Things to do in Lanzarote: Attractions and places to visit

1. Timanfaya National Park

This is the largest continuous lava field on earth, and it was the volcanic eruptions between 1730 and 1736 that completely changed the once fertile landscape. Since those six years Lanzarote has been a quarter below a thick layer of solidified lava. The eruptions created almost thirty volcanic cones, which are listed on the maps as “Montanas del Fuego”, the fire mountains. The authorities of the island are very concerned that the appearance of the National Park Timanfaya does not change.

Visitors are driven by buses through this impressive desert of ashes, and no one is allowed to take home one of the countless lava stones. In this region the crew of the American Apollo flights was prepared for their moon landing, and the park also served as a backdrop for the legendary film “Planet of the Apes”. The Islote de Hilario visitor centre will demonstrate how thin the earth’s crust is there. At a depth of just a few metres, the highest temperatures prevail. The “Fire Mountains” are among the most important sights of Lanzarote.

2. Mirador del Rio

One of the most spectacular sights of the island is also the magnificent landscape in the north of Lanzarote, where the Famara Mountains drop steeply to the sea and where the Mirador del Rio resembles an eagle’s nest. This is one of the most interesting works of the ingenious artist César Manrique. Its apparently inexhaustible power of ideas meets the visitors of Lanzarote at many points. Even in the form of oversized wind turbines at road junctions.

The Mirador del Rio at the Bateria del Norte originated at the place where cannons were stationed during the American-Spanish war, because this was a strategically important place in Lanzarote. From there, in the Middle Ages, the ships of pirates could also be seen approaching the offshore island of La Graciosa. Today the visitors will find a cafeteria and the launch site for hang-gliders.

3. Jameos del Agua

The guests of Lanzarote sometimes argue about which of the many interesting works of César Manrique leaves the greatest admirers behind. The Jameos del Agua volcanic cave is undoubtedly a tourist attraction and an exceptional destination on the island. It is a lava tunnel that Manrique transformed into a kind of Gesamtkunstwerk with astonishing ideas.

The cave system was formed about three thousand years ago during the eruption of Monte Corona. When Manrique first saw the tunnel, it was a garbage dump, but the artist very soon recognized the peculiarity of the Jameos del Agua. Visitors today walk through a salt lake, huge subtropical plants and even a concert hall. Above ground a swimming pool completes the complex.

4. Jardín de Cactus (Cactus Garden)

A former pit, which the surrounding farmers dismantled in order to sprinkle their fields with the Picon won there, became another “playground” for César Manriques.

But Manrique used the shape of the pit, which over the decades had turned into an amphitheatre, to create a garden with succulents at the end of Guatiza. Some of the prickly plants have taken on amazing proportions in the meantime. A historic gofio mill is enthroned above everything – a great eye-catcher in a garden with over 1,400 different types of cactus.

5. Fundación César Manrique

César Manrique, the imaginative artist and architect, is undoubtedly the greatest son of Lanzarote. The place where he lived and worked after 1968 and his return from New York is now the Fundación César Manrique. This is an idiosyncratic and yet fantastic house in a picturesque lava landscape.

Manrique decided to live above and below ground, with the five cavities of a former lava tunnel being particularly imaginatively constructed. Manrique knew how to form nature and art into a harmonious unity. The Fundación is a very good example of this. Just a few metres from his home, Manrique suffered fatal injuries in a traffic accident on 25 September 1992.

6. Arrecife

About 55,000 people live in the island capital Arrecife. Most of them earn their living through tourism. Several hotels and guesthouses were built near the beach boulevard. Arrecife means “reef”, which means the numerous rocks off the coast of the city.

They protect against the often unpredictable tidal waves of the Atlantic. Arrecife exudes a cheerful serenity. When visiting, you should visit the parish church and stroll along the shopping street with its restaurants and bars.

7. Vineyard La Geria

Even the vineyards in Lanzarote could have originated from the César Manrique think tank, because in the region of La Geria the vines grow from a hollow. They have the advantage that the humidity of the night collects there on this island spoiled by the sun. The plants are surrounded by small stone walls. Thus the wine is protected from the constantly blowing wind. La Geria can be found on the rather karstic hills above Puerto del Carmen and is a protected landscape area designated by the authorities.

After the volcanic activity in the 18th century, the winegrowers struggled to give their vines a new chance of survival. They were successful and today present a wine from the Malvasia grape that meets international demands. This region is undoubtedly one of the attractions of this island. In more than twenty bodegas it is worthwhile to enjoy a red or white drop of grape juice.

8. Puerto del Carmen

The resorts and hotels stretch over seven kilometres along the coast near Puerto del Carmen. Less than half a century ago the young village consisted only of mostly dilapidated fishermen’s huts. “La Tinosa” is what the people of Lanzarote called the area around the small port. Which means as much as “the shabby one.”

Hardly anyone could have imagined at that time that a complete change would take place there. Today Puerto del Carmen is a tourist highlight. Perhaps because Manrique had an influence here, too, and the houses were not allowed to grow higher than four floors. A building regulation that was and is conducive to the overall impression of the site.

9. El Golfo

If you want to enjoy the authentic Lanzarote, you should go to the small fishing village El Golfo on the rocky coast of the west. And when you have reached the white houses there, the bizarre volcanic landscape of the Timanfaya mountains remains.

Here there are some rural accommodations and above all an exquisite gastronomy. The fish restaurants on the beach and at the edge of the sandy alleys are famous for the variety and quality of their products. Especially romantic are the evenings when the sun sinks into the sea.

10. Valley of a thousand palm trees

Although there are by no means “a thousand palms” that thrive in the protected valley of Haria, there are certainly a few hundred of them. The area is extremely rich in water and therefore offers a very good breeding ground for the “Phoenix Canariensis”, the Canary palm.

Haria produces a liqueur from the sugar-sweet dates, which is said to be helpful in bronchial diseases. César Manrique found his final resting place in the small village with its green mountain ridges and the tranquil Plaza León y Castillo.

Best time to visit Lanzarote

We recommend the following months as best time to travel for exploring the attractions and acivities of Lanzarote:

March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December

You can find more information about the weather, including all climate data, on our climate page for Lanzarote.