About 140 kilometers off the Moroccan coast in the Atlantic Ocean lies the island of Lanzarote. The Canary Island belongs politically to Spain and is a dream destination.
Lanzarote is the fourth largest Canary Island and got its name from Lancelotto Malocello, the “discoverer” of the Canaries (or rather rediscoverer). The original name of the island is Titerrogatra, which means “Red Mountains” and refers to the volcanism on the island.
The island is something special. The whole life on the island is characterized by its volcanic origin. About 36 million years ago, the base of the island was formed by submarine volcanic eruptions. The surface then developed in four main volcanic phases, which gradually created the island.
The last of the formation phases is not so far back. From 1730-36 and 1824 there were several eruptions which distributed 3-5 cubic kilometers of new lava over about 23% of the island’s surface. A large part of this area is now in Timanfaya National Park.
Because of this uniqueness, the island has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1993.
Travel information about Lanzarote
Island climate
Lanzarote has a mild climate with little precipitation all year round.
The average air temperature is 20.5 degrees, the coldest month is January with an average of 16.9 degrees and the warmest month is August with an average temperature of 24.7 degrees.
Fresh trade winds occur throughout the year. Lanzarote has the lowest rainfall of the Canary Islands. About 85% of the rain falls from January to March. In the mountainous north there is much more rainfall than on the rest of the island. Whereby the precipitation is not always in the form of rain. There is often humid fog. In recent years, there have been occasional short torrential rain showers on the island during the summer months.
The water temperature is about 17-22 degrees.
Journey to
by plane
Lanzarote has an airport which is located near the island capital Arrecife. 95% of all holidaymakers arrive by plane. Most of the planes fly charter flights, but there are also regional connections to the other Canary Islands. The flight from Germany takes 4-5 hours.
The distances at the airport are quite short, there is only one terminal.
By boat
In Arrecife is the seaport of Lanzarote. It is the most important transhipment point for the island’s supply. From here the ferries also run to other Canary Islands and to the Spanish mainland.
From Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen boats go to Fuerteventura.
On the way …
by car
The road network on Lanzarote is well developed.
In a Lanzarote vacation it is definitely worthwhile to book a rental car. The island is small and you can easily reach all the sights by car.
by bus
Arrecife is the center of the bus service on Lanzarote. From here buses depart to almost all places on the island. From smaller towns, buses often leave in the morning for the capital and return in the evening.
Tickets can be bought from the bus driver.
by taxi
Taxi drivers must have a licence on Lanzarote. Overland trips have fixed prices, otherwise a taximeter runs.
Lanzarote vacations – our tips
To spend a vacation on Lanzarote offers the possibility to discover the unique nature and culture of the island, besides relaxing on the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.
Natural landscapes on Lanzarote
One of our most spectacular visits on the island of Lanzarote brought us to the Cueva de los Verdes, the lava caves in Lanzarote’s north.
In the hinterland of Playa Blanca and easily accessible from our hotel is a volcanic cone. Our goal: summiting this volcano!
There are vineyards on Lanzarote? It might be hard to imagine, but there are wine-growing areas even on Lanzarote. Driving through this area by car is well worth a go.
What a sight! A sea of black lava, mountains with crumbling peaks, ragged magma boulders and sandy plains as far as the eye can see. We are in the Timanfaya National Park and are about to discover the fiery mountains of Lanzarote.
Continuing down the road from the Salinas de Janubio on Lanzarote, one reaches the cliffs of Los Hervideros and finally the little fishing village El Golfo.
A little ways from the fishing village El Golfo, on the south coast of Lanzarote, is the salt mine Salinas de Janubio.
The Jameos des Agua are in the lava field of the Volcan de la Corona. They are part of an accessible system of lava tunnels on Lanzarote.
Sights on Lanzarote
We introduce our top three destinations on the island of Lanzarote. Fancy the Canary Islands? Fancy Lanzarote? Discover a sublime landscape on this island with us.
After we only paid Mirador del Rio a short visit during our last stay, we came back and this time also visited the old fortress.
Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote. The majority of visitors do not take the time to get to know the biggest town on the island even though it is the most important centre of trade and administration and plays a huge role in the life of the island.
Playa Blanca is on the south coast of Lanzarote. In this aridest region of the island it’s sunny almost every day of the year and so the little fishing village Playa Blanca developed into a hot spot for tourism.
Our hotel was in the small town of Puerto Calero, west of Puerto de la Carmen. A trip to the port was a welcomed change from laying at the pool.
A rental car is definitely worth the money on a trip to Lanzarote. It gives you the flexibility to explore places in your own time and seek out spots that are less busy.
The Jameos des Agua are in the lava field of the Volcan de la Corona. They are part of an accessible system of lava tunnels on Lanzarote.
Our hotel tips
We compiled a video out of our pictures from our Lanzarote trips.
We like Lanzarote at every season. This time, we chose March to flee the cold in Germany and instead enjoy 24 degrees Celsius, sunshine and the Hotel SBH Royal Monica in Playa Blanca.
The Hotel Costa Calero is close to the Puerto Calero marina, west of Puerto del Carmen. The neighbouring islands Lobos and Fuerteventura are visible from here.