The Canary Islands – Lanzarote

I got a cheap plane ticket at Ryanair – I paid 20 euros for a return flight from Milan to Lanzarote. When I had completed my spontaneous purchase, I still had to find a transfer to the Milan Bergamo Airport, which was where I would be flying from. I found a bus that took me there for 25 euros, though I should point out I had to spend the night at the airport.

The bus ride to Bergamo took eight hours, but it was bearable. However, it was quite an exhausting night at the airport, since I couldn’t really sleep on the narrow seats. Still, it all ended well and I arrived in Lanzarote.

I was choosing from three places when searching for accommodation: Arrecife (the island’s capital), Puerto del Carmen (the tourist centre) and Costa Teguise (also a tourist town). In the end, history and good bus connections prevailed, so I chose Arrecife.

I compared hotel prices and there was none available for 14 days at the time that would cost less than a thousand euros, so I decided to check out rooms, suites and hostels as well. I finally decided on a room in a three-room house, which cost me about 20 euros per day – the same as a hostel.

Arrecife – the island’s capital

There’s a local bus going from the airport to Arrecife every half an hour and it costs 1.40 euros. These local buses, also known as guaguas by the locals, operate in cities, but there are also IntercityBus guaguas that link the cities.

Arrecife is quite a lively city, since it’s the island’s administrative capital. It has many bars and restaurants, and the main beach, Playa Del Reducto, is especially beautiful. It reminded me of the beach in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, except that it was smaller. But there was no one swimming in the sea, since the Atlantic Ocean is quite cold for that there. Most people come to the beach to sunbathe, play volleyball, read books or just enjoy the view the beach offers.

You can see major influence of the Spanish colonial architecture, colonial church and the fortress with the museum in the city. The latter protected the city, especially from pirates. The island is also home to the Museum of Piracy, but it was sadly closed during my visit.

Arrecife offers plenty of wonderful opportunities for beach walks where you can admire sunsets and sunrises.

Puerto del Carmen

Most guests in Lanzarote are from England and Germany, but there are also some from Italy and are concentrated mostly in tourist towns, such as Puerto del Carmen, the island’s most popular town. Restaurants and bars at every corner, from one end of the city to the other. There are lots of beautiful beaches and a walkway above the beaches and bars for pedestrians and cyclists. I would say the city was actually the pinnacle of the island’s mass tourism.

But the food and drinks prices were the cheapest there compared to all the cities I’d visited. Arrecife is also home to one of the island’s attractions, namely the Texas Rancho Zoo, which has four animal shows, starring parrots, eagles and other birds of prey, seals (this was one especially interesting), and dolphins (this one’s the most famous). You can visit the park for the price of 40 euros – the ticket includes access to the whole theme park, four shows (all taking place twice per day), and the use of two swimming pools which are part of the park and where you can take a swim or simply lie around.

You can take a look at my entire trip and visit to the Texas Rancho Zoo and all four shows in my YouTube videos (in English).

Costa Teguise

This town is also very touristy, but a little less so than Puerto del Carmen. It’s full of hotels and suites, but with perhaps less restaurants and bars. It has really beautiful beaches and a promenade just behind the main beach where going for a walk and admiring the Atlantic Ocean is truly a delight.

Playa Blanca

The port and tourist town is located in the island’s southernmost part where there’s ferry service to other Canary Islands. The closest one is Fuerteventura, which can be seen by the naked eye, not far from the coast.

The town stretches along the coastline where there are kilometres of walkways that take you to the island’s most popular beaches, such as the Papagayo Beach (around nine kilometres of walking in one direction). But if you don’t feel like walking such a distance, you can visit the town beach or my favourite, Playa Dorada, which really reminds me of a dream Caribbean beach.

Teguise village

The charming medieval colonial village with a beautiful church in the centre and typical Spanish architecture is definitely worth a visit. There’s also a local market there on Sundays, but it’s more of a disappointment, really. In addition to a few local items, such as those made from aloe vera, and a few souvenir vendors, the market mostly offers Chinese wares and clothes.

But I was really fascinated by the village, so I recommend a visit.

Timanfaya – a national park, full of active volcanoes

One of the main reasons for visiting the Canary Islands include volcanoes and Lanzarote definitely has an abundance of those. All the Canary Islands are of volcanic origin, but Lanzarote also has active volcanoes, which are located in the Timanfaya National Park. It’s accessible only by car or by booking a bus tour. But you’ll have to enter the park by bus because cars aren’t allowed inside. You can park your car at the volcano research centre where you can see that the area is still very much active. You can also treat yourself to some barbeque, which comes from the very volcano.

It’s definitely a must-visit if you happen to be in Lanzarote. I’d also recommend going on a park tour, starting from the city or town you’re staying in (the whole-day tour will cost you about 35 euros).

The island also has plenty of cycling routes. And if you’re renting a car, you can climb multiple volcanoes each day, since the island doesn’t lack those. Plus, there are good bus connections between the cities. The only thing that bothered me a bit, was that it was always windy in Lanzarote. You should also take into account that the water might be a bit cold, so if you’re not brave enough, you won’t really be able to go for a swim.