Lanzarote is the island where I live, the place that has changed my life, and I would like to share with you the beauties of this corner of paradise!
In this section I give you some general information about Lanzarote that you have to know before you visit it!
Let’s start with some unique features of Lanzarote! Features that you can hardly find elsewhere.
Here are some.
- Peace and tranquility.
Outside the main tourist centers you can find some places where you can enjoy an almost surreal peace and silence. Some of these landscapes seem to be out of time and space.
- Mars Landscape.
On the island there are more than 300 volcanic craters and its surface is almost completely covered by volcanic rock! The feeling that the Timanfaya National Park transmits is to be teleported to another planet!
- Beaches of all kinds.
You can’t be disappointed by the beaches: there are all kinds! From those with golden and fine sand to those with black sand, but also rocky ones that form natural pools. You will surely find your favorite!
- Sports
Not just for relax, this island offers various opportunities for practicing many sports in a truly impressive landscape. The most popular sport is SURF: the Canary Islands are considered by many as the “European Hawaii”. Lanzarote has types of waves suitable for any level. From El Quemao professional ones to the small waves of Famara, ideal for beginners and surf schools.
- Canarian food
Canarian cuisine is extremely healthy and delicious! It includes fish and fresh seafood, goat’s meat and cheese and lots of fruits and vegetables. Typical are “Papas Arrugadas”, boiled potatoes with peel, and “Gofio”: Indigenous food obtained from grinding of roasted cereals, which produces different foods such as sweets or soups.
- Best climate in the world
The canary archipelago has a perfect climate almost all year round! The temperature rarely drops below 15 degrees or rises above 26 degrees in summer. It’s always very ventilated and Lanzarote, being close to the African coast, has a warm, dry climate with little humidity.
If you are going to visit this wonderful island, I recommend to respect it!
Lanzarote is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993, an island with great natural parks and innumerable pristine areas. It’s a place where most of the works created by man are environmentally friendly, integrating perfectly urban development with the environmentally sustainable area.
Lanzarote is the northernmost island of the Canary archipelago and is only 170 km from the African coast. It has a population of about 140,000 inhabitants and the capital is Arrecife. It’s the largest city and is where you can find all the main services of the island: from the hospital to the Police Commissariat.
Hotels and major tourist inflows are concentrated in three cities: Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise.
In front of the northern coast of Lanzarote we can find the Chinijo archipelago: a group of small islands, including La Graciosa, Montaña Clara and Alegranza. Only La Graciosa is inhabited and can be reached by boat from the port of Orzola, north of Lanzarote.
Lanzarote is influenced by the works of native architect César Manrique. Thanks to his sensitivity towards protecting the environment, the island still maintains (apart from tourist poles) the government decree prohibiting buildings over two floors and a color other than white.
If you are looking for a great nightlife you will be a bit disappointed. Only in Puerto del Carmen or Arrecife you can find clubs that remain open until late at night, and most of the customers are tourists.
Often, the various island towns organize, especially in summer, traditional local festivals that last a weekend or a little longer. They are very fun and help to understand the true spirit of the island, as the majority of participants are locals. Here you can find markets, food stalls and drinks, stages with different types of music and many other initiatives to entertain the present audience.
Getting around the island
If you visit Lanzarote, you can’t stay all the time just around your accommodation! The island is full of fascinating places and you have different possibilities to reach them.
• Car
This is the option I recommend. Renting a car is really cheap on this island! There are several rental companies within the airport, so just landed you will have your car ready! Beware though, it’s always better to book a few weeks before your arrival.
By clicking this link: rentalcars.com, you can compare the best fares and book your car!
In addition to being a low cost option, having a car on the island means being independent and being able to reach any place at any time.
• Bus
The island of Lanzarote is provided by a bus service (“Guagua” in canarian language 🙂 ) that allows you to reach the main points of the island. If you can’t rent a car, this is the best option for you .
By clicking here you can find bus lines with their timetables.
• Organized tours
If you are staying in a hotel you will definitely find some tour operator who will offer you tours organized in the main places of the island. With this option, however, you will be completely dependent on the schedules of the tour.
• Taxi
This is the most expensive option and for that I recommend to use the Taxi only if you have no other way to reach a place.
Where to sleep
You can choose between different types of accommodation, depending on your preference.
• Hotel
If you want to relax and don’t want to think about anything, you can choose to stay in a nice hotel in a touristic centre. Whether you are with children, a group of friends or just a couple, I recommend to book in one of the these hotel’s companies that, in my opinion, are the best of the island with several facilities all over Lanzarote: H10 Hotels or Barcelo .
• Apartment
If you need more privacy, I suggest you to book a nice apartment in your favorite spot of the island. On Booking.com you have a wide choice of different flats!
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I love this so much, I guess because I love Hawaii and I love Europe and this looks like a cool intersection of both! Grazie, ciao!
thank you! in fact, the canarian archipelago is also called the “European Hawaii” 🙂 🙂
It must be a great place to live, especially in wintertime. I really like your pictures. I have been on the other Island, but never to Lanzarote. Next time I will choose Lanzarote.
Loving the insider guide. We’ve been (briefly) before, but I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface. Looking forward to trying the off the beaten track version in the future.
Oh wow, didn’t know about Lanzarote before this post. Thanks for sharing your info and knowledge about your home turf. It looks like an amazing place to unwind away from the crowds while enjoying nature and good food.
Lanzarote looks so beautiful, it’s a shame that most people only ever see the inside of a hotel/resort (or certainly most British tourists do this). I really enjoyed Gran Canaria and Madeira, and it looks like it would be along those lines 🙂
I’ve never heard of this island before but now I would love to go! The weather sounds perfect, and the landscapes & scenery are amazing! I love the volcanic ‘Mars’ landscape that you showed. This must be a really magical place to live =)
This looks like a beautiful hidden treasure of an island <3 Thank you for sharing!
What a unique place! I have never heard of Lanzarote before so thank you so much for sharing it with us! I will have to put it on my list – what a special looking place to live!
Best,
Rebecca
Wauw love this post!! I almost moved to Lanzarote a couple of months ago! My boyfriend got it offered for work. We decided not to go because we were afraid we would be stuck on a small island with not much to do. But if I read your blog it truly looks amazing and you’re so right it got one of the best climated! We live in Athens now (will move to Barcelona soon) and it’s way too warm! Anyway, amazing blog. Definitely saving it for my next trip!
I love Lanzarote, I used to go with my family a lot when I was younger. My favourite was always the beaches and food. So lucky to be able to live there full time girl 😀
I would love to visit the Canary Islands one day, it’s one of those destinations high on my list. Great guide! I am definitely bookmarking this for the future. Thanks for sharing
I haven’t read about Lanzarote before. But it looks incredible! I love how varied the landscape is. Plus, those beaches look absolutely divine!
Thank you sharing information on a place that I hardly knew anything about. I definitely need to get round to visiting this place one day
Gosh, I’ve always wanted to go to this beautiful island and your post just solidify that thought even more! You’ve listed some awesome points and your photos are just beautiful! Gotta move Lanzarote to the top of my bucket list!
beautiful! I would love to try surfing in Lanzarote and to check out the Mars landscape. really cool that you actually live there
What a unique island! would definitely love to visit!
Wow Lanzarote sounds like an incredible place to call home! To be honest, I had never heard of it before so thanks for enlightening me!
What great information. Lanzarote looks fantastic! I would love to see those volcanic craters and eat all the food!
Wow! This is a very informative and interesting guide. Love your photography too. Thank you!
I’m embarrassed to say I had never even heard of Lanzarote! It looks beautiful. Especially that shot with the purple flowers <3 And I love how you included a section about how to get around the island.
I’ve never heard of Lanzarote until now and it looks like an absolute paradise. Thank you for sharing it with us and I’m definitely adding it to my bucket list!