Lanzarote Holidays Guide

When you have decided to take the plunge and visit Lanzarote for your first Canary Island vacation, there are things you need to know. In order to make this the best vacation possible here are some travel tips.

First, when you are booking the flight, and you are coming from the US, take a look for any cheap flights from JFK to Heathrow. If you can get a great deal on a flight to the UK, you can finish the trip with a very inexpensive flight to Arrecife. Airlines like RyanAir specialize in these sorts of short holiday flights. You can google “cheap flights London” and see what I mean! Finding a cheaper flight will add travel time, and depending on your individual situation, you may opt to spend more on the flight in order to have more time on the island. Remember – the Canary Islands are almost at the tip of Northern Africa, so it will take some time to get there from the States.

Next, let’s talk about what to pack for your vacation. The Canaries are lucky to be situated near Africa, but not too close. Lanzarote, being the eastern-most of the Canaries, gets the benefit of the African winds coming from the desert. This helps keep the atmosphere warm, even in dead winter. Atlantic waters, warmed by equatorial currents, also help keep the island at a comfortable temperature. So, when packing, bring a light jacket, a few long sleeve shirts and pants and the rest: beach wear! Rain fall is very light, mostly due to the lack of mountains on the island. There are a few high spots, but there is not enough elevated land to ensure regular rain cloud formation. In general, year-round the temperature will be in the low 70s.

My last tip for you: bring your appetite! This includes your appetite for food, wine, adventure and wide open spaces. The island is filled with little bodegas where you can have authentic Canary cuisine. When you have a craving for something closer to home cooking, you can find pub food in all the major towns, thanks to the British tourists and the ex-pats who make Lanzarote their home. Lanzarote is home to many vineyards. They are known for their white wine – Malvasia, or Malmsey, but don’t forget to try their red varietals. The vineyards themselves are an attraction, too! Even with so little rainfall, the island manages to produce hardy vines. The plants are protected from the winds by being planted in small holes and protected little walls. The whole wine-growing region is called La Geria after the name for the little hollow the plants are grown in.

You can have an adventure every day of your vacation – between surfing the rough northern beaches, hiking the volcanoes, exploring the countryside and kayaking the eastern coastline, you are sure to get back to your hotel happy and exhausted, with a camera full of photos to share with the folks back home. One of the things that makes Lanzarote so special is how preserved it is. Starting in the mid 60s, the people of the island worked to preserve the landscape, the fauna and the culture from over development. It is this ethos that sets Lanzarote apart from its neighbors like Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

If you are going to fly 12 or 15 hours and spend over a thousand dollars for your vacation, you want to make sure that you make the most of your Lanzarote holidays. First, plan out where you are going to stay. The island is small, only about 300 square miles, so anywhere you stay will be easily accessible to other parts of the island. The real question is resort or not resort.

Photos of Lanzarote

There are dozens of resorts to choose from, up and down the eastern coast of Lanzarote. In addition, there are small hotels, apartments to rent and villas to rent. Depending on your budget for you Canary Island holidays, you may choose to go with cheap Lanzarote holidays by renting a small apartment in Arrecife, the capital. Many of the apartments have small kitchenettes and you can save on meals by having breakfast in and the occasional dinner.

If you are doing the family holidays Lanzarote sort of thing, then you will probably want to stay at a resort. With kids in tow, knowing that breakfast, lunch and dinner are just a few minutes walk to the restaurant is invaluable. No need to pile everyone in the car, to try to find a place that has chicken for Sally and seafood for Bobby. The resorts have a wide range of foods and the menu covers both English/American favorites and local flavors.

Many travel agencies offer Lanzarote holiday packages so you may find a great deal on airfare and accommodations. Mostly these deals are for Europeans, as the Canary Islands are so darn close to Europe. Even from England, getting to the islands is a few hours on a plane. Compare that to the 12 hour flight from JFK and you can see why Lanzarote and the other Canary Islands have long been a popular destination for English and Irish tourists.

There are some must-do things for when you visit. In this way, last minute Lanzarote holidays can be stressful — you need time to plan out your itinerary. On the other hand, sometimes last minute trips (made possible by last minute cancellations!) can be had for a song. Here is the top 5 list for making the most of your Lanzarote holidays.

Photos of Lanzarote

1. Timanfaya National Park. This is the famous volcano park. It is on the west coast of the island, almost directly west of the capital. Tour buses make the trek daily. Admission is about 10 euro. You can spend additional money for a camel ride which will give you access to areas of the park you cannot see otherwise.

Photos of Lanzarote

2. Jameos Del Agua. Located almost at the northern tip of Lanzarote, these are part of the Atlantida volcanic caves. When a volcano called Corona erupted thousands of years ago, it created these extensive caves. A collapsed volcanic cave is called a jameos. These caves have been reclaimed and refined so that they now house restaurants, an auditorium and a swimming pool. The complex is open every day.

Photos of Lanzarote

3. The Cactus Garden. It was started in 1973 and finished in 1991. The garden has over 1,000 cacti, some from the Americas, from Madagascar and from the Canaries. Famed Lanzarote artist César Manrique worked with botanist Estanislao González Ferrer to create this space. It is open every day until 5pm.

Photos of Lanzarote

4. Mirador del Rio. This vista sits at the very tip of the island to the north. You can get unparalleled views of the ocean and the small islands north — the Chinijo archipelago. It was, in centuries past, a fortified gun battery. Again, artist César Manrique put his unique stamp on the spot. The view point is open every day until 6 pm.

Photos of Lanzarote

5. The Beaches. There are so many beaches to enjoy all over the island. Depending on where you are, you might have blindingly white sand, as in Yaiza (at Playa Blanca), or  black sand, as at El Golfo, or the more generic yellowish sand of beaches everywhere. El Golfo is just south of the Timanfaya National Park and it is something to see. The crater was formed by volcanic activity in the 18th century. The black sand beaches are accessible but you cannot swim in the green lagoon (just hidden from view at the left of the photo). Um, not that you would want to.

This little list just scratches the surface of the adventures you can have on the island. There is the famous Teguise market and the vineyards and the restaurants and on and on….

If you are thinking about taking my advice and booking your own Lanzarote holidays, remember that my beloved island is just one of seven island in the island chain. The other islands are: Tenerife; Gran Canaria; La Palma; La Gomera; El Hierro; and Fuerteventura. So when you are planning your trip to Lanzarote, you are really planning you Canary Island holidays, too. It  is so easy to get around to the other islands, that it would be silly not to!

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are close neighbors so you could plan even an afternoon trip to visit the island. It is a great place for bird watching and has amazing looking surfing. I know I’m not adventurous enough to ever try surfing, but Fuerteventura is known as the place.

Gran Canaria is in the center of the island chain and well worth a day trip or longer. The small island has several microclimates so you can experience desert and rain forest in the same afternoon! Gran Canaria also has a beautiful cathedral — Church of San Juan Bautista. And of course, if you go in Winter, you may get to be a part of Carnival. We have not ever gone to Carnival – even before we had kids, I was not interested in being in a huge crowd like that. Give me a quiet garden or a sunny afternoon feeding the pigeons and I’m happy.

Many Lanzarote holiday packages will include time spent on the other islands. Getting to visit them, even for a few hours is really fun because each one is so different from the others. Each island is known for a certain crafty item, so it can be very fun to visit each island and see the craftsmen (and women!) at work. It is amazing to see some of the workshops. Some of them look like they’ve been around since the 1800s. People treasure their history here. It’s one of the things I love about all of Europe. It’s not all new like in the US.

If you have a little scientist in the group (like our Sydney), you may want to spend time on La Palma. The island’s caldera is pretty amazing to see from the air and the height of the mountains makes it a prime place for observatories. There are several key astronomical observatories situated on La Palma. You can plan the family holidays: Lanzarote around the time of year to make sure that everyone gets a chance to do their thing.

But you know, one thing I’ve learned from traveling with the kids — you can only plan so much. You have to let go. I’ve told you about my “cruise director” nickname, but I’m learning to let go sometimes.

One of my favorite memories of our travels, I think ever, is one afternoon when all of our plans fell through. We had this big excursion planned — we were going to go to Fuerteventura for a special craft show. Kyle got sick, the kids were cranky and I left all of them in the hotel room and went by myself! It felt really selfish, but I had the best time. The show was just OK, but just kicking around the island was a blast.

I watched an impromptu boat race and I had a long lunch at a little beach side cafe. It was really a lovely afternoon. And I learned that unexpected trips can be the most fun.

We have some friends who just got back from holidays to Lanzarote. I was a little worried, as you can imagine. I mean, they went on our recommendation. Well, mine really. Kyle loves it, too but does he blog about it? Noooo.

I told them I’d offer any tips I could, or I’d just keep my nose out of their trip — which ever they wanted. They did ask a couple of good questions and I know they stopped by here, but it was nice to be surprised to hear what they did and where they stayed after the fact, just like regular friends do.

It turns out they stayed in one of my favorite spots, Playa Blanca. That’s at almost the very tip of the island, to the south. It’s pretty much as far down as you can go. It’s a lovely area with nice shops and restaurants and a great marina. You are not too far from one of the golf courses — Golf Costa Teguise — I think it’s about 30 minutes. Maybe less. As you know, I am an indifferent golfer.

I was delighted to hear that they stayed at the Lanzarote Princess! We stayed there and I even have a post about it.It is a HUGE place. I’d have to look back at my notes, but I want to say there are like 400 rooms. Massive place but I liked it a lot and not just because they were sweet to the kids. I liked the breakfast buffet. Serious yum there.

So the travel blogger took over when they were telling us about the trip. First, I asked them if I could use there pictures here. I mean, come on! I always need great pix of Lanzarote, right? But more importantly, I know that the Lanzarote Princess is an older hotel and some people don’t like to stay there. So I was very curious to see what our friends thought. Its been, wow, three years? since we stayed there and I wondered if it’s the same, better or worse. It kinda sounds like it’s the same — which is saying something, I think. It could have gotten worse. Especially with the economy the way it is.

They did stay in one of the newer rooms, and that helps I’m sure. But they said the food, the staff and the pool were perfect. No complaints. They are like us (without the kids, though) and like to relax on vacation and not go-go-go or party all night. So it might not be surprising that they liked Playa Blanca and the Princess as much as we did.

I’ve talked elsewhere about how much it costs for car rental in Lanzarote. I haven’t talked about one of my favorite reasons to rent a car, at least for a few days. Why bother with a rental? I’ll give you two good reasons: The vineyards and the restaurants! If you want to experience the wine  and food of Lanzarote, it is best to go right to the source.

They have been making wine on Lanzarote for hundreds of years. Shakespeare even mentions this in one of his plays. Admittedly only in a passing way — a character says he’s drunk too much “of the Canaries.” He was talking about Malmsey. It’s a sweet wine that is often fortified.

In the early 1700s a series of volcanic eruptions covered the central area of Lanzarote. The volcanic region, which is mostly on the western side of the island, began a spectacular and persistent pattern of eruptions. The vineyards were covered with black ash. Instead of spelling the end of viticulture on the island, it signaled a new era of wine making on the island.

The wine region, called La Geria (a geria is the name of the little hollow where each vine is planted), is just west of the capital. You can certainly join a tour bus and spend the day sipping wine at bodegas like Palacio del Marques. If you can keep from over indulging in the lovely white varieties of Malvasia, you’ll want the car to continue exploring Lanzarote. Car rental, as I say elsewhere, is expensive, but it can be seriously worth the money to have the freedom to go where you want and when.

The important things to remember about renting a car in Lanzarote are: 1. Get the car hire insurance. There are tons of little fender-bender accidents and the insurance will give you peace of mind. Don’t balk at the price. 2. Driving here is no different than driving in Europe. The traffic laws, the street signs, all of it will remind you of driving in Spain or Germany, etc. If you have questions or worries about driving in Europe (and you are an American), check in with Triple A — they can set your mind at ease and get you the paperwork you need to have a temporary international drivers license. Get the most out of your Lanzarote holidays by renting a car.

Something we enjoy is the Sunday market in Teguise. You can catch one of several buses from the capital that go to the market, but why bother? Going with a company like Cicar car hire gives you more freedom.You go to the market early on Sunday. Then drive south to the wine region. If you have not indulged too much, continue south to Yazia  and have dinner at La Ea, which is the finest in true Canarian cuisine. They also have their own vineyards so you can compliment the dinner with more wine…… And at this point, I would be handing the keys to Kyle so that he could drive me home! If you do plan on drinking, be sure to have a designated driver, or just fore go the car hire and take a taxi.

I got a request from a reader for information about car hire: Lanzarote. We always rent a car and I think there are good reasons to suggest you do, too. In fact, I think I can safely say that there are at least three reasons to rent a car when you visit Lanzarote.

1. The island is very drivable. People can be a bit nutty on the road sometimes, making sudden and unexpected turns or they’ll stop short when you least expect it. So while it is not like driving to the grocery store in your neighborhood, the roads are nice and well maintained and the laws, being Spanish/European Union laws are readily understandable. Speed limits are simple. In town, the speed limit is 50 km/h (or 30 miles/h). Outside of town, on the regular highways the speed limit is 90 km/h (55 miles/h). The express ways allow a speed limit of 120 km/h (75 miles/h). In other words — you will feel right at home.

2. Car rental in Lanzarote is easy and there are lots of choices. Car hire: Tenerife Airport is probably how you’ll rent your car. All the major brands have outlets at the airport and on the island. You can feel right at home renting from Avis, if you choose or using one of the European/Spanish/Local agencies. There are easily a dozen choices for the traveler. Of the local agencies, a few deserve mention. Cicar, which stands for Canary Islands Car, is popular and the one we usually use. Cicar was started on Lanzarote in 1967 with only 6 cars! They are very community minded and a bonus: their logo created by famed local artist Cesar Manrique. Cicar car hire, in season will cost you around $170 for 5 days. Centauro is a Spanish company with a strong presence on the Islands. The thing about about Centauro car hire, it is going to be one of the more expensive options. You may spend upwards of $240 for a 5 day rental on an economy car. Being such a large company in Spain and in the Canarys might make them the right choice for you. If you have a Gold Club membership or a deal through your work, the prices get more competitive. Record Rent a Car is the number one Spanish car hire company. They were founded in the mid-60s in Castellon and expanded to the Canarys. An economy rental with them will cost just under $200 for 5 days. Holiday autos will cost about $170 for 5 days renting an economy car.

3. Car hire insurance is mandatory. That means that all those other tourists out there are as covered as you are. Less stress if you do have a fender-bender. The basic package for car rental insurance in Spain includes third person liability and fire damage. These two baseline points are included in the rental price and they are required in Spain. Do not let a shady clerk tell you that they are optional. There are lots of extra insurance to consider and driving on Lanzarote, home of the nut job driver, it’s a good idea to get the full insurance you can. For that reason you may decide to go with a company like Nova. An econo-rental for 5 days in August will cost you about $300, but (according to their website) you get these extras in the deal:

• 3rd Party Insurance
• Vehicle Damage Cover – to a fixed amount
• Theft Protection
• Airport & Location Taxes
• Unlimited Mileage
• 24-hour Roadside Assistance

When you do the research, this might just be your best bet, unless you find a good special going on. Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is really a must on this island. CDW is not cheap– it will run more expensive than the rental itself, typically $20 and $50 per day. Theft protection is extra and will cost $4-$10 per day. And so on….. You get the idea — the little fees can add up quickly!

4. If you need a 4th reason, imagine enjoying this with your sweetheart and no one else…..

We’re just back from what has got to be the quickest Lanzarote holiday anyone has ever taken. We were there for exactly one night. But it was about 24 hours total, so I squeezed all the relaxing I could into that one day. Funny when you think about it that way — relaxing on a timetable.

Kyle had business in Madrid and we thought Why not? Why not add a quick jaunt to Lanzarote? So we did just that. All Lanzarote holidays have one thing in common — beaches! And that’s what I did mostly, walk on the beach. In the morning I love to be up early and out to walk before the beaches get crowded with sun worshipers.

Here are a couple of beach pictures from this trip and others…

The timing was perfect for us to hit the Tequise market.

It is only held on Sundays in the old capital of Lanzarote. From 9am to 2pm the place is packed with stalls and food vendors and people, like me, looking for a bargain. If you are looking for cheap holidays in Lanzarote, avoid the market!

It is way too easy to spend money on handbags and linens and pottery. As happened last time we got to go to the market (I swear Kyle plans the trips so that we are never in Lanzarote on Sundays), he stayed with me for 20 minutes and then found a little restaurant on a side street.

This quick little holidays to Lanzarote was fun but tiring. We flew from Madrid to Lanzarote and from Lanzarote to Paris and Paris to NY and then home. I was super glad to see the kids and glad to have my body reset its clock.

I didn’t know I’d feel this way, but we travel without the kids so rarely these day. I thought I’d enjoy the luxury of only worrying about me and not Justin and Sydney. But yeah, I realize I hate holidays in Lanzarote without the kids. Who knew?

Who doesn’t want to save money these days? Frugal is our new watch word and Americans want to have it all and save money too. Vacations are no different. We used to brag about how much money we spent on our vacations; now we brag about how much we saved. Here are some tips on Lanzarote on the cheap.

If you are an American, the single biggest expense is going to be airfare. So how do you score a cheap holidays flight to Lanzarote? Planning ahead of time is going to be your biggest ally. If you have a credit card where you earn miles from an airline, put all monthly expenses on that credit card. Netflix, cell phone, groceries, all of them should go on the miles credit card. Those miles begin to add up and, the other factor is booking your flight months in advance. Get the cheapest flights by locking in early. Also, if you are not traveling with children, you can afford to change planes. This will decrease your costs.

When you are deciding where to stay, consider renting. Villas in Lanzarote can be had for cheap in the off season. If you have a big family or you are vacationing with another couple, this will be, by far, the cheapest option. What you pay for the week for the villa will be two night’s stay in a resort.

Renting a villa or apartment will allow you to save money by eating in. Restaurant meals can eat through your travel budget in no time. Between meals, snacks and drinks, you will quickly discover that the budget is long gone. Even if you only have breakfast in, this will save you, on average, $25 a day.

Be honest with yourself about what you want from the vacation. Many people plan holidays to Lanzarote to party in the clubs, but just as many go for the golf or the sun, sand and surf. Why pay a fortune for a resort stay when you are going to be clubbing it every night and sleeping through the day? Why rent a villa and then have to rent a car so you can get to the golf course every day?

Holidays in Lanzarote can be filled with free activities. If you love soaking up the sun and exploring the countryside, this is the place to go. Hiking, biking, surfing and bird watching are fun and free. Even the things that cost money, like Timanfaya National Park (also known as Fire Mountain) are just a few dollars.

With a little planning you can save a bundle on Lanzarote holidays. With a little luck, you might save enough to begin planning your return trip!

I thought it would be fun to talk about travel sites and travel books I like. I “travel” vicariously a lot. I am by no means the globe trotter that some people are. I mean, I doubt I’ll make it to even 99 places to see before I die, let alone 1,000. It’d be different if I was still a single gal. But you know, I wouldn’t trade Kyle and the kids for all those exotic locations. Not in a million years.

I really like NomadicMatt’s website. I first stumbled upon him from this post — The best sunsets ever. These are some wonderful pictures of sunsets from his travels. I think the Florence picture is my favorite. I told Kyle that he could get stationed in Italy, that’d be OK with me. Matt seems like my kind of traveler. No nonsense and an adventurous eater. Love it!

As to travel books, this might be anathema but I’m not a fan of Lonely Planet books. I like Fodors and Rick Steve’s guidebooks. When we went to Slovenia, the Lonely Planet was the only guide book we could find and it was fine, but it wasn’t the constant companion that a travel guide usually is for me. I’m glad that when we go back (fabulous wines, so I’m going back!) there’s now a Rick Steve’s book to use. I also like the DK travel books. Their Eyewitness Travel books are great. The Venice book is one of my favorites.

There are tons of books out there for traveling with kids. And not just Europe travel books. A friend gave me the Frommer’s 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up and it is fun to flip through. I can understand why some people don’t like it. A few of the places seem more than a little un-friendly for kids. From a practical standpoint, I mean. Long car rides or bus trips are difficult for adults to handle let alone an 8 year old. I think, because of having lived all over, the variety of destinations didn’t turn me off like it has some people. I picked up this other book, Amazing Places to Take Your Kids which is all North American destinations. It is cute. Really great photographs and simple write ups about the places.

Whatever the travel book for you or your family, the key is to spend some time with it before you travel so that you can have an outline of plans in mind before the plane lands. I don’t think you have to micromanage the trip — far from it. But better to have a loose itinerary. Kyle likes to tease me and calls me “Julie your cruise director” ….  which is from the TV show The Love Boat, if you didn’t know. Anyway, more and more you can find travel books online, either to buy new or used, or as eBooks. Often they have supplementary material that will help you get the most of your vacation.

I still remember our first Lanzarote holiday. We were living in Sydney and although I loved it there, I was feeling about 8,000 miles away from home. Our Sydney was just 6 months old and I was worn out. Kyle came home one day and said “Happy Birthday!” It wasn’t my birthday, but I wasn’t going to argue. I was expecting flowers and what I got was plane tickets.

Photos of Lanzarote

We met my parents and Kyle’s parents in Lanzarote. It was a perfect spot geographically (well we flew farther than both of them combined, but you get the idea) and a perfect vacation spot emotionally. Lanzarote holidays have their own rhythm and it was exactly what I needed, but I didn’t feel selfish because there was something for everyone. It is a great place for family holidays! Lanzarote has something for the 5 year old as well as the 65 year old.

We stayed at the Riu Palace Hotel, which is in Puerto del Carmen. Like most of the large hotels in Lanzarote, it has everything! Several pools, tennis, bars and restaurants grace the complex. They even have childrens activities, but of course we had built-in babysitters with both sets of grandparents fighting over Sydney. There are cheap holidays in Lanzarote but this wasn’t one of them!

Kyle and his dad got to play golf several times during our stay. That was like his present to himself. I’m such an indifferent golfer — I’m glad he had someone to play with. He says that the golf in Lanzarote is great. The old course is well designed and the new course sounds great, too. I think it’s the weather that really makes it a golfer’s paradise.

I could not believe the weather. It was unreal. We were there for a week and every day: sunny and 75 degrees. Without fail. It was actually kind of eerie. I remember asking my favorite barman about the weather. He smiled this big smile and said “It’s the mountains, Miss.” Well that made no sense, but he explained that the island doesn’t have much elevation and that keeps a lot of rain from falling. I looked it up later and he’s right. I mean I didn’t think he was lying, but mountains make rain? No wonder it rains all the time in Oregon.

For such a small island, there is so much to take in on Lanzarote. We couldn’t fit it all in. The shopping was fun and the food was wonderful. You can do Lanzarote on the cheap and I am all for that! It’s not like we’re made of money or anything. If I cut out the shopping (and it’s not like I need another pair of shoes) and if we rent a villa next time, I can do some of the cooking, then suddenly cheap Lanzarote holidays are a possibility!

You will spend some money– there are museums and gardens to explore, greens fees and drinks that will take as much money as you want to throw at them. But, then, there’s the sunny beaches and the blue water — it’s free to sit and soak up the sun. I think holidays in Lanzarote could consist of me on the beach with a stack of James Patterson novels. Kyle and the kids? They can entertain themselves!

I cast my mind back to that first trip. It was restful and restorative. Seeing our parents and being able to share a few moments of those wondrous early months of Sydney’s life with them (even in a week, she grew!) was the best gift I’ve ever gotten. A week was not nearly long enough and I told Kyle to go on back to Sydney without me. He gave me a hug and promised that we’d be back and he has kept that promise. Sometimes they were last minute Lanzarote holidays, which is easy to swing when you live in Madrid or London, but a bit harder when you live on the West Coast.

There are plenty of Lanzarote holiday packages and general Canary Island holidays packages, so there’s no excuse for not making the trip. With some planning and some lead time so you can save up, a dream vacation can be yours. I found my paradise, thanks to my hubby. Now it’s your turn to discover paradise.