LANZAROTE: the most volcanic Canarian Island
Lanzarote is one of the 8 Canarian Islands and it has the most volcanic landscape among them. Moreover, its safety, tranquility and friendliness make of this island a paradise if you're looking for a relaxing, safe and enjoyable experience, specially if you plan to do surf!
Before diving into Lanzarote's guide, below I share some of my honest tips.
MY TIPS -
• Rent a car
This island is super tiny, so the best way to travel around it will be by car. The average price per day for the smallest car is around 30-35€.
• Avoid taking the bus
Public transportation in Lanzarote is known for being slow, but it's the cheapest way to travel. So it will depend on your available spare time if you decide taking the bus.
• Take the ferry to La Graciosa
When in Lanzarote, you must visit La Graciosa, too! More information about it along the guide.
• Do water sports
Do water sports in Lanzarote! Water conditions are great for both beginners and advanced surfers, and there are amazing diving spots around the island, too.
I did surf in Famara with Lanzasurf and the experience was absolutely amazing.
Also, I did scuba diving with Atlantis Lanzarote in Puerto del Carmen. If you are certified diver, definitely go for a dive or, if not, you'll see some fish doing a diving baptism.
❗EVA'S TIP: it is said that the best spot for diving in Lanzarote is located between La Graciosa and Lanzarote. You might want to look for more information about it.
WHAT TO DO & SEE IN LANZAROTE -
Famara, surfers paradise🏄
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You'll love Famara if you want to learn to do surf. It's a paradise for surfers, and ideal for beginners.
I spent 1 week here doing an intense surf course with Lanzasurf and the experience was incredible! I learnt fast and I'm super happy with my progress. I definitely recommend to anybody to come to learn surf here, where you'll find relaxing and good vibes, while enjoying of the beautiful scenary of Famara.
If you are not into surf, I would still recommend coming to see the beach, take a bath, and wait for the sunset. Moreover, the small and cute village of Famara is enchanting and has lot of restaurants, and bars.
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Charco Verde
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As its name indicates, this is literally a green puddle in front of the beach, located next to the picturesque village El Golfo. It's worth a visit.
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La Geria
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If you like the wine world, this place is for you. In La Geria you'll be able to learn about the winery in Lanzarote, which is very special and unique.
In my case, I enjoyed the views, and the Lanzarote's characteristic circular vineyards.
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Las Grietas
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This is an amazing place to see in Lanzarote!
These volcanic cracks "grietas" were originated from the lava flowing from the volcanoes. This landscape truly honors Lanzarote's volcanic origins.
It does not require any hard hike, is more like an easy walk in loop.
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Monte Corona
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This is an easy and approx. 20 min hike leading to a massive crater. It is really impressive.
The hike starts next to Yé's church.
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Mirador del Río, for sunset lovers 🌅
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In my opinion, sunsets in Lanzarote are amazing anywhere around the island. But I would say that this viewpoint is of the best ones, as from here you will see both the sunset and La Graciosa right in front of you.
This is a really beautiful view you cannot miss.
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❗EVA'S TIP: another amazing viewpoint for the sunset is "Mirador del Risco". I was unlucky and it was foggy when I went, but the views from there are truly amazing, too.
Playa de Papagayo
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❗EVA'S TIP: as you can see in the first picture, playa Papagayo might be beautiful but, in my opinion, overcrowded and too touristic. I'm not sure if I would recommend to visit this beach, unless you have lot of spare time and want to catch the sunset from there.
In my opinion, the beaches around it like Playa Mujeres or Playa Memos, are better.
❗️The gravel road can be a bit bumpy.
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TIMANFAYA NATURAL PARK - 🌋
Timanfaya is a must-see place when in Lanzarote. In here you'll find the most volcanic landscape around the Canary Islands, and it's really beautiful. But before diving into it, below I give you my honest opinion.
❗EVA'S TIP: I don’t recommend paying the touristic Timanfaya's bus. Instead, hike around the surroundings of the natural park. I didn't pay for the bus, but basically is a tour around the park, you'll stop on the top and then all the way down again to the parking lot. Personally, not enjoyable. Also, there’s the option to visit the park by riding a camel. Try to NOT contribute to this activity, please. ↓Hikes that I did↓
Montaña Colorada
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This is an easy and 1-hour quick hike to contemplate the characteristic volcanoes in Lanzarote, this one with a special redish touch in its surface which gives its name "Red mountain or caldera" in English.
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Caldera Blanca
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This is Lanzarote's largest caldera, and it's really worth it to see.
❗EVA'S TIP: because of Google Maps I ended up hiking way longer than it requires. You should take the path located in the parking area here https://www.google.com/maps/place//@29.0427137,-13.7020162,16.12z?entry=ttu.
The hike should take around 3 hours in total.
Enjoy the volcanic views, they are amazing🌋
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There are more hikes around this area such as Caldera de los Cuervos.
❗EVA'S TIP: do a quick stop in "Centro de visitantes e interpretación de Timanfaya" to ask for more information and to scan the QR code located in reception where you'll find all the hiking trails you can do around Timanfaya Natural Park.
La Graciosa
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You must take the ferry from Órzola to visit La Graciosa!
The islands’ size make possible to visit it in less than 1 day, or you can stay in an apartment (generally they are quite expensive) to enjoy of the relaxing, and beautiful island.
❗EVA'S TIP:
- If you have only 1 day, I recommend you to take a 4x4 tour and visit the whole island in around 2 hours.
- Another option is to visit the island by bike. But be cautious about the heat. Also note that there are no roads in this island, only a main road covered by sand.
- If you have more than 1 day, do overnight in La Graciosa, ideally in Pedro Barba.
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Playa de las Conchas
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A beautiful beach located in the northern part of La Graciosa.
Worth the stop and the bath.
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Playa de la Cocina
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My favorite beach in La Graciosa!
Located right below the "Montaña Amarilla", this beach is really beautiful, the water is clean and crystal, and the place is idilic.
To reach to this beach you have to pass by "Playa Francesa", and then take an approximately 15 minutes walk until you get to "Playa de la Cocina".
In this spot is where the scuba diving in La Graciosa is mainly done.
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MY HONEST OPINION ABOUT -
Jameos del Agua
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My honest opinion is that this place is overpriced (10€ pp), the visit is short, and either you consume a beverage or you just walk around.
The main meaning of this place is the amazing job of César Manrique of preserving Lanzarote's nature while building harmonously with Lanzarote's volcanic landscape, which is beautiful.
A curious fact is that inside you can see blind crabs in the water, which only exist here.
Also, the museum has interesting information about Lanzarote's origins.
But, overall, I would not recommend to visit it unless you really feel interested about it.
As you can see in this guide, I did not visit the famours César Manrique center, neither the Cactus garden, which does not mean that they are not worth it, it just depends on each person's interests.
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There are way more places and villages to see and worth to stay for a while such as Uga or Arrieta. The picture below is Uga surrounded by an immense lava field and volcanoes, I stayed for few nights here and it was really beautiful and quiet. Also, here you might find cheaper accommodation than in other more popular places. Uga was also nice for its location, right in the middle of the island, which made it easy to travel around.
As mentioned earlier, if you really enjoy hiking, nature and adventure, as well as water sports, Lanzarote has infinite options to enjoy! This is a guide for spending around 1 week in this island, but if you have more time here, you'll find many more things to see and do!
I hope you find this guide useful for your upcoming trip to Lanzarote!
If you liked this guide, don't miss out my best itineraries around Iceland or Norway!
Thank you for reading, and don't hesitate to reach me out on Instagram @evarios14, and follow all my adventures along my journey, sharing my best travel tips while travelling and living around the world!
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