Spain · Canary Islands

Lanzarote travel guide

Volcanic landscapes, white villages and César Manrique's island art

Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote. Photo: MiljenkoSuljic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

3h 45mflight from London

ACEnearest main airport

23° in Sepwarmest month

17° in Febcoolest month

Lanzarote looks like nowhere else: black lava fields, red volcanic cones and vineyards growing in craters. Strict building rules mean low white houses and no high-rise hotels.

Much of that is down to César Manrique, a local artist who turned caves and lava tubes into concert halls, gardens and restaurants.

Good forWinter sunVolcanoesBeachesArt

Top things to do in Lanzarote

1
Timanfaya National Park
Fire Mountains where the ground is still hot enough to grill food. A coach tour runs through the lava fields.
2
Jameos del Agua
A lava tube turned into a pool, garden and concert hall by Manrique.
3
La Geria wine region
Vines grown in black ash pits, each sheltered by a low stone wall.
4
Papagayo beaches
Golden coves on the southern tip, inside a protected natural park.
5
Mirador del Río
A cliff-top lookout over the tiny island of La Graciosa.
6
Teguise market
The island's old capital hosts a big craft market every Sunday.

Tours and tickets in Lanzarote

Where to stay in Lanzarote

Puerto del Carmen
The biggest resort, with a long beach and lots of restaurants.
Playa Blanca
Quieter, near the Papagayo beaches, with ferries to Fuerteventura.
Costa Teguise
Smaller, good for windsurfing and close to the Manrique sights.

Find a hotel in Lanzarote

Best time to visit Lanzarote

Best value: Mar–Jun, Sep–Oct. All year. Winter averages about 21°C in the day; summer is hot and windy, which suits kitesurfers.

Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Lanzarote, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Getting there and around

About 3h 45m from London to ACE, and flights from most UK airports.

The island is small. Buses link the resorts, but a hire car makes it easy to see everything in a few days.

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Day trips from Lanzarote

La Graciosa
A sandy-streeted island with no tarmac roads, 25 minutes by ferry from Órzola.
Fuerteventura
Huge dune beaches, 30 minutes by ferry from Playa Blanca.
Famara
A wild surf beach under towering cliffs on the north-west coast.

Good to know

Book a combined ticket for the Manrique sites (the Centros Turísticos) to save money.
The north-west beaches have strong currents: swim only where there are lifeguards.
Lanzarote is windy, especially in summer. Pick a sheltered beach on breezy days.

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