I’ve spent a fair bit of time on this island now, and people are always asking me the same thing – if I only had a week, what are the best things to do in Lanzarote? So here it is, my personal top ten, ranked, argued for, and with the odd honest word about what’s worth your money and what isn’t. This is my opinion, not a neutral list, so feel free to disagree in the comments!
10. Los Hervideros
Let’s start with the best free thing on the island. Los Hervideros is a stretch of black lava cliffs on the south-west coast where the Atlantic crashes into a maze of caves and blowholes, and on a day with a decent swell it’s genuinely mesmerising, the sea booming and spraying up through holes in the rock beneath your feet. It costs nothing, there’s a free car park, and you can turn up whenever you like and wander the Manrique-designed paths at your own pace, no ticket, no tour, no fuss. On value alone it’s unbeatable.
It’s not especially pushchair or wheelchair-friendly, mind, the paths are uneven volcanic rock with steps and drops, so watch children closely and wear proper shoes. There’s nothing there in the way of food or facilities, so it’s a stop rather than a day. But for half an hour of raw drama at no cost, it’s a brilliant little bit of the island, and it pairs perfectly with the green lagoon just down the road.
9. A boat trip to Papagayo
If you do one organised thing on the water, make it a catamaran trip along the south coast to the Papagayo beaches. You sail out along the cliffs, drop anchor in the turquoise water off those famous golden coves, and swim, snorkel and generally laze about, usually with lunch and a drink thrown in. It’s not the cheapest half-day out, but for what you get, the sailing, the swimming, the food, the setting,
I think it’s fair value, and the memory sticks. Families love it, kids especially, and there are gentler family sailings as well as livelier adults-only ones, so pick the boat that suits your group. It’s dead easy to book, every resort sells them and they leave from the marinas. The one honest caveat is accessibility: getting on and off a boat and in and out of the sea isn’t ideal for anyone with serious mobility issues, so check with the operator first. For everyone else, it’s one of the loveliest days you’ll have here.
8. The Sunday market at Teguise
Every Sunday morning the beautiful old former capital of Teguise fills with hundreds of market stalls, and the whole island seems to turn up. It’s free to wander, it’s colourful and lively, there’s music, and it’s a proper day out rather than a quick shop. I’ll be honest, it’s touristy and it gets rammed, so go early before the heat and the crowds build, but it’s still worth it, and Teguise itself is a gorgeous town to poke around when you’ve had enough of the stalls.
Great for families, easy for all ages, and level enough underfoot in the main square to be reasonably manageable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, though the crowds make it hard going at peak time. There are cafés and food stalls for a bite. You can’t book it and you don’t need to, just show up on a Sunday. It appeals most to people who like a bit of bustle and browsing rather than anyone after peace and quiet.
7. Jameos del Agua
This is where César Manrique’s genius really lands. Jameos del Agua is a collapsed volcanic tube turned into something magical, an underground lagoon with tiny blind albino crabs found nowhere else on earth, a stunning turquoise pool under the open sky, and a concert auditorium inside the lava. The entry price is fair for what it is, and you can turn up and explore freely at your own pace rather than being marched round on a tour, which I appreciate. The food and drink angle is a genuine bonus here, there’s a lovely café-bar overlooking the lagoon and a good restaurant, so you can make more of the visit.
Accessibility is the weak spot, it’s built inside a cave with steps and uneven ground and it’s not wheelchair-friendly, so bear that in mind. Kids tend to love it, though, and under-sevens go free. Time it right and you can catch one of the evening concert nights, which is something else entirely.
6. La Graciosa
Hop on the ferry from the north of the island and 25 minutes later you’re on La Graciosa, the tiny eighth Canary Island, where there are no paved roads, barely a car, and some of the most beautiful unspoilt beaches you’ll ever see. I love it here. It’s a proper escape, and it feels a world away from the resorts. The ferry’s cheap, so the day is decent value, though hiring a bike or a jeep-taxi to reach the far beaches adds a bit. It’s easy to book, or you can just buy a ferry ticket and go independently, which is what I’d do.
Now, the honest bit: this is not one for anyone with mobility problems, the island runs on sandy tracks, bikes and boats, and it’s hard going. Food is limited to the little village of Caleta de Sebo, so eat there or take a picnic. But for active families, couples and anyone who likes their beaches wild, it’s magical, and if you can stay a night once the day-trippers leave, even better.
5. A family day out at Rancho Texas
I’ll put my cards on the table: I don’t have young kids in tow every trip, but when I do, Rancho Texas Lanzarote Zoo earns its place. It’s the island’s only zoo, wrapped in a Wild West theme, with dolphin and sea lion shows, birds of prey swooping over your head, and a proper water park included in the ticket, so it’s animals and slides in one day. It’s not cheap for a family, but you get a full day out of it, which softens the blow, and the shows and the pool together keep children happy for hours. It’s easy to book, with transport laid on from the resorts, and it’s one of the more accessible attractions, mostly flat and manageable.
There’s food on site by the pool. It’s squarely aimed at families, so it won’t be everyone’s thing, but for a day with the kids it’s one of the most reliable on the island. Their evening Country Night is a fun, separate option too.
4. The green lagoon at El Golfo
Just down the coast from Los Hervideros is one of the strangest, most photogenic sights on the island: a vivid green lagoon known as El Lago Verde, sitting in a half-eroded volcanic crater, right beside a black sand beach and the deep blue sea. It’s free, there’s a short walk to the viewpoint, and you can go whenever you like. What makes it more than a quick photo stop, and why it ranks this high for me, is the little fishing village of El Golfo right next door, where the seafront restaurants serve some of the freshest fish on the island.
That combination, an extraordinary natural sight and a cracking fish lunch by the water, is a perfect Lanzarote afternoon. The lagoon viewpoint involves a short uneven walk that’s tricky for wheelchairs, but the village seafront is flat and easy. Manage your expectations on the lagoon, by the way, it’s a deep green in real life, not the neon of the edited photos, but it’s still well worth seeing.
3. Mirador del Río
Manrique again, and this one’s my favourite of his creations. The Mirador del Río is a viewpoint carved into the clifftop at the very north of the island, nearly 500 metres up, and the view from its great curved windows across to La Graciosa and the little islands beyond is, on a clear day, simply one of the best in the Canaries. The entry price is very reasonable, one of the cheaper attractions, and you can turn up and take your time, no tour required. There’s a café built into the rock with that same staggering view, so a coffee here is worth the money for the setting alone.
And here’s a point that matters: it’s one of the more accessible of the big attractions, largely manageable for wheelchair users across its main areas, which sets it apart from the caves. Great for all ages. My one tip, and it’s a big one, is to go on a clear day, because if the cloud’s down you’ll see nothing, so keep an eye on the weather and pick your moment.
2. Famara
Famara is the most beautiful place on Lanzarote, and it costs nothing to enjoy it. It’s a vast wild beach on the north-west coast beneath towering cliffs, with the island of La Graciosa out to sea, and it’s a completely different Lanzarote from the manicured resorts, raw, windswept and stunning. It’s free, open, and yours to wander whenever you like. It’s a world-class surfing and kitesurfing spot too, and the laid-back little surf village of Caleta de Famara behind it has surf schools, board hire and some lovely relaxed fish restaurants, so there’s food and a bit of a scene to go with the scenery.
Now the serious bit, and I mean this: the sea at Famara is genuinely dangerous, with strong currents and a heavy swell, so it’s a beach for surfers, walkers and sunset-watchers rather than casual swimmers. Respect that and it’s magnificent. The soft sand makes it hard going for wheelchairs, but you can take in the view easily enough from the village. Go at sunset. Trust me.
1. Timanfaya National Park
It has to be Timanfaya, because there’s nowhere else like it on earth, let alone on Lanzarote. This is the heart of the island’s volcanic drama, a vast park of craters and frozen lava from the great eruptions of the 1730s, and the ground is still hot enough just below the surface that they demonstrate it by throwing water into a borehole and having it erupt back as a jet of steam.
The coach ride through the lava fields on the Route of the Volcanoes is unforgettable. Now, the honest opinion, because this is where my angles really matter. It’s the most expensive of the big attractions, and the price has gone up, so it’s not cheap. It’s also the one that’s now most restricted: you can’t wander freely, you buy a timed ticket online in advance, and the interior is seen only from the official coach, no turning up and exploring on your own.
That structure won’t suit everyone. But it’s precisely because it’s so protected that it’s stayed so extraordinary. Kids are wide-eyed at the fire demonstrations, there’s the Manrique-designed El Diablo restaurant grilling
