Lanzarote holidays

If you’re staying close to the airport in Lanzarote, you’ll have the choice of two dramatic red sand beaches where you’ll enjoy excellent views of the planes coming in to land. Playa de los Pocillos is great for the whole family. No watersports are allowed here, so the waters are calm, quiet, and perfect for a dip. Playa de Matagorda boasts great shopping and dining along the Avenida de las Playas promenade.

For picture-perfect white sands, there’s nowhere better than Playa Blanca, which literally translates to ‘White Beach’. While the beachfront here is only small at about 100 metres in length, it’s easy to walk to the neighbouring stretches of sand which are a little larger. It takes just 10 minutes to walk along the promenade to the man-made beach of Playa Dorada, where there are watersports facilities and beach bars.

When you’re in Costa Teguise, you’ll have the choice of five excellent beaches. Playa de la Cucharas is best for watersports, while Playa del Jabillo, Playa Bastian, and Playa los Charcos are well equipped for families. The resort’s hidden gem is Playa el Ancla, just south of the town centre. A rocky and rugged beach, this is a great spot for snorkelling. You can see all sorts of fish among the volcanic rocks.

The best bargain buys, like magnets, T-shirts, and ornaments of volcanoes, can be found in the Lanzarote markets, and along the beachfront promenades. In Arrecife, the weekend market in the Plaza de las Playas is a great place to browse stalls selling all sorts of handicrafts and homemade goods. In Costa Teguise, check out the shops behind Las Cucharas Beach, and try Calle Limones in Playa Blanca.

Quality souvenirs to buy in Lanzarote include aloe vera-based cosmetics, made with aloe that’s grown around the island. Aloe vera is said to have excellent healing properties. It’s a main ingredient in many mid-range soaps and lotions here. You’ll also find items featuring prints of Cesar Manrique’s artwork. These are popular mementoes, along with local, high-acidity Lanzarote wines.

There are a number of high-end shopping centres in and around the island capital of Arrecife where you can find Canarian, Spanish, and international brands. In the heart of Arrecife is the Marina shopping centre. For even more choice, be sure to take a visit to Biosfera Plaza for brands like Rayban, Guess, and Timberland, or the Deiland shopping centre where you’ll find H&M and The Body Shop.

The resorts of Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise are excellent for low-key, family-friendly nights. That’s because, while quieter than the larger resorts of Arrecife and Playa del Carmen, they’ve still got enough to entertain visitors. There are bars and live music venues across these towns. Both places lack a major central hub of activity, so there’s no one single place to be. Instead, the bars are well spread across the resorts. However, if you’re not sure where to head, try Punto Limones in Playa Blanca, and the marina area of Costa Teguise, where you’ll have a good choice of different bars, restaurants, pubs, and clubs.

Lanzarote’s capital is one of the most lively places on the island. In Arrecife, you’ll find places to drink and dance until the sun comes up. What makes Arrecife so great is that there's a huge selection of different venues to suit the sort of nightlife scene you’re looking for. These include sports bars and classic pubs, swanky cocktail bars, karaoke clubs, beach bars, and discos. Many places offer outdoor seating so you can enjoy the warm Lanzarote nights. Some even offer panoramic views from rooftop terraces. As for drinks, there are plenty of options, from wines and beers to spirits and colourful concoctions.

Don’t be surprised to see a green or red sauce served alongside practically all dishes in local restaurants across Lanzarote. Mojo sauce is considered to be the unofficial condiment of the Canary Islands. The red variety has a spicy kick to it, while the green variety is herb-based and has a more mild, mellow flavour.

Across the Canary Islands, you’ll find that there’s one dish that seems to take pride of place on the restaurant menus: Canarian potatoes. And it’s certainly no different in Lanzarote. Here, they often use a local spud variety known as Papa Bonita de Lanzarote. And of course, they’re served with mojo sauce.

Canarians like to make use of local foods, so you’re more likely to find goat and rabbit on the menu than beef. Octopus is also a common menu item as it’s caught by fishermen all year round. Other types of seafood vary by seasonal availability, and can include wreckfish and red sea bream.

Think vines can’t grow in the volcanic Lanzarote landscape? Think again. The entire island is a designated wine-growing region, with vines planted deep down at 2.5 metres below the layers of volcanic ash. Three-quarters of grapes grown are Malvasia grapes, which produce sweet, port-like wines.

In Lanzarote, and across the Canary Islands, it’s customary to finish a meal with a small glass of local honey rum. If a sweet, sticky rum isn’t quite your thing, you could also order a carajillo. This Spanish coffee is usually made with a shot of something potent, like brandy, whiskey, rum, or a local liqueur.