Lanzarote in 5 Days: everything you need to know

Lanzarote is an island with a profile outlined by the strength of volcanoes that was dotted by the architecture of César Manrique. Impressive cliffs, fine sand beaches, multicolored lakes, turquoise sea and rocky terrain, stimulate the senses. Lanzarote is the island you can feel from end to end and the activities have no limits.

This post is a guide with the best things to do in Lanzarote for your 5-day itinerary so you can make the most of your visit.

In Lanzarote the places of interest abound and the distances are relatively short. An average of 9 kilometers separate one place from another, so I recommend that you rent a car to move at your own pace. Considering that public transport in Lanzarote does not have a regular schedule, a private car is the best way to get the most out of your visit.

From 25 € you will find a car at CICAR, Cabrera Medina or AutoReisen. The first day I invite you to walk around several must-see spots on the island. Volcanic vineyards, José Saramago's refuge, the lunar landscape of La Geria or the white village of Teguise are important to start getting to know the island and its history.

In addition, another very appropriate option is to book a wine tour in Lanzarote, from $47

Reef

The day starts with a tour of the capital of Lanzarote before lunch. The city, like any other coastal resort, is full of shopping streets, colorful apartments and the first artistic interventions of Cesar Manrique, such as the Casa de la Cultura Agustin de la Hoz.

However, Arrecife revolves around the Charco de San Ginés, the entrance to the marine life of the place. In that space was built the first chapel of the surroundings, the Church of San Ginés, where you can see the carnestolenda statue of Los Buches. Continue the tour along the Calle Real to El Mercadillo, a must stop when setting foot in Arrecife to refresh yourself.

Then, cross the Puente de las Bolas to reach the Castillo de San Gabriel, a fortress that houses the Museum of Arrecife's history. Admission is free and inside you will learn about the island's landmarks and its fishing past, while enjoying a breathtaking view of the Atlantic. This charming tour takes about 2 hours.

La Geria

From Arrecife to La Geria is a 20 minute drive, so you will arrive at a perfect time to taste cheese, wine and have lunch.

In this area are concentrated the main wineries of the island -by the way, one of the oldest in Europe- and, the obtaining of these products follows the motto of the island, they are different vineyards. In addition, there are unconventional grape varieties such as the volcanic malvasia, a tiny grape whose fermentation enters the top of Spanish wines. Where does it come from? From an impossible terrain that gives ideas of a walk on the moon.

If you want to taste the local products of Lanzarote, this is the place. And I'm not just referring to the wines, the cheeses (especially the matured ones) are a delight. The pairing of both products is an experience I encourage you to join one of the guided tours of the wineries to see for yourself, then continue along the LZ-30 road to your next stop.

The Casa Museo del Campesino

As you make your way to the Casa del Museo Campesino, you will pass through a black earth terrain full of curious holes. In the middle of each one, a vine blooms, protected by semicircular walls. Individual fortresses that protect the humidity of the soil and the effects of the trade winds. You will have to park the car, I tell you, because the landscape is amazing.

Soon you will reach the municipality of San Bartolomé, where you will find the Casa Museo del Campesino, a work conceived by the architectural father of the island, Cesar Manrique, accompanied by the master Jesús Soto. The result pays tribute to the locals in an avant-garde work.

At the entrance you will find the Monumento a la Fecundidad (Monument to Fertility), which is just an appetizer. It is worth the 1 hour visit for this place. The entrance is free, don't worry.

Teguise

The former capital of Lanzarote is a charming town with such interesting things as an old barn that, converted into a bank agency, has some canvases as a work of art and a dining table at its entrance.

In the streets of Teguise you find little white houses with their traditional wooden balconies, the Museum of Piracy in the Castle of Santa Barbara; the Municipal Library, a haven of books where time stood still; or the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the central emblem of the countryside.

Teguise is a very pretty town where the breeze combines the sea and the volcanic earth. Its terraces are the perfect introduction to the island, so much so that there are travelers who come down from Famara just to dine in this village. If you can, spend the night there, but not before visiting theStratified City, where the sunset is like a movie. In addition, you can also take the opportunity to go to the Aquapark of Costa Teguise.

The second day in Lanzarote I invite you to visit the emblem of the island, its volcanoes. This is an intense day because you are going to walk through the Mountain of Fire better known as Timanfaya and the main attractions around it.

The whole route adds up to a total of 41 km, not bad for the 6 stops that compose it, however, you must take into consideration a detail, the Timanfaya can only know it with a guided tour and you have a couple of alternatives:

• From 12 € you can buy your ticket when you arrive at the mountain, which will give you access only to Timanfaya with the transport from the center. If you choose this case, I encourage you to buyvouchers for 4 or 6 sites of interest in Lanzarote.
• Another alternative is to opt for a complete tour to Timanfaya, with which you will avoid the queues, have private air-conditioned transport from your accommodation and often add other stops such as the Echadero de Camellos.

The complete route (not counting lunch) lasts between 5 and 6 hours to enjoy the walk calmly. And stop after stop you will be fascinated by the attractions.

Timanfaya

By far, this is the king of Lanzarote's iconic sites. In 1730, after a 6-year mega eruption, all forms of life on the island were wiped out.

As the lava gave way, it delineated a landscape with complex shapes where a new flora and fauna have found their little geographic corner. This is how birds, camels, geysers and hotbeds combine in Timanfaya.

Laguna de Los Clicos or Charco Verde del Golfo (Green Pool of the Gulf)

If we are talking about particular volcanic landscapes, the Laguna de los Clicos is one of the most amazing in the world. At this point of the island, water and magma combine in the middle of a beach of white, reddish and black sand to border the also called Charco Verde (Green Puddle).

This is an essential stop on your itinerary, the magic of nature leaves you speechless and you just have to approach the Gulf to appreciate this treasure from the free viewpoint.

Los Hervideros

A little less than 1 km from Playa Montaña Bermeja are the Hervideros, an Atlantic wonder where the sea hits hard the lava relief left by the volcano to seep into its caves.

In fact, the place owes its name to the sound produced by the crashing of the water. As a result, the caves amplify the sound and create a visual delight.

The Janubio Salt Flats

The last point of the day takes you to the southwest of the island to visit the Salinas de Janubio, a space of 168 hectares including the villages of Hoya, Laguna de Janubio, Las Breñas and Playa del Janubio. The visit point is in the Calle los Hervideros where the locals work to preserve a tradition of yesteryear in the middle of an overwhelming landscape.

You can book an excursion to the Salinas de Janubio where you can buy their products at the Bodega Janubio and dine at the restaurant Miradorde las Salinas, a place with a covered terrace where the view covers the salt lagoon.

At the end, if you are on your own, you can stay in Playa Blanca, there you will find a variety of options, it is also close to your next stops because your third day will be of sun and sand in Lanzarote.

The third day is a 39 kilometers ride from Playa Blanca to Puerto Calero, passing by some of the bestbeaches of Lanzarote, namely Playa Papagayo, Playa Flamingo, Playa Quemada and Playa del Pozo.

There are many more you could visit. Both Los Charcones and the Natural Pools are a spectacle, but getting you there is a significant detour and there are special reasons that place the above beaches in a place of honor.

This day you can do the beach by beach tour on your own or go straight to the port, check in at your hotel and take a buggy tour of Lanzarote or take one of the boat tours around Lanzarote.

Marine activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, scuba diving, submarine ride can be included, so start an immersive adventure through the sea of Lanzarote.

Papagayo Beach and Pozo Beach

Playa del Papagayo is the most popular tourist beach in the south of the island. Its white sand, rich marine life, calm waters and shallow depth make it one of the favorites when visiting Lanzarote with children. Just a warning, you will find several potholes in the last kilometers of the unpaved road and you must pay about 3 € to park there.

You could also take a boat trip that includes this beach or a guided tour to include kayaking, snorkeling or diving in Lanzarote. It is worth appreciating this Caribbean corner in Lanzarote.

On the other hand, if a trip to Lanzarote with children is not your thing, very close to Playa del Papagayo, just 16 meters away, you will find Playa del Pozo, a nudist beach with a similar landscape to its predecessor. There you can book a diving baptism experience in Lanzarote or do a kayak and snorkeling tour.

Flamingo Beach

This beach is as small as it is beautiful. It is 200 meters where facilities for disabled, children, adults and the whole family have been gathered thanks to its artificial construction.

Playa Flamingo is well known for the possibility of diving and snorkeling. If you bring your mask and snorkel you can do it on your own or rent it around: the Delphinus offers everything you need.

Quemada Beach

The next destination already starts to move away from the south, but it will allow you to swim at your leisure and get to know the best beaches of Lanzarote. So start the ascent through the island to see the north on your fourth day to get to Playa Quemada.

This beach is one of the quietest at first glance. In the background you can see a fishing village flanked by dark sand and a lot of white houses by the sea. Despite its appearance, you can ride a jet ski, swim, or eat overlooking the sea.

You should know that the prices are affordable in the area, the food is delicious and the views are great to stay and read with the sea breeze as an accomplice of adventure.

Puerto Calero and Puerto del Carmen

Puerto Calero and Puerto del Carmen are quite similar. Both are tourist areas where big chain hotels and stores are waiting for tourists so you can visit both or choose your final stop of the day. From them you can take a sailing tour or a catamaran excursion and tour the area at sea.

If you choose Puerto Calero you can get on board a tourist submarine to see the marine life from its skylights and then dive into the sea with snorkeling, it is a super cool experience. In case you choose Puerto del Carmen, you can hire a dolphin watching tour in Lanzarote, -especially if you visit the island in spring-, or take a Lanzarote Buggy Tour.

You should know that the nightlife is more lively there, so besides going by catamaran to the different beaches of the area, on your return the terraces and discos are an available alternative.

As you can see, there are many things to see and plans to do in Lanzarote and on this day you will be heading north of Lanzarote to visit some of the island's cultural centers. If you want to save some euros, it might be useful to buy CACT Vouchers (Centros de Arte, Cultura y Turismo).

The tour of the day will take you through the Cactus Garden, Punta Mujeres Jameos del Agua and the Cueva de los Verdes to finish in Órzola or the closest to this port, as the last day will be destined to one of the best day trips from Lanzarote, to the island of La Graciosa and it is in that port where the boats are taken.

This route covers 50 km in which you will discover the outstanding treasures of the island at each stop.

Cactus Garden

After breakfast at your hotel in the port, this will be the first stop of the tour: the Cactus Garden, one of the most interesting works of Cesar Manrique.

In this old quarry in Guatiza you can see about 4,000 species of cactus of various origins. The artist's intention was to combine the beauty of the volcanic landscape with the desert vegetation. The result has a variety of international recognitions and is an unmissable site of interest on the island.

Punta Mujeres

Another of those charming places is Punta Mujeres, a colorful fishing village where blue and white color its streets. In this area you can have lunch, although the main reason to include this place in your itinerary are the natural pools.

They are the most beautiful of Lanzarote and you can take a dip without problems. If you want something else, stop by the Aloe Vera Museum and its store, you will find them on your way.

Jameos del Agua

This tunnel created by the eruption of the Corona volcano has a subway lake with a show entrance. Again Cesar Manrique intervened to enhance the beauty of the place and protect a particular species.

Yes, believe it or not, this small island is home to albino crabs, a unique species in the world.

Learn when and how to visit Jameos del Agua to avoid the lines and crowds.

Cave of the Greens

This is one of those places that leaves you speechless. It is 6 kilometers eroded by lava that has amazing lighting and acoustics. The colors do not leave you indifferent and at the end the guides will give you a pleasant surprise. I will be another of the accomplices who does not reveal it for you to live the experience, it is worth it, it is magical.

At the end of the tour you can go to the Mirador del Rio and contemplate from a distance the island that awaits you tomorrow, or go directly to Órzola to spend the night. There you will find restaurants and hotels of all kinds.

To close your passage through Lanzarote you have the jewel in the crown for the last day, La Graciosa.

This is an island whose charms remain untouched thanks to the limited use of vehicles (only official transport is allowed), its natural roads (streets without asphalt) and a scarce offer of hotels and inns (you can find them all in Caleta del Sebo).

This island deserves to be called virgin with all its letters. And taking into consideration the previous points, the best thing to do is to make a guided excursion to La Graciosa from Lanzarote.

What to do in La Graciosa

In La Graciosa you can go kayaking, snorkeling and even hiking. The island offers all the conditions to enjoy a natural marine environment.

However, keep in mind that the stores, restaurants and in general all the establishments are around the port and, in addition, it is not allowed to take your car.

How to get to the island

By ferry you can travel from Órzola and back to Caleta de Sebo. The ferry ticket to La Graciosa can be purchased from $30 and takes between 25-30 minutes. Then you have to rent a bike (they cost from 15 € per day), or move in the jeep-taxi.

Another more comfortable alternative is to hire a private tour from Lanzarote. Prices vary from 68 € and usually include, among other things, lunch with paella, ferry transfers to the island and catamaran already in La Graciosa, as well as all the necessary equipment to practice the water sport of your choice.

The most beautiful beaches of La Graciosa

• La Francesa beach. An exotic beach of serene sea, transparent water and a marine wealth that is well worth discovering with your snorkel. Playa La Francesa is located just 2.5 kilometers south of Caleta de Sebo. You can lie on its white sand, dive into the sea, kayak or just contemplate the horizon.
• La Cocina Beach. Just a 15-minute walk from Playa Francesa is this cove located between the imposing cliffs of the Amarilla Mountain. This beach is beautiful, with intense green, calm waters and crystalline bottom. You can get there in one of the taxi-jeep that are in the port of Caleta de Sebo or walking.
• Las Conchas Beach. To the northwest you find another of the most beautiful beaches of La Graciosa, Playa de Las Conchas. A space overlooking the mountain Clara and his brother, the also uninhabited islet Alegranza. The sand is coarse and retains the same turquoise tone of its predecessors. This beach is ideal for those seeking more privacy, it is usually uncrowded and it is only 5 kilometers to reach it.

Carla's Tip

You will be told to rent a bike if you decide to visit La Cocina or La Francesa because it is only 3 km from the port, however, the terrain is quite demanding (few people mention this). It is preferable to take a cab or walk.