Things to do in Lanzarote

Things to do in Lanzarote, Spain

Last update : 04/09/2023

Visiting Lanzarote is one of the things you absolutely must do once in your life! This volcanic island with its lunar landscapes will make you feel like you’re on another planet. We really fell in love with Lanzarote and are happy to share our list of must-sees and must-dos there on our travel blog. Breathtaking scenery, exciting sightseeing and turquoise beaches, here’s what’s in store for you with our guide to Lanzarote. 😘

We discovered Lanzarote just after the equally incredible but truly different island of Tenerife. If you’re also tempted by this destination, be sure to check out our article dedicated to Tenerife. 🤓 Come on, enough about Tenerife, it’s time to head for this surprising Canary Island, authentic and truly unique!

Summary

Visit Lanzarote, what to do? Our itinerary on our travel blog

Visiting Lanzarote, where to sleep?

Hotel Buenavista Lanzarote

We absolutely fell in love with this hotel! It had long been on our list of places to discover, and we were not disappointed. This bed and breakfast is an ultra-design ecolodge set in the heart of the volcanoes. You’ll feel alone in the world with views of mountains and volcanoes. 🌋

The venue offers just 5 suites, each decorated in a minimalist, designer style, with large picture windows offering incredible views of the surrounding nature. We fell in love with the East and West Suites, which offer panoramic views from the living room or bedroom. But they’re usually booked well in advance. So we booked the only room still available, the South Suite. It was incredible too, duplex with a huge bay window and a small private terrace, perfect for breakfast.

Let’s talk about breakfast! It’s included in the price of the night and it’s just incredible. 😋 We’ll let you discover the photos right after.

The teams are very welcoming and the two dogs on the property, adorable. A little paradise, we tell you! 😂 Well, let’s face it, this little paradise comes at a price… But if you’re looking for an atypical and unforgettable accommodation, with great comfort while being in the middle of nature, this is the perfect place!

See the hotel

Would you like to discover more good places to stay? We recommend you take a look at our article dedicated to the best hotels in Lanzarote.

What to do in Lanzarote

César Manrique’s must-sees

César Manrique is an artist born in Lanzarote in 1919 who has many talents: architect, painter, sculptor…. He studied in Madrid and worked in New York for many years, before returning to Lanzarote to make it his favorite place of creation. Fascinated by this environment and these lands, he even won the World Prize for Ecology and Tourism. You can visit the places created around his incredible creations in Lanzarote, such as the Cactus Garden, Jameos del Agua or Mirador del Rio. Impossible for us to choose between the 3, they’re all worth the detour!

Le Jardin de Cactus

Advisory to all Cactus lovers: here you’ll be in paradise! 🌵 In this pretty garden, you’ll find 4,500 different cacti, from 450 species. It’s a very pleasant and photogenic place, between the black rocks, the green cacti and the blue sky. A must-see when visiting Lanzarote, it was a real favorite for us. 💚

Practical information

The entrance fee is €6.50 per person
The Cactus Garden is open daily from 10am to 5pm
Recommended visit time is 1h30

Jameos del Agua

This incredible place was created from scratch by César Manrique, who transformed this area that was created by the collapse of the top of a volcano. Today, you can visit an incredible grotto: very calm, with turquoise-blue water, home to tiny crabs. There’s also a very accessible cafeteria in the heart of the cave. We had a cup of coffee there, and recommend that you take a seat, as it’s such a crazy place. You can then access the famous swimming pool, where bathing is forbidden, and an incredible auditorium. We really liked this place, but we’ve had mixed reviews, so you’ll definitely have to go there to make up your own mind! 💙

Practical information

The entrance fee is €10 per person
Jameos del Agua is open daily from 10am to 4:30pm
Recommended visit time is 1 hour

The Mirador del Rio

One of our favorite spots on Lanzarote, even if it’s quickly circled. This viewpoint located 400 meters above sea level was also created by César Manrique, you can access the incredible restaurant and a footbridge that offers a breathtaking view of the island of La Graciosa. 🏝

The shades of blue have marked us forever! It’s one of the most beautiful panoramas we’ve seen in our lives. 😍 We advise you to be a little patient to get one of the tables in the restaurant and have a coffee with this view. It’s very affordable, count 3€ for a café au lait. We were expecting high prices given the location, but in the end it’s just a cafeteria!

Take the ferry from Orzana to La Graciosa Island

When you’re at the Mirador del Rio, you have an incredible view of La Graciosa Island. It’s possible to take a ferry from the town of Orzana to discover it: the crossing takes 20 minutes. You can rent bicycles on arrival to explore the island. We didn’t have time to do this on our visit to Lanzarote, but it’s apparently worth the detour. Plan a good day to have time to discover it and enjoy its superb beaches! 🏖

Practical information

The entrance fee is 5€ per person
The Mirador del Rio is open daily from 10am to 5pm

Timanfaya National Park

This park is a must-see when you come to Lanzarote! It’s the ideal place to see an incredible number of volcano craters, all created from volcanic eruptions in 1720, 1736 and 1824. The park is protected, so you won’t be able to wander around on foot. Pay your entrance fee and then drive to the parking lot, where you can leave your car. You can then board one of the local tourist buses. We were a little skeptical, as we don’t generally like guided tours… But this one is really worth it. A 30-minute non-stop guided bus tour, expect tight turns and breathtaking views. The immensity of the craters regularly took our breath away. It’s like being on another planet!
The little tip that makes all the difference: sit on the right-hand side of the bus! It’s on this side that the views are the craziest.

Practical information

The entrance fee is €12 per person.
We recommend you go around 3pm. We went at 12pm and had a 1h wait. By the end of the tour, there was no one left!
Plan for 2h minimum to get the most out of it

The famous Lanzarote road, a popular photo spot on Instagram

To get this incredible view and a crazy photo, you need to head for the LZ-67 road, starting from the Timanfaya Park and heading towards the town of Yaiza. Mind you, there’s no place to park, so you’ll need to be careful when taking your photo!

La Montaña Negra

The ascent is free, and you can park in the nearby parking lot. Once you reach the very top, you’ll have a breathtaking view of the El Cuervo volcano and Montana Colorada.

We found this hike quite difficult and slippery, and it was extremely windy too. The view is still worth the detour, but be careful and allow about 1 hour for the climb. Come on, a little courage, then you can say you’ve climbed a volcano! 😂💪🏻

La Geria Lanzarote

The road between Yaiza and Teguise allows you to admire the vineyards of Lanzarote. We had no idea that this land could be conducive to producing excellent wines, and yet! What you see in the photo below are vines surrounded by rounded stone walls. This protects them from the strong Canary wind.

This creates some absolutely incredible scenery! You can stop off in one of the little boutiques for wine tasting and lunch, a unique moment in a lunar landscape worthy of Star Wars. One of our island favorites, visiting Lanzarote also means tasting its excellent wine!🍷

The historic village of Teguise

The island’s former capital (now replaced by Arracife), Teguise was a favorite for us! We loved wandering around its narrow cobbled streets and enjoying the pretty artisan boutiques and restaurant terraces. We recommend going there for lunch or a tapas dinner on the terrace. 😋

Where to eat in Teguise? Good restaurant address in Lanzarote

Café Esquina: we enjoyed some excellent tapas on the terrace of this little restaurant, which we recommend. We opted for a surprise tapas board, our mouths are still watering! 😂😍
Bar la Galeria: we’d been recommended this address for its excellent vegan tapas, but we didn’t get a place on the terrace. Perhaps you’ll have better luck! 💫

Papagayo beach

This incredible white sand beach has to be earned! You’ll have to drive for quite a while and then pay the sum of 2€ per car to access the Playa Papagayo area. We really advise you to come on weekdays and before 10 a.m. to get a spot! Once on the beach, you’ll think you’re on the other side of the world. The water is turquoise and transparent, and the view of the cliffs is breathtaking. Bring water or a picnic if you want to spend a little time there, as there are no shops around.

Where to eat at Plage Papagayo? Good restaurant address in Lanzarote

El Chiringuito: this is a small restaurant with an incredible view of the beach! It’s very popular, so get there early if you want a seat, and arm yourself with a little patience. 😂💪🏻

4-day itinerary in Lanzarote: what to see, what to do? Our program

Here’s a little suggested itinerary for visiting Lanzarote in 4 days, inspired by our program there! We hope it will help you plan your next adventure in Lanzarote! 😉

What to do in Lanzarote? Day 1, the wonders of Cesar Manrique

North Lanzarote and the island of La Graciosa for day 2

Day 3 dedicated to Lanzarote’s incredible volcanoes

Day 4, between town, vineyards and crazy beaches!

Visiting Lanzarote, how to organize your trip well?

How to find the best tickets to visit Lanzarote?

To find the best mode of transport (plane, train, bus) to get to your destination, we advise you to always look on the OMIO comparator. This will give you an overview of all the modes of transport available for your destination, and allow you to compare prices very easily.

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How to rent a rental car at the best price in Lanzarote

If you’re looking to rent a car during your trip, we recommend you take a look at the RentalCars website. This will enable you to find the best prices and conditions for your rental. We chose Top Car for their attractive prices and the fact that they accept debit cards. In fact, a credit card is often required to rent a vehicle, and we don’t have many of these in France. Make sure you get all the information you need before booking, or you risk incurring a hefty additional charge. 🥲 We had a great experience!

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How to find the best hotels to visit Lanzarote

In order to find the best hotels and benefit from the best conditions (security, cancellation…) we go almost exclusively through Booking.com for our trips. We recommend that you take a look at the available hotels and filter them according to their ratings. The customer reviews are very numerous and recent, which helps to avoid unpleasant surprises when traveling!

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How to find ideas for vacation activities

If you want to get ideas for activities to do on your vacation and want to book in advance, we also recommend taking a look at the GetYourGuide site. This will give you an overview of the activities on offer in your destination, so you don’t have to wait until you get there to book your places.

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How to get from one island to another in the Canaries

We then flew internally to the Canary Islands with Binter. Count on a 1-hour flight between Tenerife and Lanzarote in a small propeller plane. A great experience!

Visit Lanzarote, our review this Canary Island on our travel blog

As you may have gathered from this blog post, we’ve fallen head over heels in love with Lanzarote. This volcanic island really deserves to be known for its authenticity and breathtaking scenery. We really advise you to dedicate 4 to 5 days minimum to have time to fully enjoy this incredible destination!

The added advantage of the Canary Islands is that the weather is fine almost all year round. 🌞 On the other hand, expect lots of wind and the weather to turn regularly. 💨 In any case, if you still have any doubts about discovering Lanzarote, we can only advise you to go for it! ❤️