You’re about to leave but still don’t know what to visit in Lanzarote or have no idea what there is outside of the neighborhood where you’ve booked? This guide is for you.
Lanzarote is one of the most incredible between the Canary islands. Incredible because here many landscapes look like the ones you’d see landing on the Moon or Mars: black volcanic lands, craters, colorful lakes, roads through lava fields, stunning beaches… so, what should you visit in Lanzarote if you’re on vacation for a few days?
In this guide, weāll go through a list of things to see in Lanzarote to get in touch with the island’s true wild nature. Fortunately, itās still not contaminated by excessive tourist developments.
To explore this beautiful island, you won’t be able to do without a rental car. The good news is that prices here are really affordable, and itās possible to rent safely even if you donāt have a credit card. Read here my guide on car rentals in Canary islands.
Map of things to visit in Lanzarote
Before we begin, hereās a map that you can use during your trip to decide in what order to visit the attractions discussed in this guide. Blue pins are free attractions, red pins are paid ones, and green marks the typical inland towns of Lanzarote.
What to visit in Lanzarote for free
Letās start this list with all the things you can see in Lanzarote for free š
The Wine Route and Volcanic Vineyards
When you head toward the south of the island, drive along the LZ-30 road from the area of La Geria to the village of Yaiza, where youāll encounter a view like this. I donāt think much needs to be said about the above pic, except that thereās one plant for every hole, dug as protection from the wind, forming an entire vineyard that looks like a beehive.
And you can also taste the result in the wineries in this area, particularly by trying the Malvasia of Lanzarote.
The Green Lake: Charco de Los Clicos
Continuing southwest, among the other things to see in Lanzarote in this area is undoubtedly the green lake of Charco de Los Clicos.
This lake, just a few meters from the ocean, takes on a greenish color due to some microalgae that inhabit it. But it’s not always as green as it may look on some exaggerated photos online, though it remains a view not to be missed.
Los Hervideros
A couple of minutes from Charco de Los Clicos, youāll find Los Hervideros. Itās a unique rock formation with numerous “holes” and a walk that lets you get right up to it, where you can look down at the ocean water below or step out onto a kind of terrace carved into the rock, where you can admire the power of the waves crashing against the coast and take some interesting photos.
It’s hard to describe this place well with words or just a handful of pictures. Although itās a fairly small area, if you follow the marked path, youāll get to enjoy a number of viewpoints.
The Beautiful Natural Beaches in the South of Lanzarote
It might seem small in the photo, but itās actually quite largeāthose little dots near the water are people and umbrellas.
And this is just one of the various natural beaches (Playa Papagayo, Playa Mujeresā¦) you must visit in Lanzarote at least once during your stay.
Read also: Where to stay in Lanzarote and where not to!
Many of these beautiful beaches are along the southern coast of the island: donāt miss the guide to the best beaches in Lanzarote to discover them all and see how to get there comfortably.
Mirador del Rio
What to visit in Lanzarote in the northern part of the island? Letās move now to the northern tip, where at the top of a promontory is the Mirador del Rio, a small bar/restaurant structure where you can enjoy an amazing view of La Graciosa island (one of the most picturesque of the Canaries). Its scenic viewpoint offers panoramic views of La Graciosa island and the surrounding coast.
La Graciosa is a small island with afew kilometers in diameter where a small village and a series of trails among the barren rocks can be found, some of which are bikeable, perfect for a little run among the craters. š
Entrance to the Mirador del Rio costs 4.75 euros per person, but if you’re in a group or don’t feel like stopping for a bite, you can skip the cost, since just a few meters from the entrance of the mirador you can enjoy the same view outdoors.
To do this, facing the entrance of the Mirador, start walking along the road to your immediate left: in less than 500 meters, La Graciosa will appear right next to you, and if the weather is nice, the view will be priceless.
La Graciosa Island
La Graciosa, as we just mentioned, is the 8th Canary Island, located just north of Lanzarote. In La Graciosa, you will find a “Speedy Gonzales” kind of village right by the port, with no paved roads, and a series of trails that take you around the island, leading to its beaches.
Once in La Graciosa, you will have several options. You can be driven around the semi-deserted island in a 4×4, which also serves as your guide, or rent a bike (or better yet, a fat bike, which is a bike with particularly wide tires, useful for navigating the sandy trails) and head off on your very own tour of the islandās paths. š
At this link you will find an interesting map with details of La Graciosaās possible trails.
If you want to visit this small island to immerse yourself in its barren nature, you can dedicate a day to reach it by ferry from the village of Orzola. However, before booking the ferry, choose a day when the forecast is mostly sunny and not too windy (to check this, use an app like WindFinder).
If the day is too windy or cloudy, due to the islandās exposure to northern winds, the visit could become uncomfortable because of the gusts of wind or the chilly feeling.
Alternatively, if you don’t feel like organizing it yourself, you can also consider joining an organized tour to La Graciosa.
Finally, bring plenty of water with you during the visit! Don’t forget that you are on an almost deserted island! š
Caleta del Mojon and Caleton Blanco
Among the things to visit in Lanzarote, we also find beaches in the northern area ā itās not over yet!
A few minutes from the Mirador del Rio and Orzola, we find Caleta del Mojon Blanco and Caleton Blanco, two natural beaches so large that at times the road actually passes through them.
The beauty of these beaches (especially at Caleton Blanco) comes from the natural pools that form along the shore depending on the tide, thanks to small sets of rocks that block the power of the ocean waves, creating a truly relaxed atmosphere with areas where the water is much warmer ā great for those who love to stay in the water and can’t handle the cold!
I also talk more about these beaches in detail in the guide to the beaches of Lanzarote.
If the day is breezy, given its northern exposure, I recommend lying down to shelter from the wind behind curious rock shelters shaped like half moons. š
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Castillo de Santa Barbara
The Castillo de Santa Barbara, near the town of Teguise, is a castle literally built on top of a crater.
Nothing dangerous about the visit ā there’s a comfortable paved road that takes you all the way up, and besides entering the castle (if it’s open), you can also take a walk safely inside the crater, which, of course, is dormant and covered with some shy vegetation.
From the top of the crater, the view allows you to admire the entire town of Teguise and its white houses, provided the day isn’t cloudy with low clouds like when I went! š
Typical towns like Teguise, Yaiza, Uga
In a guide titled “things to visit in Lanzarote,” you obviously canāt miss a visit to the inland towns of the island, where you can experience the real Lanzarote.
By moving away from the coast, where tourism has obviously taken over (though not as drastically as in other places in the world), you can visit towns where tourism is almost absent, and peace reigns, like Teguise in the northern area or Yaiza and Uga in the southern area.
A distinctive feature of Lanzaroteās villages is that they are almost exclusively composed of one or two-story houses, all painted white. The view, whether youāre passing through them or admiring them from above, is truly worth it.
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Weekly markets
In towns like the ones just described, you can also attend some weekly markets. One of the largest is the Sunday market in Teguise, where you can also find many handmade products, including those made from aloe, which the island is rich in.
A comprehensive list of Lanzarote’s markets can be found here.
Famara
If you like surfing or kitesurfing, this could end up being at the top of your list of things to visit in Lanzarote!
Along the northeastern coast of Lanzarote, youāll find a beach called Playa de Famara, which, bordered by a large promontory behind it, is frequently hit by the wind and currents, making it perfect for wave riders.
What to See in Lanzarote – Parks or Guided Tours
Now let’s take a look at what to visit in Lanzarote (no longer for free, but for a few euros) if you want to explore parks, caves, or participate in guided tours.
Timanfaya National Park
This large natural park in the southwest of Lanzarote includes some volcanic areas that are still partially active.
To enter, at a price of 10ā¬, you must leave your car at the “visitor center,” from where you will then be taken around the park by guides on a bus that will travel along an asphalt road through craters and lunar landscapes.
At the end of the tour, returning to the visitor center, you can witness the effect of the still-warm volcanic activity on the island: the staff will pour water into a cavity in the ground, causing steam jets to rise.
You will also find a restaurant on-site, certainly not as cheap as the ones outside, where you can eat dishes cooked on a very special grill, which is installed above a cavity where heat rises just a few meters below your feet, reaching temperatures between 100 and 600 degrees.
You can find more details on the official website.
Cueva de los Verdes
Cueva de Los Verdes is a cave about 1 km long that you can visit in about an hour, accompanied by a local guide who speaks Spanish or English.
The entrance fee is 9.50 euros, with a 20% discount after 3:00 PM (it closes at 5:00 PM in winter and at 6:00 PM in summer). You can check for updated details on the official page.
The visit is generally interesting; the cave is well-lit in some areas, and itās not all the same ā it varies in width and depth. Walking through it is easy and without any risks.
You will also see a sort of theater built right inside the cave, thanks to the good acoustics created by the cavity, as well as a little magic at the end of the path that I canāt reveal, as itās the āsecretā of the cave. š
Jameos del Agua
This is an artificial structure created by CĆØsar Manrique, an artist who, among other things, created several works and structures around Lanzarote, such as artistic creations that you will often see, even unintentionally, in the roundabouts of Lanzarote.
Jameos del Agua is (perhaps oversimplifying a bit) essentially a pool next to a bar and a small cave where concerts sometimes take place.
The entrance fee is 9.50 euros, which I personally think is a bit high for what it offers. Here is the official page with all the details.
Cactus Garden
This is a botanical garden full of … cacti! š Entrance is around 6ā¬, and it is located near Teguise. Here is the official page with more details.
Finally… a bit of action!
To finish, if you still have a free day to visit Lanzarote, you could make the most of it to create an adrenaline-filled memory! Take a look at, for example:
- Parasailing flight that lets youĀ see the beauty of the coast;
- Submarine dive up to 30 meters underwater;
- Scuba diving for beginners to se some fish.
Here ends the guide on things to see in Lanzarote, but in reality, the surprises never end. You will soon realize that the whole island is a continuous spectacle, even just driving on the roads through the lava. š
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