Lanzarote

Understand

The Canary Islands are all volcanic. From 28 million years ago, submerged volcanoes grew, but as the seabed is 2,500 m (8,200 ft) deep it took another 12 million years before the first island of Fuerteventura broke the surface. A string of islands then emerged further north and 4 million years ago these coalesced to form Lanzarote, while sea erosion broke their link to Fuerteventura and La Graciosa. Volcanic activity continued but its focus shifted ever westward, throwing up the other Canary Islands, with Gomera and Hierro active to this day. Lanzarote became quiet, life slowly colonised it, and its surface weathered to a fine gravel suitable for small-scale agriculture. There was no reason to expect future eruptions, ever. This island lies only 130 km (81 mi) from North Africa, and genetics, culture and carbon dating indicate settlement by Berbers around 1000 BC. The Phoenicians and Romans traded here, but Europe took no interest until 1312, when the Genoese navigator Lanceloto Malocello arrived. Mapmakers recorded "Insula de Lançarotus Marocelus" – hence Lanzarote – and it was his thereafter not the aboriginal inhabitants, as they were systematically carted off into slavery. In 1402 mercenaries acting for Castille captured the island, in 1404 it acquired a cathedral, and eventually, it was governed by mainland Portugal then Spain. Pirates of other nations repeatedly attacked and several defensive castillos were built, and still stand. Because Lanzarote's volcanic peaks are low – seldom much above 500 m (1,600 ft) – they don't draw the rain as on the lusher islands, and agriculture struggles with an arid climate. Nevertheless, the south of the island was sufficiently fertile to grow grain, exported as a cash crop to Tenerife and Gran Canaria until 1730. Then the volcanoes' second disadvantage was made clear when a line of them erupted, and kept on erupting for six years. Their lava destroyed the most fertile farmland and a score of villages and farmsteads. Why, after so long? The Canaries are part of the Africa tectonic plate and it's believed that a hot plume bunsen-burns upon it, appearing to move west as Africa shifts east, but the re-activation is a puzzle. The people of 1730 knew about Trade Winds, the Gulf Stream and so on, but it took another 200 years to map the global weather systems and ocean gyres powering these phenomena. Similarly today we observe the surface effects of vulcanism and plate tectonics, but await a 21st century Humboldt to map the "deep earth weather" below the planet's crust. The eruptions followed by drought prompted mass migration to the Americas, but the transatlantic trade was a lifeline, and tomatoes, potatoes, maize and prickly pears made their way east. (This last has a parasite, the cochineal insect source of carmine red dye, so there was briefly a lucrative trade in this until synthetic dyes replaced it.) Not much happened for another two centuries, and in 1936 the Canaries were so remote that a troublesome army officer was "promoted" here to keep him out of the way. But not remote enough, as his name was Franco and he teamed up with a like-minded colleague in Morocco to launch the Spanish Civil War. It was only towards the end of his regime in the 1970s that Spain modernised and promoted tourism on its mainland and islands, and wide-bodied jets put the Canaries within reach of chilly northern countries. This was a mixed blessing and Lanzarote risked submerging beneath ticky-tacky concrete developments as so much of the Mediterranean coast has done. One who campaigned for sustainable low-rise development was local artist César Manrique (1919–1992). He also played a key role in having the island declared to be part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 1993.

Climate

The climate is pleasant year-round, with a daytime average in summer of 29 °C (84 °F) and in winter 15 °C (59 °F). It seldom rains Oct-March, and never April-Sept. There is very little rainfall throughout the whole year.

Time zone

Lanzarote like the other Canary Islands is on the Western European Time (WET) time zone, so its time is the same as in Portugal, the UK and Ireland, but one hour behind mainland Spain.

What's inside

1 Timanfaya National Park is the area that bore the full fury of the 1730s eruptions. Much of it is a lava plain; here and there are small volcanoes, with short hikes to the rim of their calderas. The only part that remains hot (very hot below the surface) is Islote de Hilario, where you transfer to a coach to be taken around.

Getting there

By plane

Arrecife Airport (ACE IATA) 5 km west of the city has budget flights from across Europe, domestic flights from mainland Spain, and inter-island flights.

By ferry

Lanzarote has three main ports, offering connections to other islands in the Canaries, as well as Spain mainland.

The first is Arrecife Seaport, which is at the eastern edge of the city. It is connected by ferry to Cádiz (32 hr) and Huelva (27 hr) in Spain, and inter-island ferries from Tenerife (10 hr) and Gran Canaria (7 hr). The second is Playa Blanca, where ferries from Corralejo on Fuerteventura operate. The travel time between the two ports is around 30 min. The third port is Órzola where ferries travel to and from La Graciosa, with a trip duration of around 30 min. All ferry connections to Lanzarote can be found here. There are no ferries from Morocco or Portugal, to Lanzarote.

Getting around

By bus

Bus routes radiate from Arrecife and in 2023 a ride costs at most €3.60. Drivers accept cash and give change up to €10. There's no public bus through the National Park so join a tour or organise your own wheels. Look at the Bus routes Arrecife Bus website for information on the bus routes.

By rental car

If you are in the possession of a driver's licence, a rental car is the best option for discovering the island—see Canary Islands#By rental car for more information. Car hire is available at the airport, seaport and main resorts. Roads are in good condition and well-signposted, and it only takes 40 minutes to span the entire island from north to south.

By taxi

Taxis are plentiful and drivers are friendly and honest. There are fixed prices for common routes, otherwise meters are used. There is no Uber online booking service, but you can hail any cab that has its green roof light on.

See

Lava tunnels and caves are created by the fluid lava characteristic of "hot spot" volcanoes. The flow acquires a hard sheath, which insulates it and keeps it liquid; after the eruption, the lava empties out but the tunnels persist. (Plate subduction volcanoes such as Vesuvius have viscous lava, so their plumbing repeatedly blocks, to be torn apart by explosions.) Notable examples in Timanfaya National Park are Cueva de Las Palomas / Los Naturistas a 500 m long tube, two near Pico Partido and one near Montaña Cardona. Cueva de los Verdes is a show-cave north of Arrieta. At Tahiche Cesar Manrique converted a tunnel into his house and studio. Camels wait to be photographed and ridden near the Yaiza park entrance. Castillo de San José is a fortress in Arrecife housing a Museum of Contemporary Art.

Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism (CACT)

Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism (CACT) manage several sites but no longer offer combi-tickets. The top attraction, Timanfaya, is better visited by bus tour, which includes the entrance fee, as the bus skips line while cars queue for over an hour to get in. The others are Mirador del Rio a scenic lookout, Jardín de Cactus, Castillo de San José an art museum, Cueva de los Verdes lava tunnel, Jameos del Agua water park, and Casa Museo del Campesino an ethnographic museum which is free.

Timanfaya National Park is named for the first village to be destroyed when the eruptions began in 1730. There are over 100 volcanoes, and you transfer to a bus to be taken around the two main cones. These badlands cover a quarter of the island's surface and are usually accessed from Yaiza in the southwest, alternatively from Mancha Blanca in the northeast. Jardín de Cactus is an attractive display in Guatiza off LZ-1 midway between Tahiche and Arrieta. Mirador del Rio is a lookout point designed by Manrique on the mountains in the north of the island: access it via Haría. This one charges, but there are several other equally impressive views free to access above the cliffs on the northwest coast.

Do

Scuba diving

Scuba diving is year-round, with water temperatures always close to 20 °C (68 °F) and a visibility of 25 m (82 ft) or more. The three principal resorts all have dive centres offering training, kit hire and guided dives. A 7 mm wetsuit is recommended, the instructors who are continually in the water use drysuits. Diving is shore-based, and as the island is small, dive groups from one resort routinely travel to the others to get the best conditions.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is anywhere along the sheltered southeast-facing coast where you can find safe beach access – and exit, bearing in mind that Lanzarote has a 3 m (9.8 ft) tidal range.

Surfing

There are many surf schools for surfing. Popular spots are Famara and La Santa on the west coast, and Arrieta on the east which has an interesting break.

Shopping

Money: See Canary Islands#Money for info on cash, ATMs and credit cards. All the towns have ATMs, and most merchants take card payments. Supermarkets: Lidl and HiperDino are the largest and usually offer the best value. Many of them sell bars of turrón which is Spanish honey nougat. Fruits and vegetables are inexpensive if they are grown locally in the Canary Islands, such as papaya, bananas and avocado. But much has to be shipped from the mainland, and the prices reflect that. Aloe Vera. A plant that is 30–50 cm tall, native to Yemen and cultivated in many dry climates. It can't tolerate freezing but is popular as a decorative house plant. (Many countries forbid its import, but it's on sale in your local garden centre.) It's been seized upon by the wellness industry, and Aloe Vera products are touted all over Lanzarote. Its juice contains acemannan, used as an ingredient of cosmetics and as a rub-on remedy whose medicinal value has yet to be demonstrated. No such uncertainty mars its skin and other parts, which are downright poisonous and carcinogenic. Fortunately, most commercial products contain such miniscule amounts of Aloe Vera that no harm can result. The island is strewn with Agaves with leaves hacked off by tourists mistaking them for Aloe Vera, a wonderful example of nature using camouflage to promote safety. (updated Dec 2023) Markets are held in most towns, often on Sunday mornings, see individual pages for details. Best known is Teguise market – extra buses run on Sunday from Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise.

Eat

Local cuisine

Local cuisine is typical of the Canary Islands.

Mojo (sauce). There are several types: mojo picón is hot and spicy from red chillies usually paprika, mojo verde is from green pepper or coriander (cilantro), and mojo hervido (boiled) is from spices and lemon. Some souvenir shops sell premade mojo in jars. (updated Dec 2023) Papas arrugadas (wrinkly potatoes). These are cooked unpeeled in salt water then baked dry and served with a mojo sauce. (updated Dec 2023) Gofio. A flour substitute from cereals such as wheat, maize or barley. It might be a starter dish as a patty of moist dough, or form a pastry or pie base. (updated Dec 2023)

Traditional

Traditional for many visitors means what they ate back home, so lots of places serve it: pizza, Chinese, Indian, and fish & chips.

Drink

Tap water

The tap water is safe to drink. Like many arid islands, Lanzarote has no natural springs or lakes so it's desalinated sea water. When it's cold from the tap it will slake a thirst, but once it gets warm in your tumbler it's flat and dull.

Bottled water

To accompany meals, go for bottled water (agua mineral) which is not expensive. Most restaurants sell still (sin gas) and carbonated (con gas) bottled water.

Standalone bars

Standalone bars are found in all the beach resorts. Cafes elsewhere sell alcohol.

Sleep

Hotels and self-catering accommodation are concentrated in the three resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise. Prices quoted on these pages are those advertised for individual travellers, but many of the clientele are on package deals, in effect paying the same room rate while getting their return flight from Europe for free. The package holiday companies quality-assure their accommodation far more rigorously than any state-backed tourist agency could do, and these packages are an attractive deal even to the most independent-minded travellers, since from a clean comfortable base every attraction on the island is within a short journey. Because these resorts were purpose-built, they lack guesthouses and hostels – look for these in the inland towns, especially Arrecife. Surf shacks often have basic accommodation for their visitors. Papagayo Beach near Playa Blanca has a campsite but these are otherwise rare. Wild camping is not allowed at beaches or national park, but you are permitted to park overnight in camper vans or cars.

Stay safe

Standard advice applies to road safety, water safety, and care of valuables. Theft from cars in the National Park has been a recurrent problem. 112 is the emergency number for all services, as in the rest of Europe.

Always use sun protection, even on the rare cloudy days. By the time you feel frazzled, the damage is done. Most supermarkets and convenience stores should sell sunscreen and aftersun (if you need it). When in hot weather, staying hydrated is crucial and it is recommended to drink 1–1.5 litres of water a day at a minimum. Though it remains much quieter than party meccas like Ibiza and Mallorca, Lanzarote attracts its fair share of party animals, so be careful around drunk tourists.

Go next

Fuerteventura is a larger island reached by ferry from Playa Blanca, taking 30 min. 1 La Graciosa is the only inhabited island of the Chinijo Archipelago north of Lanzarote, with a 30 min ferry ride from Órzola to its town Caleta del Sebo. You have to come back the same way. It's considered a "canary island" in its own right, not a subsidiary of Lanzarote. The other island in this group is Alegranza, and there are four islets. The other Canary Islands are much longer ferry crossings, 6 hours or more, but there are daily flights from Arrecife.

More pictures of Lanzarote

From this destination's category on Wikimedia Commons. Each photograph is credited to its own author under its own licence.