What to do in Lanzarote? What activities are worth travelling to this Canary Island for? Read in this chapter.
Discover the landscape of the planet Mars
The volcanic origin of the Canary Islands is most evident in Lanzarote.
Calderas and volcanic craters dot literally the entire island from north to south, but you'll come across miles and miles of vast areas where you won't come across a single sign of terrestrial life.
The landscape of more than a third of Lanzarote is more like the red planet Mars as we know it from satellite images.
The local volcanoes are not high, reaching a maximum height of 200 to 600 metres above sea level, but despite this you will be mesmerised.
In particular, head to Timanfaya National Park, which is one of the best-preserved volcanic areas in the world and covers almost a third of the island.
If you're looking for the most beautiful volcanic cone to climb, don't leave the Caldera Blanca off your itinerary, and if you're a fan of distant views and monumental sea cliffs, head to the Famara Mountains, which are actually the remnants of a massive volcanic crater.
Beaches and swimming
Lanzarote will be enjoyed by lovers of the sea, swimming and beach resorts. In general, the local resorts are among the quieter places, and while you will come across some large, well-known hotel resorts, they are usually very sensitively set in the surrounding landscape and you won't really find high-rise buildings lining the promenade like you might find in Mallorca or the Costa del Sol.
The beaches are more natural and much less crowded than on the larger islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife, but you'll still enjoy all the facilities of bars, restaurants and sunbed hire.
Most of the beaches in the resorts are covered in finer golden sand, but you'll have to allow for relatively cold seas. The Atlantic temperature is between 19 and 23°C throughout the year.
The cheapest beachfront hotels
The best resorts and beaches in Lanzarote
Where to go for the best swimming?
- Puerto del Carmen - The largest resort with many accommodation options in both large resorts and small private apartments
- Playa Blanca - The resort furthest from civilisation in an exotic desert environment with beautiful urban and natural beaches. It also tends to be the least windy
- Costa Teguise - a more luxurious resort with many resorts and quiet landscaped beaches
- Playa Honda - the smallest resort ideal for extra quiet holidays in smaller private guesthouses
- Playa Papagayo - the most popular beach outside the resort is in an idyllic bay near Playa Blanca
- Playa Famara - almost 6 km long wide natural beach under monumental cliffs ideal for walking or surfing
Shopping at the markets
Markets have a long tradition in Lanzarote and are one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island. They are held in many places on different days and you can get a plethora of things of all categories.
The most famous and largest markets are held by the city of Teguise every Sunday between 9:00 and 14:00. There are also smaller markets in Costa Teguise on Friday afternoons and in Playa Blanca on Wednesdays.
And what can you find at the markets?
A large number of stallholders sell various handicrafts and traditional ceramics, and there are also vendors from Senegal and Morocco with typical African products, especially jewellery.
You shouldn't miss the semi-precious olivine stones, which are very abundant in Lanzarote. They are formed by volcanic activity and you practically trip over them while walking in the countryside. In the markets they are sold processed into beautiful jewellery and souvenirs.
Typical Lanzarot dishes at the markets include queso de cabra goat's cheese, dried fish and, of course, the island's excellent wine, which is grown in abundance.
