Warmer Days, Spring Arrivals and the Best Walking Month of the Year
March is when the island tips out of winter and into something that starts to feel like proper spring. Daytime temperatures nudge up towards 22°C, sunshine hours stretch to around seven a day, and the wildflowers that started appearing in January are now everywhere. The Easter school holidays bring a distinct spike in visitor numbers depending on the calendar, but outside of that specific window March remains one of the more rewarding months to be on the island.
For walkers, cyclists and anyone who wants to be outside all day without dealing with the summer heat, March is arguably the best month of the year on Lanzarote. Long light, comfortable temperatures, clear skies most days, and the volcanic landscape looking about as good as it ever does.
The Numbers at a Glance
Average daytime temperature 22°C, average overnight low 15°C. Around seven hours of sunshine a day. Average rainfall through the month is 12mm across a couple of rainy days. Sea temperature at 18°C.
What the Lanzarote Weather in March Actually Feels Like
Daytime highs sit between 18 and 24°C, with the south coast typically running a degree or two warmer than the north. Evenings still drop to around 14 or 15°C, cool enough to want a jacket but not enough to be uncomfortable. The sun feels stronger in March than the temperature suggests, particularly through the middle of the day, and sunburn is a real risk for anyone not used to the Canary Islands light. Factor 30 sunscreen from the first day, not the third.
Rainfall averages just 12mm across the whole month, and rain when it does arrive tends to be brief. Wind conditions are generally moderate through March, though the trade winds pick up in strength as the month progresses. The sea holds at around 18°C, still cool for swimming but manageable for water sports with a wetsuit.
What to Pack when you visit Lanzarote in March
The layering approach still applies but with more emphasis on the daytime end. T-shirts, shorts and light trousers work for most days. A fleece for the evenings and a light jacket for the mornings. If you’re going to be walking or cycling in the volcanic interior, a proper sun hat and reliable sunglasses become more important than they are in mid-winter.
Swimwear, walking shoes, a small daypack for excursions. Something smart-casual for restaurants if you’re planning to eat out at the better places, which are still easy to book at this point in the year.
St Patrick’s Day in Puerto del Carmen
Puerto del Carmen holds one of the biggest St Patrick’s Day celebrations outside Ireland itself, thanks to the long-established Irish community on the island and the significant number of Irish visitors who make the resort their regular holiday destination. The main events run around 17 March, with parades, live music, Irish bars overflowing onto Avenida de Las Playas, and a genuinely festive atmosphere across the resort. If you’re on the island around the middle of March, it’s worth being aware of the celebrations either to join in or to plan around depending on your preferences.
The Best Walking Weeks of the Year
March is when walking on Lanzarote is at its best. The temperatures are ideal, the light is long, and the trails are mostly quiet. Caldera Blanca in the volcanic interior is one of the most rewarding walks on the island, a three to four hour circuit that takes you up onto the rim of a huge white-walled crater with views across the whole northern half of the island. The Famara cliff walks in the north-west deliver dramatic coastal scenery. The Los Ajaches range south of Playa Blanca offers gentler terrain and views back across to Fuerteventura.
Cycling picks up significantly through March, with the roads carrying more riders as the season progresses. Amateur cycling groups from northern Europe use Lanzarote as a training base through the spring, and you’ll see plenty of Lycra on the coastal roads and up the climbs into the interior.
Easter and the School Holiday Effect
Easter falls in March or April depending on the year, and the two weeks of school holidays that surround it produce the biggest spike in visitor numbers of the spring. If Easter falls in March, expect resort occupancy to jump significantly during Semana Santa, with restaurants and attractions noticeably busier. UK and Irish school holidays typically overlap with the Easter dates, though not always exactly.
Spanish Holy Week processions take place in Arrecife, Teguise, Haría and several of the smaller villages during Semana Santa. The processions are more restrained than the huge Easter events in Seville or mainland Andalucía but are genuine local traditions with proper community involvement. Good Friday sees the biggest processions, typically in the evening.
The Lanzarote Attractions Start to Get Busier
Timanfaya, Jameos del Agua and the other major CACT sites see a noticeable pickup in visitor numbers through March, particularly during the Easter weeks. The timed-entry booking system at Timanfaya makes advance booking sensible rather than optional through March. The Teguise Sunday market picks up energy too, with the return of some of the summer season stalls and more visitors from the resort areas making the trip up to the old capital.
Eating and Drinking in Lanzarote in March
The restaurants are still comfortable in March. Book ahead for the better places and for Friday and Saturday evenings, but you can generally walk in during the week. The Bacchus wine awards typically release their spring results in March, and any Lanzarote wineries picking up international recognition through the awards cycle become particularly worth visiting during the year that follows.
The wineries in La Geria are all open through the spring and offer tastings, tours and often lunch. The vines are starting to show serious spring growth by late March, which makes the wine tourism experience more visually rewarding than it is in the dormant winter months.
A Word on the Wind
March is the start of the windier season on Lanzarote. The trade winds strengthen through the month, particularly through the second half, and the exposed north coast beaches around Famara start to see the conditions that will define the summer. For sunbathers this can mean less comfortable conditions on those beaches. For surfers, kitesurfers and windsurfers, the wind is exactly what they came for. The south coast resorts stay largely sheltered.
The temperature and light are close to ideal for anyone who wants to be outside. Walking is at its best. Cycling is at its best. The island looks green from the winter rains and the wildflowers. Attractions are open, restaurants are booking, and the general pace is still relaxed outside of the Easter window. If you can time a trip around the Easter break rather than during it, March delivers one of the more rewarding weeks you can spend on the island.
