Lanzarote Travel Guide

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Lanzarote

The most northeasterly of the Canary Islands, Lanzarote has embraced the tourism boom with a more laid-back feel than its popular sister islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Nature is still a big attraction on this small volcanic island, which measures only 38 miles (60km) long and 13 miles (21km) at its widest point. Camels are often used to transport goods (and sometimes tourists) in this desert-like climate, across the dry volcanic ash that covers most of the landscape. UNESCO declared the whole island a Biosphere Reserve in 1993, and visitors exploring the dozens of enchanting spots on the island will soon see why.

Lanzarote's capital, Arrecife, is a small town on the eastern coast, its harbour packed with fishing boats. Although the town itself has little to offer in the way of sights or nightlife, it does have a magnificent, clean beach, El Reducto, which has been granted blue flag status by the European Union. A promenade runs along the beach front around the San Gines lagoon with its fine golden sand and placid waters.

Resorts

See our separate guides to the following Lanzarote holiday resorts: Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen, Matagorda and Playa Blanca

Attractions

Fernando Botero © Andre Engels

Arrecife Museum of Contemporary Art

Modern art in an old building works well in Lanzarote’s capital, Arrecife, where a collection of works by international artists is on permanent display in the Castle of San Jose, a fortress built between 1776 and 1779 by King Carlos III of Spain. Some... see full details

Excursions

Fuerteventura

If sand and sun is what you are after, then Fuerteventura, second largest island in the Canaries archipelago (but the most sparsely populated) is the place to go. Its whitewashed capital, Puerto del Rosario, is known as the place where goats outnumber its citizens by a... see full details

La Cueva de los Verdes

In the northern part of Lanzarote, close to the Monte de la Corona volcano, is a spectacular system of underground grottos known as La Cueva de los Verdes. This is one of the largest volcanic galleries in the world, at just over four... see full details

The Cactus Garden

Situated between Guatiza and Mala is an unusual sightseeing attraction that combines art with nature. Artist Cesar Manrique created a work of art in the form of a cactus plantation in an old quarry. The site also features a restored windmill. ... see full details

Timanfaya National Park

Timanfaya National Park is unique because it is the only national park in the world to have been developed by local residents. Also unique is what the park offers, which includes a volcanic field filled with a variety of geological and geothermic phenomena. In... see full details

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