Volcanic art island with white villages and turquoise lagoons
Lanzarote does not look like anywhere else. Most of the island was buried under lava during a catastrophic series of eruptions between 1730 and 1736 — some of the largest volcanic events in recorded history — and what emerged was a landscape of extraordinary, austere beauty. Black rock fields stretch to the horizon. Craters punctuate the sky. White villages with green doors and windows sit impossibly neat against the dark volcanic stone. The island has been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1993, and strict building codes have kept it that way: no high-rises, no billboard advertising, no deviation from the white-and-green palette.
The person most responsible for how Lanzarote looks today is César Manrique — artist, architect and fierce conservationist — who returned from New York in 1968 and spent three decades shaping the island's relationship with tourism. His fingerprints are everywhere: the cactus garden at Guatiza, the visitor centre at Timanfaya, the spectacular Jameos del Agua concert hall built inside a volcanic tunnel, the Mirador del Río perched on a cliff edge. Visiting his work is one of the great experiences of the Canary Islands, and it is built into the landscape rather than imposed on it.
Be honest about one thing: August on Lanzarote can be brutally hot, with the Calima (Saharan wind) pushing temperatures into the high thirties and filling the air with dust. Every other month is excellent. The water stays warm year-round, the wind makes it a world-class destination for kite and windsurfing, and the relative lack of trees and cloud cover means that on a clear night the star-gazing is remarkable. It is a small island — you can drive across it in an hour — but you will not run out of things to see.
The most alien landscape in the Canary Islands and possibly in all of Europe. The Montañas del Fuego (Fire Mountains) at the heart of Timanfaya are still geothermally active — staff demonstrate this by pouring water into a pipe in the ground and watching it explode as steam, and by grilling chicken over volcanic heat in the park restaurant. Entry is strictly controlled: you must join the official coach tour or book a camel ride. Go early in the morning when it is cooler and the light is extraordinary. Allow two to three hours for the full experience.
One of the most remarkable spaces in the Canary Islands: a volcanic lava tube that runs from an underground lake out to the sea, transformed by Manrique into a concert hall, bar and garden of surreal elegance. The underground lagoon is home to a unique blind albino crab (jameíto) found nowhere else on earth. The space hosts classical concerts and has been used as a film set — you will immediately understand why. Go in the early evening if you can; the lighting transforms it completely. The neighbouring Cueva de los Verdes (a continuation of the same lava tube) is equally spectacular as a pure geological experience.
A volcanic crater half-submerged in the sea creates a jade-green lagoon separated from the Atlantic by a thin black rock ridge — the colour combination of green water, black lava and red crater walls is improbable enough to look like a painting. El Golfo is on the west coast, a short drive from Timanfaya, and pairs naturally with a loop through the national park. The small village of El Golfo below the lagoon has several excellent fresh fish restaurants overlooking the sea. Arrive in the late afternoon for the best light on the crater walls.
The best beaches on Lanzarote — and among the best in the Canary Islands — are tucked into coves at the island's southern tip, collectively known as Playas de Papagayo. The water is clear turquoise, the sand is golden, and the cliffs provide shelter from the wind. A small fee is charged to enter the protected area by car; you can also walk in from Playa Blanca. Playa Papagayo itself is the most famous but several of the smaller adjacent coves are quieter. Take a picnic and make a day of it — there are no beach bars inside the protected zone.
Another César Manrique creation: a clifftop lookout carved into the volcanic rock at the island's northern tip, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the view across the narrow strait to La Graciosa — the eighth Canary Island, a low sandy island with no paved roads. The view is genuinely dramatic, and the building itself is remarkable: the curved walls and organic shapes blend so naturally into the cliff that from outside you can barely see it. There is a café inside. Combine with a visit to the Jameos del Agua and the Cueva de los Verdes for a full northern circuit day.
The vineyards of La Geria are one of the most extraordinary agricultural landscapes in the world: individual vines planted in volcanic ash craters ringed by low stone walls (zocos) to protect them from the wind. The volcanic ash retains moisture overnight, making viticulture possible in a near-desert. The local Malvasía wines produced from this landscape are excellent — particularly the dry white — and several bodegas along the main LZ-30 road offer tastings. Bodega La Geria and El Grifo are the most established. Best visited in the late afternoon as a pleasant drive with wine stops.
The beach at Famara, on the island's northwest coast, is a four-kilometre sweep of wild Atlantic sand backed by dramatic cliffs and swept by consistent trade winds — which makes it one of the best kite and windsurfing spots in Europe. The village behind the beach is a small, slightly scruffy surf community that feels a world apart from the southern resorts. Several schools offer lessons for beginners. Even if you do not surf or kite, Famara is worth visiting for the dramatic clifftop views from the Famara massif above the beach, and the thoroughly unresort atmosphere.
Teguise was the island's capital for centuries and is still the most characterful town in Lanzarote — a tightly packed grid of cobbled streets and whitewashed buildings centred on a 15th-century church and the Castillo de Santa Bárbara on the hill above. Every Sunday it hosts the largest market in the Canary Islands: 300 stalls of local produce, crafts, clothing and curiosities filling every street and square. Come before 11am to avoid the worst of the tourist coach traffic, and have breakfast at one of the bars on the main plaza. The castle has a small piracy museum with good views.
Lanzarote is a small island — around 60km long and 25km wide — and a hire car gives you the run of it completely. The roads are in excellent condition, traffic is light outside Arrecife, and even the most remote corners are reachable on good tarmac. Without a car, the bus network (Arrecife Bus) covers the main tourist centres but misses most of the interesting places: Timanfaya requires a coach tour or taxi, El Golfo requires a car, and Papagayo is awkward without one. Taxi fares are reasonable, and several operators run island circuit day tours for those without a car.
Within the beach resorts — Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise, Playa Blanca — everything is walkable. There is a boat service between Playa Blanca and Corralejo in Fuerteventura that runs several times daily (about 35 minutes), making island-hopping straightforward. Petrol stations are found in all the main towns. The northern road through the Famara massif and past the Mirador del Río is one of the great Canary Islands drives, winding along cliff edges with the Atlantic far below.
Puerto del Carmen on the east coast is the most popular and best-connected resort — a long beach strip with plentiful hotels, restaurants and water sports, within 15 minutes of the airport. It suits those who want a classic beach holiday with easy access to the main sites. Costa Teguise, slightly north, is calmer and better for families — it has a good beach, several supermarkets and less nightlife. Both are safe choices and well-served by car hire options.
Playa Blanca in the south feels more like a proper resort town than a strip, with a pleasant promenade and easy access to Papagayo. It is the most relaxed of the three main options and has some of the island's better hotels. For a more authentic experience, the village of Teguise has a handful of characterful rural houses and boutique properties — excellent as a base if you want to explore the northern half of the island and do not mind driving to the beach. Avoid Arrecife itself as a base unless you specifically want urban life; it is functional but has little tourist appeal.
Lanzarote Airport (ACE) is 5km southwest of Arrecife and well connected year-round. Direct flights operate from most UK airports including Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Edinburgh, with many budget carriers making it one of the cheapest Canary Islands destinations to reach. Flight time is around four hours from southern England. Inter-island ferries connect to Fuerteventura (35 minutes), Gran Canaria and Tenerife — Fred Olsen and Naviera Armas both operate routes.