Resort Guide
Playa Blanca sits at the southern tip of Lanzarote and is the island’s newest and, for many, most relaxed major resort. Once a small fishing village, it has grown into a calm, family-friendly, upmarket destination known for its golden beaches, its long seafront promenade, the stylish Marina Rubicón, and its ferry link to neighbouring Fuerteventura.
It’s the mildest and sunniest corner of the island, sheltered from the northern trade winds, and it makes an ideal base for exploring the volcanic south. This guide covers everything you need to know about the resort, with links through to our detailed guides on eating out, things to do, beaches, hotels and more.
Where Is Playa Blanca?
Playa Blanca lies in the municipality of Yaiza, on the southernmost point of Lanzarote, looking out across the Bocaina strait to Fuerteventura and the little island of Lobos. It’s around a thirty to forty-minute drive from the airport, roughly twenty-five minutes from Puerto del Carmen and half an hour or so from Costa Teguise, so it feels a little removed from the busier centre of the island, which is part of its appeal.
In character, Playa Blanca is the calm, comfortable, grown-up choice. It was developed carefully and tastefully, with the low-rise, white-walled architecture that defines Lanzarote and no high-rise blocks, and it has a more sophisticated, less boisterous feel than Puerto del Carmen. The heart of the resort is its beautiful promenade, which runs for several kilometres along the coast, from the Pechiguera lighthouse in the west, through the original town centre, all the way to Marina Rubicón in the east. You can walk the whole seafront, stopping at beaches, bars and restaurants along the way. It’s a resort built for relaxing rather than raving, and it suits couples, families and older visitors especially well.
Playa Blanca Beaches
Playa Blanca has arguably the best spread of beaches of any resort on the island. Three sheltered, golden-sand beaches sit within easy reach of the centre: the small, central town beach, the larger family favourite Playa Dorada, and the calm, breakwater-protected Playa Flamingo to the west, all with clear, gentle water ideal for swimming. And just to the east lie the celebrated Papagayo beaches, a series of unspoilt golden coves within the protected Los Ajaches natural park, widely considered the finest beaches in the Canaries, reachable by car along a dirt track, by water taxi or by boat from the resort.
Eating Out in Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca is well served for food, with a broad choice of restaurants, bars and cafés strung along the promenade and clustered around the town centre and Marina Rubicón. You’ll find everything from traditional Canarian and Spanish cooking, fresh fish and seafood, tapas and local wines, through to Italian, Indian, British and international options, plus plenty of relaxed spots for a coffee, a cocktail or an ice cream by the sea.
The seafront restaurants come with the bonus of views across the water to Fuerteventura, and Marina Rubicón is the go-to for a smarter dinner in stylish surroundings.
Things to Do in Playa Blanca
| Papagayo Catamaran Cruise | |
| Full Day Island Tour | |
| AquaLava Waterpark |
Bookings are made directly with the tour company. Prices, availability and any changes or refunds are handled by them, so please send booking questions their way rather than to Discover Lanzarote.
Beyond the beaches, there’s plenty to fill a holiday. The promenade itself is made for strolling, and the twice-weekly market at Marina Rubicón, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, is a pleasant browse for local crafts, wine and cheese. The Aqualava water park gives families a day out of the sun-lounger routine, and boat trips along the stunning southern coast to Papagayo, from catamaran cruises to glass-bottom boats, leave from the marina and harbour. Playa Blanca is also the ideal launch pad for the island’s south-west, with Timanfaya, El Golfo, Los Hervideros and the Janubio salt flats all within easy reach.
Playa Blanca Activities and Watersports
The calm, clear waters of the south are perfect for getting active. Around the resort and Marina Rubicón you’ll find sailing and windsurfing courses, diving and snorkelling, kayaking and paddleboarding, jet skis and boat charters, along with the ever-popular trips out to the Papagayo coves.
On land there’s cycling, walking and the wider adventure of exploring the volcanic interior. It’s a resort where you can do as much or as little as you like.
Nightlife and Live Music in Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca is the quietest of the island’s main resorts after dark, and that’s exactly how its visitors like it. Evenings here tend to revolve around a long, relaxed dinner followed by a drink at a promenade bar, often with live music, rather than late clubbing. You’ll find plenty of bars with singers, guitarists and entertainment laid on, a gentle, sociable scene well suited to families and couples. For a livelier night out, Puerto del Carmen is the place, but for easy-going evenings by the sea, Playa Blanca does it beautifully.
Playa Blanca Hotels
Playa Blanca has a strong range of places to stay, leaning towards the upmarket end, with several well-regarded four and five-star resorts alongside apartments, villas and more modest options. Popular areas include the town centre, close to the beaches and restaurants, the Playa Dorada area, and the smarter surroundings of Marina Rubicón. Whether you want an all-inclusive family resort, an adults-only retreat or a self-catering villa with a pool, the resort has it covered.
For our full rundown of the best areas and hotels, see our guide to hotels in Playa Blanca.
Getting to Playa Blanca from the Airport
Playa Blanca is the furthest of the main resorts from Lanzarote Airport, sitting around 33 kilometres away at the southern tip of the island, but the drive is quick and easy along good roads, taking roughly thirty to forty minutes. There are a few ways to make the journey.
A pre-booked private transfer is the most popular option, and for good reason: your driver meets you at arrivals and takes you straight to your accommodation, with a fixed price agreed in advance and no waiting around, which is especially welcome after a long flight or with children in tow. A taxi from the rank outside the terminal is just as straightforward, metered with an airport supplement, and works out reasonable value shared between a group, though the fare to Playa Blanca is naturally higher than to the closer resorts given the distance. Car hire is well worth considering if you plan to explore the island, with the rental desks in the airport arrivals area and the resort an easy drive south, mostly on the fast LZ-2 dual carriageway. The cheapest option is the public bus, though it’s the slowest and least convenient with luggage, as reaching Playa Blanca usually means changing at Arrecife bus station and the whole trip can take well over an hour.
For most visitors, a pre-booked transfer or a taxi is the simplest way to start the holiday, while a hire car makes sense if you intend to get out and see the rest of Lanzarote. For more detail on the airport itself, see our full guide to César Manrique Airport.
Getting Around Playa Blanca
Once you’re settled in, Playa Blanca is an easy resort to get around. The long seafront promenade means you can walk between the town centre, the beaches, the restaurants and Marina Rubicón without needing a car, and much of the resort is flat and pedestrian-friendly. Local buses and taxis cover trips within the resort and to nearby points, and the old harbour is the departure point for ferries to Corralejo on Fuerteventura, a popular and easy day trip of around twenty-five to forty minutes. A hire car is the best way to reach the island’s attractions, but if you’re happy to base yourself in and around the resort, you can manage perfectly well without one, using the odd taxi or organised excursion.
Is Playa Blanca Right for You
Lanzarote caters for everyone, but not every resort is the correct for everyone.
Playa Blanca is the right choice if you want a calm, comfortable, good-looking resort with excellent beaches, reliable sunshine and a relaxed pace, and if you value easy family days and quiet evenings over a busy nightlife. It’s a particular favourite with families, couples and those after a more refined base. If your heart is set on a buzzing strip of bars and clubs, Puerto del Carmen will suit you better, but for sunshine, sea and an unhurried holiday in the south of the island, Playa Blanca is hard to beat. Explore our detailed guides below to plan your trip.
