Best time to visit Lanzarote
Lanzarote is a good destination to visit year round. Maximum temperatures range between 20°C and 28°C. Therefore, no matter what time of year you visit, you can always enjoy a pleasant time.
As for the high and low season on the island, you should know that during the winter months (especially December and January), along with July and August, there are more visitors in Lanzarote. During these months there are more people and prices are higher. The low season is in April, May, June, September and October.
If you want to travel to Lanzarote at the best time, I recommend choosing traveling in September or October. You’ll be traveling in low season, therefore, prices will be lower and you will be able to enjoy the tourist attractions in Lanzarote with much more peace of mind. Also, in September there is less wind in Lanzarote than July or August. Finally, the days are still long and with very pleasant temperatures.
The month of November, along with April, May and June, are also a good months to visit Lanzarote.
How to get to Lanzarote, Canary Islands
The most common way to visit Lanzarote is by taking a flight. If you are already in the Canary Islands or if you are going to bring your own vehicle from mainland Spain, you may be interested in taking a ferry to Lanzarote. Below we’ll review the different options.
Flights to Lanzarote
There are direct flights to Lanzarote from different cities in Spain: Oviedo, Seville, Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Bilbao, Santiago de Compostela, Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, etc. There are several companies that offer these routes but Ryanair is the one that offers the most affordable flights to Lanzarote.
I recommend searching for your flights to Lanzarote on Skyscanner, a platform that I always use to compare flights. Once you find the best flight, I advise you to always buy it through the airline’s website.
Travel to Lanzarote on a ferry
If you are interested in getting to Lanzarote by ferry, I recommend you look for the best price on Ferryhopper, a platform that offers routes for different ferry companies.
It is a good alternative if you are already on another Canary Island, such as Gran Canaria or Fuerteventura, and want to continue your trip through Lanzarote.
🏥 Remember it is very important to purchase travel insurance for Spain if you don’t have medical coverage in this country. I always use and recommend the company Heymondo, where I can offer you a 5% discount on your travel insurance.
How long you should travel to Lanzarote for
The 845.9 km² of space in Lanzarote is full of incredible places which will require your time to discover them all. In my case, I spent a week in Lanzarote, which seems like a good number of days to get a good first impression of the island. Although if you have more time in Lanzarote, even better!
A one-week trip to Lanzarote is very good to get to know the island; however, if you have fewer days, don’t worry. You can still make a good route through Lanzarote for 4 days or so. You will only have to reduce the number of places to visit or increase the pace of your trip.
Places to add to your Lanzarote travel guide
As I just mentioned, there are many places to visit in Lanzarote. The island draws attention for its deserted and volcanic landscapes. Timanfaya National Park is on of Lanzarote’s main tourist attraction.
Another reason why Lanzarote is worth visiting is because it hosts incredible beaches, charming towns, surprising viewpoints and the works of César Manrique, scattered throughout the island. In addition, the free and wild atmosphere that the island offers will completely captivate you.
Best beaches in Lanzarote
Let’s start with the best beaches in Lanzarote. During your vacation on the island, you cannot miss Famara Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, and the beautiful Papagayo Beach, ideal for swimming.
Other beaches that I recommend visiting are Caletón Blanco, El Jablillo, Mujeres Beach, Janubio Beach and Montaña Bermeja Beach. These last two are black-sand beaches.
Beautiful towns in Lanzarote
As for towns in Lanzarote, I recommend visiting Caleta de Famara, Teguise, Haría, Arrieta and El Golfo, where I recommend eating fresh fish by the sea. You can also take a walk through Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote. Here I recommend taking a walk through Charco de San Ginés.
Other places to visit
Other essential places to visit in Lanzarote are Risco de Famara Viewpoint, the famous crevasses, Los Charcones, Caldera Blanca, Del Río Viewpoint, Jameos del Agua, Cueva de los Verdes, Cactus Garden, Cuervo Volcano, Charco de los Clicos, Los Hervideros, Janubio Salt Flats, Lagomar Museum, hiking up the Black Mountain, La Geria Winery, the César Manrique Foundation and the Colorada Mountain.
La Graciosa
Something else that I recommend doing if you are going to travel to Lanzarote is taking a day trip to La Graciosa. You can book an organized tour or go on your own. In my article on how to get to La Graciosa, I give you all the info and tell you what to do on this island.
How to save some money on your trip to Lanzarote
If you want to save money during your trip to Lanzarote (Canary Islands), you may be interested in buying one of the Lanzarote tourist passes.
They have vouchers for 3, 4 or 6 centers, among which you will choose several of the following attractions in Lanzarote:
- Timanfaya National Park (€12 without pass).
- Cueva de los Verdes (€10 without pass).
- Jameos del Agua (€10 without pass).
- Cactus Garden (€6.50 without pass).
- Mirador del Río (€5 without pass).
- Castillo de San José (€4 without pass).
The 3 center pass costs €23.50, the 4 center pass costs €29 and, finally, the 6 center pass costs €35.
As you can see, if you are going to visit several of these places in Lanzarote, it is advisable to buy one of the passes to save some money during your trip.
How to get around in Lanzarote
The best way to get around the island is by car, therefore, I recommend renting a car in Lanzarote. If it is not an option, you can use public transport but you will be quite limited. You can also choose to do private transfers. You can book them in advance here.
Car rental in Lanzarote
If you are planning on renting a car in Lanzarote, I recommend doing so through Cicar or Cabrera Medina (they belong to the same company). It is a local business and they offer very good service. Unlike other companies, they do not ask for a security deposit, the rental includes comprehensive insurance and the prices are very good.
It is possible, especially if you travel in high season or if you are looking at it with little time in advance, that there are no cars available for your trip in these companies. If so, I recommend looking for a car rental in Lanzarote at Discover Cars.
Some roads on the island are dirt roads, such as the one that goes to Papagayo beaches, in the south of Lanzarote. The rest, for the most part, are paved. Therefore, you can choose any type of vehicle but if you want to be even more safe, it is not a bad idea to rent a 4×4 vehicle for your visit to Lanzarote, Canary Islands.
Visit Lanzarote in public transportation
If renting a car is not an option, you can use the island’s public transport. We used the bus the first days of the trip to go from the airport to Arrecife and from Arrecife to Órzola (to get on the ferry to La Graciosa) and it went well. However, the schedules are quite limited if you are going to use the buses to visit the island.
On the Intercity Transport website, you can check the routes and schedules. If you are going to use the bus (or guaguas, as they say in the Canary Islands) to move around the island, I recommend staying in Arrecife, since most bus routes depart from the capital.
I repeat, it is not the best option to move around Lanzarote since you will be very limited. However, if you have no other option, you can combine taking the bus with booking private transportation services and organized tours. Below I review some of the best tours in Lanzarote.
Best tours in Lanzarote
Another great option if you are not going to rent a car on your trip to Lanzarote is to book organized tours. Below you can see the best tours in this Lanzarote travel guide.
– La Graciosa day trip. After arriving in La Graciosa by ferry and strolling through Caleta de Sebo, you will cruise along the coast on a sailboat. The tour includes a stop at one of the best beaches on the island and equipment for water activities. Food and open bar drinks are also included. You will be picked up at your hotel on the island.
– North of Lanzarote Trip. Thanks to this tour you will be able to visit Jameos del Agua and the Monumento al Campesino, works by the famous artist César Manrique. You will also visit Cueva de los Verdes, one of the natural wonders on the island. You’ll be picked up at the hotel.
– Excursion to Timanfaya and the Jameos del Agua. If you book this tour, you will be able to visit Timanfaya National Park and Jameos del Agua, two of the essential places to see in Lanzarote, Canary Islands. You will also make a stop at Charco de los Clicos and La Geria, apart from passing through the Valley of a Thousand Palms. Hotel pick-up is made from various points on the island.
– Cesar Manrique Tour of Lanzarote. If you are interested in visiting all the works of César Manrique left on the island, you will love this tour. Thanks to it, you can visit the Monument el Campesino, Del Río Viewpoint, Jameos del Agua, the Cactus Garden and the César Manrique Foundation. Hotel pick-up is made from various points on the island.
Where to stay in Lanzarote
As far as hotels in Lanzarote, my advice is to stay in a central area of the island. This way, you will be able to vist all corners quickly and you will not have switch hotels during your stay.
We stayed in Costa Teguise, a coastal town not far from Arrecife, and we were very comfortable. Specifically, at Conylanza Golf and Mar Suites, some apartments located in a very quiet area of this town. I recommend it! You can see more hotels in Costa Teguise here.
Caleta de Famara is a little further north but the atmosphere and surroundings of this town are charming. Therefore, it is also a great option to stay in Lanzarote. You can check the available hotels in Famara here. I recommend the Dunas de Famara apartment.
If you want to be close to the best beaches in Lanzarote, then I recommend staying in Playa Blanca, in the south. If you decide on this area, take a look at Jardines del Sol By Diamond Resorts aparthotel. Check the rest of the available hotels in Playa Blanca here.
If you still have doubts about accommodation on the island, I recommend you read my guide on where to stay in Lanzarote.
More Lanzarote tips
Below, you can see other tips in this Lanzarote travel guide.
– Travel insurance for Lanzarote:
Even if you have medical coverage in Lanzarote, travel insurance covers other things such as luggage or transportation delays. If you want to travel to Lanzarote with all the peace of mind possible, I recommend Heymondo travel insurance. I can offer you 5% discount.
– What to take with you to Lanzarote:
You may be wondering what clothing to pack for your trip to Lanzarote. Temperatures are usually warm throughout the year but, especially in the winter months, it can get quite cool. For this reason, I always recommend bringing at least one jacket and some long pants. As for footwear, I recommend wearing sports shoes and flip-flops with good grip.
– Traditional food:
Be sure to eat fresh fish, papas arrugadas with mojo, Canarian gofio, island cheeses… Don’t forget to try the local wine!
Map to travel to Lanzarote
In the following map, you can find the different places mentioned in this Lanzarote travel guide, areas to stay and our apartment.
If you are going to travel to other regions of the country, do not miss my Spain travel guide.
I hope that this Lanzarote travel guide has been very useful to you in planning your visit to this wonderful Canary Island. If you want to tell me about your experience or have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment or email me. Enjoy your holidays in Lanzarote!
