs. Surf, wind and cinematic sunsets.
📷 Best light: at sunset
⚠️ Strong currents: better enjoyed from the shore.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Adventure & sport
Hiking trail
Caldera Blanca trail
Tinajo, Lanzarote
Cross a sea of lava to one of the island’s largest craters and walk its rim. A lunar landscape.
⚠️ No shade: bring water, a hat and sunscreen.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Surf, windsurf & kite
Surfing at Famara
Teguise, Lanzarote
Lanzarote’s surf capital: waves for all levels and schools in the village of Caleta de Famara.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Surfing at La Santa
Tinajo, Lanzarote
World-class reef waves such as El Quemao in the north of the island.
⚠️ Expert surfers only: rock bottom.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Skatepark
Costa Teguise skatepark
Teguise (Costa Teguise), Lanzarote
An outdoor skatepark in Costa Teguise, a meeting point for the island’s skaters.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Arrecife skatepark
Arrecife, Lanzarote
An urban skatepark with a wooden mini ramp and various obstacles for skate and BMX.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Extreme Center Lanzarote
San Bartolomé (Playa Honda), Lanzarote
An indoor skatepark with lessons and camps: skate even when it’s windy or raining.
⚠️ Private facility: check opening times and prices.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Sport
Paragliding at Famara
Teguise, Lanzarote
Flights over the Famara cliffs with the beach and La Graciosa below. One of the most beautiful flights in the Canaries.
⚠️ Always fly with licensed companies and pilots.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Snorkelling
Playa Chica
Tías (Puerto del Carmen), Lanzarote
A small cove with clear water over volcanic rock. A favourite spot for divers and snorkellers.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Caletón Blanco
Haría, Lanzarote
White-sand lagoons between black lava and shallow water: perfect snorkelling for kids.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Activity
Timanfaya National Park
Yaiza, Lanzarote
Fire mountains and landscapes from another planet. The Volcano Route is done by coach from Islote de Hilario.
⚠️ Paid entry; you cannot drive freely through the park.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Camping & vans
Beach camping
Papagayo camping area
Yaiza, Lanzarote
Lanzarote’s only official camping area, next to the Papagayo coves. Open during the summer season.
⚠️ Limited season and mandatory pitch booking.
📝 Permit or advance booking required: apply here.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Towns, heritage & food
Charming town
Teguise old town
Teguise, Lanzarote
The island’s old capital: mansions, churches and cobbled streets. On Sundays, the big market.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Haría
Haría, Lanzarote
The “valley of a thousand palms”: white houses among palm groves in Lanzarote’s green north.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Yaiza
Yaiza, Lanzarote
One of the best-kept villages in the Canaries, white and green, at the gates of Timanfaya.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Caleta de Famara
Teguise, Lanzarote
A surf village with sandy streets beneath the cliffs, laid-back vibe and huge sunsets.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Heritage & museums
César Manrique Foundation
Teguise (Tahíche), Lanzarote
The artist’s home built into lava bubbles, now a museum with his work and that of his friends.
⚠️ Paid entry.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Jameos del Agua
Haría, Lanzarote
A volcanic tube turned by Manrique into a garden, a lake with tiny blind crabs, a pool and an auditorium.
⚠️ Paid entry.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Cueva de los Verdes
Haría, Lanzarote
A guided tour through a volcanic tube several kilometres long, with a final surprise we won’t spoil.
⚠️ Paid entry; guided tour.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Cactus Garden
Teguise (Guatiza), Lanzarote
Manrique’s last great work: thousands of cacti in an old quarry, crowned by a windmill.
⚠️ Paid entry.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Monument to the Farmer
San Bartolomé, Lanzarote
Manrique’s “Fertility” sculpture in the centre of the island, with a house museum and a traditional restaurant.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
César Manrique House Museum
Haría, Lanzarote
The artist’s last home, among palm trees in Haría, just as he left it.
⚠️ Paid entry.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
San José Castle – MIAC
Arrecife, Lanzarote
An 18th-century fortress turned into the International Museum of Contemporary Art, with a restaurant over the harbour.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Santa Bárbara Castle – Piracy Museum
Teguise, Lanzarote
A castle atop a volcano above Teguise, telling the story of pirate raids on the island.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Museo Atlántico (underwater museum)
Yaiza (Playa Blanca), Lanzarote
An underwater sculpture museum by Jason deCaires Taylor. Visit it diving with a licensed centre.
⚠️ Paid visit, organised dives only.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Local flavours
La Geria wineries
Yaiza · Tías · San Bartolomé, Lanzarote
Vines planted in volcanic ash pits sheltered by stone walls. Tastings of volcanic Malvasía.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Fresh fish in El Golfo
Yaiza, Lanzarote
A small fishing village with seafront restaurants: catch of the day and wrinkly potatoes at sunset.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Nightlife
Nightlife
Avenida de las Playas
Tías (Puerto del Carmen), Lanzarote
Lanzarote’s party centre: bars, pubs and electronic clubs, karaoke and LGBTQ+ venues by the sea.
⚠️ Venues change often: check their socials before you go.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Charco de San Ginés by night
Arrecife, Lanzarote
Terraces and bars around the capital’s seawater lagoon, for a more relaxed night out.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Fiestas & tradition
Romería (pilgrimage)
Romería of Our Lady of Sorrows
Tinajo (Mancha Blanca), Lanzarote
A romería for Lanzarote’s patron saint, the “Virgin of the Volcanoes”, to the Mancha Blanca shrine. With a crafts fair.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Patron saint fiesta
San Ginés festivities
Arrecife, Lanzarote
Arrecife’s patron saint festivities bring Charco de San Ginés to life, with events on the water and open-air dances.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Cultural event
Ironman Lanzarote
Tías (Puerto del Carmen), Lanzarote
One of the toughest triathlons in the world: swim, bike through the volcanoes and marathon. A spectacle from the roadside.
📅 Usually held in May
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Opening hours, access and permits can change: always check official sources before you go and respect natural areas.
Other islands
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- Gran Canaria118 places · A continent in miniature
- Fuerteventura34 places · Dunes and wind
- La Palma32 places · The Beautiful Island
- La Gomera28 places · Forests and ravines
- El Hierro25 places · The meridian island
- La Graciosa11 places · The eighth island