Lanzarote in 5 days
- Irene
- Jan 22
- 5 min read
Best time to go: If you want to avoid the crowds and still enjoy the good weather of the Canary Islands, I would recommend to go in October/November or from February to June.
General Advise: Even though the Canary Islands are famous for their all-inclusive hotels, I would recommend to stay at a "regular" hotel and really explore the island that is absolutely beautiful and has a lot of things to do. In order to explore the island properly make sure that you rent a car. Lanzarote’s landscapes are imposing and unique, a place that you will not forget.
Where to stay in Lanzarote is a tricky question depending on what you are looking for. You will be able to find super quiet areas if you are looking for peace and quiet, or areas focused on surf and aquatic sports for example. Two of the most famous areas to stay are Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen.
Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote and a great place to stay if you are looking to have services around you like shops and fantastic restaurants and in my opinion the best location to travel across the island. The recommended hotel is "Arrecife Gran Hotel & Spa", amazing views looking at the ocean and a beach not even 5 min walk.
Puerto del Carmen, a very touristic area that offers loads of options to stay and numerous hotels and a nice variety of restaurants and shops to explore in the evening. The recommended hotel is "La isla y el Mar, Boutique Hotel".
Day 1: César Manrique’s creations
On your first day you can explore the north part of the island and visit few of the César Manrique’s creations. César Manrique was an artist, sculptor, architect and activist from Lanzarote that used the island itself as his canvas and his artistic ideas to protect its environment.
Mirador del rio - Located 400 metres high, on the Risco de Famara, the Mirador del Río is one of César Manrique’s most representative architectural creations combining art and nature. The Mirador takes over El Río, the narrow stretch of the sea separating Lanzarote from La Graciosa. From the atalaya, visitors can view the eighth Canary Island, La Graciosa, and the group of islets part of the Chinijo Islands National Park.
Cueva de los verdes - a unique mythological-looking cave, full of legends and extraordinary landscape and beauty. It came about after the eruption of the Volcán de la Corona. It was used as a hideout by the locals who needed shelter to protect themselves from invasions and attacks of pirates coming from the north of Africa during the 16th and 17th Centuries. The range of colourful lights take over this dark paradise and imitate the light of a landscape drawing.
Los Jameos del Agua - the first Art, Culture and Tourism Center created by César Manrique; a natural space created inside a volcanic tunnel. Inaugurated in 1968, the artist, painter and sculptor transformed the space into a unique work that represents the maximum expression of his ideology: artistic creation in harmony with the environment and nature.
Jardín del cactus - Jardín del Cactus was the last intervention work César Manrique performed in Lanzarote. It has around 4,500 specimens of 450 different species, of 13 different families of cactus from the five continents.
The recommended restaurant for the night is "Naia Lanzarote", make sure that you order the Spanish omelette with Portobello mushrooms and truffle oil…. it is spectacular!
Day 2: West Coast
On your second day you can explore the west coast of the island to see 2 of the most impressive landscapes that Lanzarote has to offer.
Los hervideros - The name Los Hervideros translates to the “boiling pots” and a visit here is worth timing with a high tide to experience the full power of the waves crashing into the rocky cliffs. In fact, the roughest ocean days are a fabulous time to visit Los Hervideros. Balconies have been built into the rock face which make great viewing platforms and the opportunity for a perfect photograph.
Charco de los clicos - the crater of an extinct volcano submerges into the Atlantic ocean forming a lagoon known as the Charco de los Clicos (Green Lagoon), declared a Natural Reserve. Its green colour, caused by the algae at the bottom, contrasts with the blues of the sky and sea and the black sand on the beach known as El Golfo, which is just 100 metres from the lagoon.
As these activities might only take you half a day, you can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the beach.
Recommended dinner at "Restaurante Lilium", with amazing views over the marina.
Day 3: Timanfaya National Park
This morning can be dedicated to visit the Timanfaya National Park. The Timanfaya is the only national park in Spain that is of an eminently geological nature, since it is the result of the volcanic eruptions that took place between 1720 and 1736, and in 1824. The absence of vegetation, the extreme ruggedness of the terrain, the variety of colours, the silhouettes of the volcanoes and the jagged coastline – all these make Timanfaya extraordinarily beautiful.
Recommended dinner at "Restaurante Cala by Luis León", offering Spanish cuisine with outdoor harbor-view tables.
Day 4: Playa Papagayo
Papagayo and the beaches nearby (like Playa Mujeres) are the most beautiful beaches of Lanzarote that are part of Ajaches natural park. It is a great idea to spend an entire day at the beach and swim in the turquoise waters. Just make sure to take everything with you that you will need for the day as there are no shops around as this is a national park. The "road" to get to Playa Papagayo is very bumpy but don’t be scared, you can perfectly make it with the car.
Make sure you book a table for lunch at "Be Papagayo – Chiringuito" that has amazing views over the beach and very good food!
Day 5: Teguise
I would recommend to go to Teguise in the afternoon and have a walk around there, maybe visiting some of the museums following it with a good dinner.
Teguise was declared an architectural-historical-artistic town and it is one of the oldest villages that has taken part in significant events in the history of Lanzarote. Walking today through the paved streets of its historical centre is a pleasure.
There are a couple of museums that you can visit while you are in Teguise like El Museo de la Pirateria or Casa-Museo del Timple.
The recommended restaurant at Teguise is "El Bocadito", make sure you order one of the fantastic steaks!
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