Destinations / Canaries / Lanzarote
Lanzarote, the fourth-largest of the Canary Islands, is a stunning island of volcanic origins, featuring striking landscapes and pristine beaches. 139,000 people live in Lanzarote, and it is part of Spain and the European Union.
The official language in Lanzarote is Spanish, though English is widely understood as it is a major tourist destination for Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Lanzarote is the perfect destination to soak up the sun in both winter and summer as it boasts year-round warm weather, it’s within the same timezone as Ireland and you don’t have to worry about currency exchange.
Lanzarote was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1993, so its natural wonders draw millions of tourists each year. From its rugged, volcanic mountains to its powdery white-sand beaches to its crystal clear waters, Lanzarote features some of the most diverse and beautiful scenery in the world.
Lanzarote has its own wine-making region, La Geria.
It takes just 40 mins to drive across the entire island from North to South.
You can cook on the volcanic rocks in Timanfaya National Park
Lanzarote has a few black sand beaches.
- Family-friendly Activities
- Best Attractions
- Dining Out
- Shopping
Family-friendly Activities
- Playa Grande: a floating water park in Playa Grande Beach, Puerto del Carmen with an inflatable assault course.
- El Bosquecillo, Montana de Haria: a picnic area with a children's playground, BBQ area and stunning views of Famara.
- Playa del Reducto, Arrecife: a free open-air train to Arrecife Marina where there are a number of Cine6D rides.
- Lanzarote Karting: a fantastic Go Karting course near St Bartolome.
- Whale and Dolphin Museum: a fun and educational centre in Puerto Calero.
- Costa Teguise Aqua Park: the largest water park in Lanzarote with huge slides and family-friendly thrills (closed November - Easter)
- Rancho Texas Animal Park: an excellent animal theme park with splash zone and live shows near Puerto del Carmen.
- Kikoland: a club at the Princess Yaiza Hotel Playa Blance which offers organised children's activities.
- Submarine Safaris, Puerto Calero: an adventurous 1 hour trip to see Atlantic Marine World.
Best Attractions
- Timanfaya National Park: a strange volcanic landscape and rare plant species which covers a quarter of the island.
- Mirador del Rio: an observation point at the northern tip of the island with panoramic views from the cliff-top bar.
- Rancho Texas Park: a popular theme park with a splash park, animal shows, and wild west performances.
- Lanzarote Aquarium: home to 1,000's of marine species including the native trigger fish and sharks in a 400,000 litre tank.
- La Geria (Wine Region): take a tour of the volcanic vineyards and sample the fantastic local Malvasia wine.
Dining Out
There is a huge variety of restaurants in all the resorts on the island. While the local food is similar to southern Spain, with plenty of tapas bars serving dishes like fried calamari and spicy Mojo potatoes (an island speciality) - there are also fantastic Italian, Indian and Chinese restaurants, cafes and bars serving traditional Irish breakfast, fast food restaurants and ice-cream bars.
Restaurants in Lanzarote with Tripadvisor's Certificate of Excellence:
- Restaurante El Navarro (Costa Teguise)
- Casa Cabana (Puerto Del Carmen)
- Casa Rafa Restaurante de Mar (El Golfo)
- The Port of Call (Playa Blanca)
- La Portena (Puerto Calero)
- Picassos (Matagordo)
Shopping
Popular shopping districts include Calle Real in Arrecife, the Biosfera Shopping Centre in Puerto del Carmen (with big-name brands such as Mango and Bershka) and the Deiland Centre in Playa Honda (which includes a cinema). There are also dozens of souvenir shops dotted along the sea front in the resorts selling everything from beach towels and children's toys to clothes, ceramics and cheap leather goods. With a low VAT rate on the island, items such as alcohol, perfume, jewellery, electronics and petrol can be purchased at duty-free prices that are considerably cheaper than mainland Spain.
Our list of Lanzarote markets :
- Haria (Sat)
- Arrecife (Sat)
- Teguise (Sun)
- Mancha Blanca (Sun)
- Marina Rúbicon, Playa Blanca (Wed & Sat)
Airport: Arrecife Airport (ACE)
SHARED SHUTTLE
You can get a shared shuttle from Arrecife Airport to your accommodation. This a coach transfer with multiple stops en route to your accommodation. It's the cheapest but slowest option.
SPEEDY SHUTTLE
You also can get a speedy shuttle from Arrecife Airport to your accommodation. This also a coach transfer but with a maximum of 4-5 stops en route to your accommodation. It costs slightly more than the shared shuttle, but is faster.
PRIVATE TRANSFER
The fastest and most direct option, though slightly more expensive, is a private transfer. This is a private vehicle just for you and the people travelling with you. There are no stops and no waiting at the airport.
Average temperature
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
| high | 21 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 24 | 22 |
| low | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 |