Costa Teguise

Resort Guide

Costa Teguise is Lanzarote’s relaxed, family-friendly resort on the east coast, a purpose-built town of low white buildings, golden beaches and easy-going charm. It’s best known as the windsurfing capital of the island, thanks to the reliable breezes at Las Cucharas beach, but there’s far more to it: calm family beaches, a water park, a golf course, an aquarium, and the pretty Manrique-designed square of Pueblo Marinero at its heart.

Calmer than Puerto del Carmen but with plenty going on, it’s a favourite for families and couples who want a comfortable base with a bit of everything. This guide covers all you need to know, with links to our detailed guides on beaches, watersports, things to do, eating out and more.

Where Is Costa Teguise?

Costa Teguise sits on the east coast of Lanzarote, in the municipality of Teguise, just eight kilometres north of the capital Arrecife and only around fifteen to twenty minutes from the airport. That location gives it two advantages: it’s a genuinely handy base for exploring the island, with the northern attractions like Jameos del Agua, the Cueva de los Verdes and the Jardín de Cactus all within easy reach, and its closeness to Arrecife lends it a slightly more authentic, lived-in Spanish feel than you might expect from a resort built for tourism.

The resort was created from scratch in the 1970s, developed on former farmland and salt flats as a high-end tourist destination, and the artist César Manrique had a hand in its design, which is why it follows the island’s low-rise, whitewashed style rather than the high-rise sprawl seen elsewhere in Spain. One quiet mark of its early ambitions is La Mareta, the royal residence in the resort that was gifted to the Spanish royal family and is still used as a summer retreat by heads of state. The resort is well laid out and easy to navigate, with beaches, hotels and amenities spread along an attractive five-kilometre seafront promenade.

The Beaches in Costa Teguise

Costa Teguise has a cluster of golden-sand beaches, each with its own character, all linked by the seafront promenade. The main one, Playa de las Cucharas, is a broad, lively beach that’s the beating heart of the resort and world-famous for windsurfing, backed by cafés, restaurants and watersports centres.

For families, the smaller, more sheltered beaches are the pick: Playa Bastián is protected from the wind and easily accessible, ideal for young children, while the little horseshoe cove of Playa del Jablillo offers some of the calmest, safest swimming in the resort. Playa de los Charcos adds another pleasant stretch of sand. One honest note: being on the more exposed east coast, Costa Teguise can be a touch breezier than the sheltered southern resorts, which is exactly what makes it so good for windsurfing, though the family beaches are chosen and positioned to offer shelter.

For the full picture on each beach, including facilities, swimming and who they suit, see our dedicated beach guides for Costa Teguise.

Windsurfing and Watersports in Costa Teguise

If Costa Teguise is famous for one thing, it’s windsurfing. The steady trade winds and the setting at Playa de las Cucharas make it the finest windsurfing spot on the island and one of the best in the Canaries, so good that it has hosted rounds of the professional World Windsurfing Championships. Several schools around Las Cucharas offer lessons and equipment hire for windsurfing, kitesurfing, stand-up paddleboarding and the increasingly popular wing foiling, catering to everyone from first-timers to experts. Beyond the wind sports, there’s excellent scuba diving, with dive schools offering shore dives straight off beaches like El Jabillo, along with snorkelling, kayaking and boat trips. It’s a resort that rewards the active.

See our guides to windsurfing and watersports in Costa Teguise for the full details.

Things to Do in Costa Teguise

There’s plenty to fill a family holiday beyond the beach. Costa Teguise is home to some of the island’s original attractions: its first golf course, the eighteen-hole Costa Teguise Golf; a popular water park with slides and pools for a family day out; and an aquarium, the largest in the Canaries, which is a reliable favourite with children.

The heart of the resort is Pueblo Marinero, the square designed by César Manrique in the style of a traditional Canarian village, ringed with shops, bars and restaurants and hosting a lively craft market on Friday evenings. And with the resort so well placed, the northern Manrique sites, the old capital of Teguise with its famous Sunday market, and the rest of the island are all easy day trips.

For the full list of ideas, see our guide to things to do in Costa Teguise.

Eating Out in Costa Teguise

Costa Teguise has a good and varied choice of places to eat, from traditional Canarian cooking, fresh seafood and Spanish tapas to Italian, Indian, British and international options, spread around the resort and concentrated in and around Pueblo Marinero and along the seafront.

Being close to Arrecife and a little less tourist-saturated than some resorts, it’s a good spot to seek out authentic local food, the classic papas arrugadas with mojo sauce, fresh fish and Lanzarote wines, alongside the family-friendly and familiar. The Pueblo Marinero square is the natural focus for an evening meal.

For our full rundown of where to eat, see our guide to eating out in Costa Teguise.

Nightlife and Live Music in Costa Teguise

Costa Teguise is a calm, family-oriented resort in the evenings rather than a party town, and its nightlife is centred squarely on Pueblo Marinero. The square comes alive after dark with its bars and restaurants, and in summer there’s regular live music from the central bandstand, a pleasant, sociable, easy-going scene that suits families and couples perfectly. For a big night out you’d head to Puerto del Carmen, but for relaxed evenings of a drink, a meal and some live music under the stars, Pueblo Marinero does the job nicely.

See our guide to nightlife and live music in Costa Teguise for the best spots.

Hotels in Costa Teguise

Costa Teguise has a solid range of accommodation, from large family hotels and all-inclusive resorts to apartments and villas, spread across the well-planned resort. As a purpose-built town, it’s laid out for convenience, with most places within easy reach of a beach, the promenade and the amenities.

The resort’s flagship is the five-star Gran Meliá Salinas, the original hotel around which Costa Teguise was built in 1970, with its landmark gardens. Whether you want an all-inclusive family base, a self-catering apartment near Las Cucharas or something smarter, the resort has good options.

For our full rundown of the best areas and hotels, see our guide to hotels in Costa Teguise.

Getting to Costa Teguise from the Airport

Costa Teguise is an easy trip from Lanzarote Airport, lying around seventeen kilometres to the north, a drive of roughly fifteen to twenty minutes. A taxi from the rank outside the terminal is quick and straightforward, typically costing somewhere in the region of twenty-five to thirty euros. Pre-booked private transfers are just as easy, meeting you at arrivals for a fixed price, which many families prefer after a flight.

• Airport Transfer Time 15-20 Minutes
• Approx Cost 25-30

Car hire is well worth considering given that the resort is fairly compact and you’ll want wheels to explore the island, with the rental desks in the airport arrivals area. The public bus is the cheapest option but usually involves changing at Arrecife, so it’s slower and less convenient with luggage. For more on the airport itself, see our full guide to César Manrique Airport.

Getting Around Costa Teguise

Costa Teguise is easy to get around on foot, with its flat, well-laid-out streets and the seafront promenade linking the beaches, Pueblo Marinero and much of the accommodation. Local buses and taxis cover trips within the resort and to Arrecife and beyond. That said, the resort is fairly self-contained and compact, so to make the most of the island’s volcanic interior and northern attractions, a hire car is the best option, and the resort’s central-east position makes getting around the island simple.

Is Costa Teguise the Right Resort for You

Costa Teguise is the right choice if you want a calm, comfortable, family-friendly resort with good beaches, reliable sunshine and plenty to do, without the busier buzz of Puerto del Carmen. It’s ideal for families, thanks to its sheltered beaches, water park, aquarium and easy layout, and it’s a genuine paradise for windsurfers. Its closeness to Arrecife gives it a slightly more real, local feel, and its position makes it a great base for exploring the north of the island. If you want the liveliest nightlife you’ll prefer Puerto del Carmen, and for the warmest, most sheltered beaches Playa Blanca has the edge, but for an all-round, active, family-friendly holiday, Costa Teguise is an excellent pick. Explore our detailed guides below to plan your trip.