Lanzarote, the Volcanic Island in the Atlantic Ocean

A trip to Lanzarote brings you closer to the culture of the Canary Islands. It's a place where different forms of art like dance, music, and literature come together with unique cuisine and delicious culinary experiences. Find out what this travel destination in the Atlantic Ocean has to offer and why Lanzarote should be your next getaway. Read some practical tips for your holiday on the volcanic island.

The lively festival scene and nightlife

There's never a dull moment in Lanzarote, with a variety of cultural events and festivals happening every year, along with plenty of side activities to enjoy. Lanzarote offers festivals throughout the year, like Día de Reyes, Puerto del Carmen Carnival, and Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores, along with a lively club scene and vibrant nightlife. The main tourist town on the island, Puerto del Carmen, is known for its seafront street, Avenida de las Playas, lined with restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. The parties in the southern part of the island, perfect for those looking for a more laid-back vibe, never stop. For those seeking a more peaceful experience or for families, we recommend visiting island towns like Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise, where you'll find entertainment to suit your taste. The nightlife in the towns usually follows the daytime festival events, and we especially invite you to join in with these upcoming festivals:

• Arrecife Carnival is the oldest festival in the Canary Islands, where participants celebrate the Entierro de la Sardina or a parodic display of the funeral procession of sardines, a tradition in Spain that dates back to 1851. Festival venues along Lanzarote's marina include the Castillo de San Gabriel, the Puente de las Bolas and the Muelle de la Cebolla.
• Día de Canarias are the days of the Canary Islands, commemorating the anniversary of the first parliamentary session of the Spanish Autonomous Community in the Canary Islands on 30 May 1983. The festival brings together Canarian culture and all that is uniquely Canarian through cultural events, traditional dishes, music concerts and sporting activities. The celebration takes place on all seven islands.
• Since 1989, the Lanzarote Visual Music Festival has been keeping the tradition alive, with lots of bands playing modern music in all sorts of genres and styles. The festival is held at places like the Jameos del Agua auditorium and Cueva de los Verdes cave, which have been designed to make the most of the acoustics created by the volcanic tunnels and caves.
• The Saborea Food and Wine Festival is the biggest culinary event in the Canary Islands, where you can taste a variety of wines produced on the island, along with a wide range of traditional dishes prepared by top chefs. The festival programme includes tastings, cooking demonstrations, and presentations by the best chefs from the island and abroad.

Hit the beaches with your surf map in hand

Lanzarote is the best spot for surf beaches compared to the other Canary Islands. During the surf season, from November to April, the waves range from 1.5 to 4 metres high. The best waves can be found at the famous Famara beach, where the 5-kilometre stretch of golden sand offers perfect conditions for surfing and windsurfing.

You'll also be able to catch some waves in the village of La Santa, located on the island's western side. The 940-metre-long white sand beach is well known for water sports like surfing, but the conditions are perfect for beginners.

The next place to go surfing is La Garita beach. The 810-metre-long golden sand beach offers waves about 50 metres long, which makes it a great spot to learn surfing. You'll find it on the island's eastern side, in the small town of Arrieta, a well-known resort for families with kids.

Daily adventures for your holiday

With every destination, we promote activities that help you explore the local area and discover the top sights of the place you're visiting. We've put together a variety of activities to help you explore Lanzarote.

You can check out marine life and shipwrecks resting on the ocean floor, deep beneath the surface, at Puerto Calero marina, all from a 106-ton Finnish submarine. The views from all sides of the submarine are also shown on a monitor next to the windows. From the seabed, head to the beautiful vineyards in the region of La Geria to sample their wines and then to the Timanfaya National Park. After a camel ride, you'll head along the volcanic coastline to the green lagoon. If you'd like to learn more about the vineyards, take a tour to the Vega del Yuco winery, located in Finca Testeina near Masdache. You'll get to taste Malvasio Volcánico and Listán Negro, paired with chocolate.

You can visit the island's famous Teguise market, where you'll find handmade goods, on a tour that also takes you to the island of La Graciosa. You can also explore the island's main village, Caleta del Sebo, where you'll find a church and the Aloe Vera museum. You can also explore Lanzarote with a ticket to El Jardin de Cactus, a botanical garden with over 4,500 plants, including 450 different types of cacti and succulents. Get to know the natural habitats of different species and their role in the environment.

Don't miss the chance to visit the Corona volcano, where you can walk through a one-kilometre-long tunnel and see the magma formations with stalactites. Also, visit the Cueva de los Verdes and enjoy the cool 20 degrees Celsius temperature. Lastly, dive beneath the surface to the Underwater Museum and spend 35 minutes at a depth of 12 metres, admiring the sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor. Take the chance to learn about the meaning of the sculptures and the skills involved in diving.

For adults only, we recommend you to sail to Papagayo Beach, where you can relax with some yoga while enjoying views of dolphins, stingrays, and flying fish. Once the boat is docked, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy the deck with good music, as well as snorkelling, swimming and an excellent lunch. Let the sailing continue with a ferry to the island of La Graciosa, where you will board a catamaran that will take you and drop you off along the beach of La Francesa. Here you can take time for sunbathing and water activities, like kayaking. Before you leave, explore Caleta del Sebo and continue to the ferry.

As a last activity, choose a guided tour of the volcano with a buggy that will take you through the volcanic landscape to the top of the Peñas del Chache. You'll drive by the village of Guatize, continue to Mala Dam and return via Tesequite and return to Costa Teguise, passing through Tesequite and El Mojón.

Discover Lanzarote with us!

You can truly experience the volcanic island of Lanzarote, with its unique characteristics and culture, by visiting the various towns and villages throughout the island. Regardless, the information in this article is very important for exploring the island independently, in which Hostelling International Slovenia can help you out with travelogues and the online magazine Globetrotter. This time, out of all the travel articles from the tourist destination of Spain, we have chosen Uroš's, who will introduce you to the Canary Islands with the island of Lanzarote. He has explored various locations on the island, including Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise, Playa Blanca, Teguise, and Timanfaya National Park, which extends into the municipalities of Tinajo and Yaiza. His article will show you the island's best tourist places to visit and take time to enjoy. Don't forget about other tourist destinations that you'll get to know together with Globetrotter!

Along with our free travel articles, plan your trip using Lonely Planet guidebooks with detailed maps. Discover the beauty of Lanzarote, one of the seven Canary Islands, with our comprehensive e-book, Canary Islands. Packed with detailed maps, itineraries, and insider tips, alongside stunning colour photographs, this guide will introduce you to the island's most captivating destinations and tourist attractions. Make sure you order a digital membership card before your trip and become a member of Hostelling International. Membership offers numerous local and international benefits, and most importantly, opens up countless opportunities for young people to develop sustainable travel habits. Travel the world with us and discover diverse cultures and their unique traditions.

Why travel to the volcanic island?

Travel tips that inspire us to explore and discover the island can make the decision to visit Lanzarote much easier. The island's rich culture is one of the many reasons to visit. Of course, we can't overlook those features that give the island its unique charm. These are the famous volcanic vineyards, the longest volcanic tunnels, the green lagoon, and the valley of a thousand palms, which is located in the municipality of Haría.

Travellers are also drawn to the over 100 beautiful beaches with golden, white, and black sand, where they can relax or indulge in water activities. You can also fill your itinerary with hiking and cycling tours that take you up to the peaks of the surrounding mountains. You can head up the volcanoes Montaña Roja, Caldera Blanca, or Pico Redondo, while by bike, you can cycle along the beach at El Risco, Punta Mujeres, and Tracks de Lava Etapa 2. Don't miss out on the best activities and destinations the volcanic island of Lanzarote has to offer.

Did you know?

• The island in the Atlantic Ocean was discovered in 1312 by the Genoese sailor Lancelotto Malocello, after whom Lanzarote is named.
• The first settlers of Lanzarote were the Guanches, a group from North Africa who settled on the island around 1000 BC.
• The oldest settlement on the Canary Islands and Lanzarote is the village of Teguise, founded in 1414. It was once the capital of the Kingdom of the Canary Islands.
• The longest volcanic tunnel on Lanzarote, and one of the longest in the world, is the 7-kilometre-long Túnel de la Atlántida.
• The volcanic eruption of Timanfaya, which lasted a total of 2055 days from 1730 to 1736, created the 200-kilometre-long landscape of Montañas del Fuego.