Things to Do in Lanzarote

Lanzarote does not look like anywhere else in Spain. It is an island built by fire — lava fields, black-sand valleys and more than a hundred volcanic cones — and then shaped, almost house by house, by one artist: César Manrique. The whole island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and there are no high-rise resorts. We are Ronaldo and Mane, local hosts from the Canary Islands, and this is our honest guide to what is worth your time on Lanzarote.

Why Lanzarote is special

In the 1970s, when other islands were filling their coasts with tower blocks, the artist César Manrique convinced Lanzarote to do the opposite: low white houses, no billboards, and a handful of extraordinary attractions carved straight into the volcanic rock. The result is an island that feels like an open-air work of art on a lunar landscape. Keep that in mind and everything below makes sense.

Timanfaya National Park (Montañas del Fuego)

This is the big one. Timanfaya is a sea of volcanoes from the eruptions of 1730-36, and it still runs hot: at the visitor centre the guides pour water into a borehole and it erupts as a geyser of steam seconds later, and food is grilled over a natural geothermal pit. You explore the heart of the park on the Ruta de los Volcanes coach tour (you cannot drive it yourself), a genuinely surreal 30-40 minutes through the craters.

The César Manrique sights

These are what make Lanzarote unique — do at least two:

• Jameos del Agua — a collapsed lava tube turned into a stunning space with a natural lake (home to tiny blind albino crabs), a white lagoon and an auditorium inside the cave. Manrique's masterpiece.
• Cueva de los Verdes — a dramatic volcanic tunnel you walk through, with a surprise at the end we will not spoil.
• Mirador del Río — a lookout carved into a 400 m cliff with jaw-dropping views over the islet of La Graciosa.
• Jardín de Cactus — a beautiful cactus garden in an old quarry, Manrique's last big work.
• Fundación César Manrique — his former home, built inside five volcanic bubbles. Worth it to understand the whole island.

The best beaches

• Papagayo (near Playa Blanca) — a string of golden coves in a protected natural park, calm turquoise water. The most beautiful on the island, and a short drive from our villas.
• Playa Dorada & Playa Blanca — easy, family-friendly town beaches with everything nearby.
• Famara — a vast wild beach under huge cliffs in the north, the island's surf and windsurf spot. Spectacular, but respect the currents.

La Geria — volcanic wine country

One of the strangest, most beautiful vineyards on earth: single vines grown in little pits dug into black volcanic gravel, each protected by a low stone semicircle. Stop at a bodega (El Grifo and Bodega La Geria are classics) to taste the volcanic Malvasía white. If you are driving, share the tasting.

Playa Blanca — our home base

In the sunny south, Playa Blanca is the most comfortable base: a relaxed resort town with a lovely promenade, the Marina Rubicón (restaurants, Wednesday and Saturday market), the Papagayo beaches minutes away, and the ferry to Fuerteventura for a day trip. This is where all our Lanzarote villas are.

Getting around

Lanzarote is made for a road trip and the sights are spread out, so our honest advice is simple: rent a car. Distances are short, roads are excellent and empty, and you will see far more. Take a look at our car rental — we can have it waiting for you.

Short on time? See it all in a day

If you are based in Tenerife, or just want the highlights without planning, our Lanzarote Grand Tour (from €39) covers Timanfaya, the Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua in one guided day, with pickup near your accommodation. It is the easiest way to tick off the essentials.

Where to stay

We have four villas with private pools in Playa Blanca, all a short drive from Papagayo and a great base for exploring the island. Book direct with us for the best price and we will help you plan the rest of your trip.