Plane Spotting at Lanzarote Airport
Here’s something a little different, and a genuine treat for aviation enthusiasts and curious families alike: Lanzarote is one of the best plane-spotting spots in Europe. The runway runs right along the coast beside the beach and promenade at Playa Honda and Matagorda, which means there are very few places in the world where you can stand this close to a busy, live runway, watching the jets come in low over the sea and thunder off into the sky.
The promenade and beachside path between Playa Honda and Matagorda, near Puerto del Carmen, follows the airport perimeter fence for much of its length, giving you a superb, ever-changing view of arrivals and departures from all sorts of angles. The most exhilarating spot is right at the end of the runway, where, when the wind is coming from the north and aircraft approach from the sea, the planes pass almost directly over your head as they come in to land, low enough to feel genuinely dramatic.
There’s even a dedicated approach viewpoint, the Mirador de Acercamiento, on the beach here, with free parking around 500 metres away and easy access along the walkway and cycle path. Watching a take-off is just as thrilling, as you get a blast of warm, sandy backdraught as the engines power up and the aircraft climbs away over the hills of Güime.
You’ll see a real mix of aircraft, from the big charter and low-cost jets bringing holidaymakers in from across Europe to the smaller propeller planes of Binter and Canaryfly shuttling between the islands, and the occasional private jet. A couple of tips to make the most of it: the spectacle depends entirely on there being planes to watch, so it’s well worth checking the airport’s arrivals and departures times before you head down, as the gaps between aircraft can be long at quiet periods, while the busy summer and winter holiday peaks deliver a near-constant stream. Bring a camera with a decent lens if you’re keen on photography, a hat and sun protection as there’s no shade, and hold onto loose items, as it can be breezy right on the coast. It’s a free, memorable and quintessentially Lanzarote way to spend an hour, and a brilliant one for kids.
