Lanzarote Itinerary

Lanzarote is an intriguing island with an extraordinary geology of 300 volcanic cones. There are great beaches, interesting sights and plenty of restaurants and hotels. The landscape has a stark and otherworldly appearance, with loads of unique black lava fields as far as the eyes can see.

The island’s major sights have been aesthetically developed by the late César Manrique, a Lanzarote native, and artist. Houses must be painted white, other than wooden windows and door frames or wooden shutters which can be any one of two shades of green. There’s no billboard advertising, no highrise buildings, giving the island a unique atmosphere.

So, in today’s blog post, I will show you some of the best things to see and do while on this amazing island, in my handy Lanzarote itinerary

BASIC INFORMATION | LANZAROTE ITINERARY

If you are heading to the island for the first time then you can find some handy information underneath.

LANGUAGE	Spanish
TIME ZONE	GMT+1
ELECTRICITY	Throughout the European continent, plugs have two round pins and this is no different in Lanzarote. Wherever your holiday in the Canaries, the current used is 220 Volts AC 50Hz. If you are travelling from the USA bring a voltage converter.
CURRENCY	Euro (€).
TIPPING	Like in most of Europe, tipping isn’t generally expected. However, it’s polite to leave extra change or round up.
NICKNAME	Lanza

WHERE IS LANZAROTE?

Lanzarote is situated just 70 miles off the coast of Africa, the most easterly of the Canary Islands and one of the smallest. The island is, however, part of Spain and is a popular tourist destination, with its all-year-round sunshine, beautiful beaches and stunning national parks.

Lanzarote is a volcanic island, but it hasn’t had an eruption since 1824(phew). Its status is classed as historical and therefore dormant, although you can feel the heat under the surface at Timanfaya.

MONEY

Spain uses the Euro (€) as it is part of the EU. In pretty much all places will accept credit card. Some stalls at the markets do not though, so I do advise to carry some Euro’s with you just in case. There might also be a couple of smaller stores that do not have an EFTPOS machine.

As stated above, tipping is not expected, though it’s customary to round up your restaurant bill to the nearest euro. At more expensive restaurants, it’s normal to leave a 5-10% tip.

LANGUAGE

Spanish is the official language spoken on the island. However, most people are at least conversational in English, as the islands main source of income is tourism.

SPANISH PHRASES & USEFUL TRAVEL PHRASES

Underneath you can find some handy Spanish phrases as well as some handy travel phrases that might come in handy during your time in the country.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Hi	Hola	OH-lah
Good morning	Buenos días	WAY-nos DEE-ahs
Good afternoon	Buenas tardes	BWAY-nahs TAR-days
Good evening	Buenas noches	WAY-nahs NOH-chayss
How are you?	¿Cómo está?	COH-moh es-TAH
Good, thank you	Bien, gracias	bee-AYN, GRAH-cee-ahs
Please	Por favor	por fah-VOHR
Thank you	Gracias	GRAH-cee-ahs
Do you speak English?	¿Habla inglés?	AH-blah een-GLAYS?

BEST TIME TO VISIT LANZAROTE?

Lanzarote, just like the rest of the Canaries islands, is a year-round destination.

Always pack your shorts, t-shirts and a swimsuit. Although in winter months, you might want a wetsuit if you don’t want to look like a total tourist. But basically, temperatures rarely dip below a good English summer. Although in winter months, you will need a jacket in the evening.

WHERE TO STAY ON LANZAROTE?

I stayed in a 1 bedroom suite with my parents at Hyde Park Lane. Initially, I was not supposed to come with them, but I could only come to work for a certain period due to work commitments in Australia. They added me to the booking so the accommodation was not ideal. I got a mattress on a bed, which was a tad uncomfortable and short. But the hotel itself is lovely and we had stunning views from our balcony.

Top tip: if you want to book this hotel then ask for a room on the second level, they have more privacy, a large balcony and stunning ocean and mountain views. (Plus an amazing sunset every night)

LOOKING FOR A BACKPACKERS HOSTEL?

Accommodation in Lanzarote is very diverse. You have something available in pretty much all price ranges. Underneath are some backpackers hostels.

LOOKING FOR A BED AND BREAKFAST?

Underneath you will find things to see and do when you are on the island for the first time. It is handy to hire a car, as attractions are located quite far from each other, so you will need some type of transportation.

SNORKELING LOCATIONS

Playa Chica Beach is the place to be. Love this beach. Great for snorkeling. Spent hours in the water and saw all sizes and sort of fish. It is pretty protected so you don’t have to worry too much about the current. The beach itself is not that great, but the fishes make it worth it. Even my mom who doesn’t like to get her hair went snorkeled for quite a while.

The Protected Landscape of La Geria

The Wine Valley of La Geria, which has been declared a ‘Protected Area’, is Lanzarote’s main wine-growing region, occupying about 20 square miles (52 square kilometers).

If your mental picture of a vineyard comprises lush green vines and rolling hills then you are in for in for a shocker. Because making wine is done differently on this volcanic island. In Geria, rolling hills have been replaced with black volcanic sand as far as the eyes can see. The grape bushes can’t grow ‘up’ because of the strong winds, so they grow low on the floor. They are protected from the wind by semi-circular zocos. So interesting and unique to see.

THE VILLAGE OF HARIA

Haria is a picturesque village, known as the ‘Valley of the thousand palms’. It is also known for its Saturday market (Saturday Haria market). Hundreds of stalls with traditional Spanish food, souvenirs, clothing and much much more. There is a lot of handmade stuff that won’t break the bank, which makes for a fun shopping trip.

PLANE SPOTTING AT PLAYA HONDA

Playa Honda isn’t your typical resort town, but it is a pretty large town, with a fabulous beach and excellent shopping. This town is most famous for its plane spotting. You can get very close to the runway of the local airport and take some amazing pictures. There aren’t many places in the world where you can get as close to a busy, live runway.

I did not get too close to myself because we parked in the wrong spot. We ended up having to walk quite a bit. We got hungry, thirsty and hot so after a while, so we decided to go back to our hotel and chill at the pool. If you google plane spotting Lanzarote you will see quite a few cool pics.

TIMANFAYA NATIONAL PARK

This absolutely spectacular national park is a must-see. This awe-inspiring stretch of volcanic wasteland offers a desolate and bleak monument to the power of Mother Nature.

Try to get there early to avoid queues! Stunning landscapes, only coaches are allowed in the actual park because of the narrow roads through the volcanic landscape. The area is best seen on a sunny day as the different colours are amazing.

Unfortunately, the Spanish like to strike a lot, so when I was on the island this park was closed to all visitors.

LOS HERVIDEROS

Amazing forces of nature are visibly at work here… even with only a little wind, the waves are impressive!
Definitely worth a visit, especially with all the other nearby sights. Plus it is free, and the site is surprisingly accessible.

Be careful with young kids and elderly who are not stable on their feet. The footpath is pretty rough and there are virtually no barriers.

JARDIN DE CACTUS

Jardin de Cactus, or the Cactus Garden, contains over 1,000 species from all over the world, all arranged in an amphitheater-like landscape.

The garden is very well laid out and a pleasure to walk around. I wasn’t expecting much but found the weird shapes and sizes of these sturdy plants oddly compelling.

The cafe was excellent too: a Spanish omelette, some paninis, and a baguette were all well above average.

ADDITIONAL ATTRACTIONS

We only had so much time on the island that we didn’t visit everything. And as stated before, the government workers were on strike, so a lot of the major attractions where closed. Underneath are a few more attractions and things to do on the island.

Jameos del Agua – a series of lava caves
Cueva de los Verdes – Fascinating lava cave system created approximately twenty thousand years ago. The caves run for about eight kilometres from the source volcano down to the ocean. Guided tours start every ten minutes.
Castillo de San Gabriel – Castle located in Las Palma.

WHERE TO GO AFTER YOUR HOLIDAY IN LANZAROTE?

If the trave bug got hold of you and you want to continue on travelling, then check out some cool options below

Rotterdam | Home to incredible architecture, amazing food and harming neighbourhoods, you’ll want at least 1 day in Rotterdam.
Brussels, Belgium | Although it’s possible to do a day trip from Amsterdam to Brussels, you’ll want at least 48 hours in Brussels to see the highlights. This city is ridiculously stunning and a must-see in my opinion.
London, UK | Spend 4 days in London exploring this stunning and imposing city.

ADDITIONAL EUROPE RESOURCES

If you have any questions about this Lanzarote itinerary, let me know in the comments below!

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Lanzarote Itinerary | Things To See And Do On The Island