4 Days in Lanzarote – Canary Islands, Spain

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Lanzarote is the easternmost of the Spanish canary islands, located just 125 kilometres off the African coast. With warm temperatures around the year, the island is of volcanic origin and eruptions throughout history led to Lanzarote’s unique landscape. The island is absolutely breathtaking, covered in craters, canyons and small volcano cones.

The fascinating volcanic landscapes, black sand beaches or beautiful coastlines and marine life make Lanzarote a unique travel destination. Especially outdoor activities, such as biking, surfing or hiking are famous on the island.

I have spent 4 days in Lanzarote and here is everything I did in those days or what I think you might want to know before you go.

How to get to Lanzarote?

The capital is Arrecife, which has an international airport connecting Lanzarote with destinations across Europe such as Frankfurt, Manchester, Madrid and many more. I have honestly never even considered traveling to Lanzarote but when I was researching flights for my birthday week a couple of months ago, I found really cheap flights that would fly directly to the island.

That’s pretty much how I chose the destination. So last week, the day was finally here, I had a week off of university and started my short 4-day adventure to this canary island. It turned out to be one of my favourite places I had ever visited so if you have the time you should definitely include it in your Spain itinerary.

From Frankfurt to Lanzarote with Ryanair I paid only 100 Euros for a return flight. (It was a four and a half hour flight, so I thought that was pretty good). 

If you have visited any of the other canary islands and discovered all the best places in Tenerife or Gran Canaria, it is also easiest to travel to Lanzarote by plane. Other than flying you can also take a ferry from Fuerteventura to get to Lanzarote.

Places you need to visit during 4 days in Lanzarote!

Since it was just such a short trip I had to kind of plan this trip in advance to see the most of the island. That actually worked out really well! I could have easily spent some more days on this beautiful island but I managed to see everything that I had planned. So here are a couple of places that you need to visit when travelling to Lanzarote!

1. Timanfaya National Park

If you would visit only one place during your 4 days in Lanzarote it would be Timanfaya National Park. This national park is absolutely beautiful and one of a kind. If you wonder why just have a look at the pictures! The entry fee is 8€ which includes the bus ride through the volcanic craters.

The National Park, however, can only be reached by car or via and organised bus tour. Just keep that in mind when planning your trip. There are different bus tours such as the South tour (which I did), North tour or one that takes you to all the highlights of the island.

2. Los Hervideros

These are cliffs by the ocean North of Playa Blanca. Tourists can watch the ocean make its way through the underwater caves. A fabulous spectacle, especially when the waves are high, which can be watched from different paths along the way. I loved this place so much I visited it two days in a row and I would have come back for sure if I had more time. It’s free as well!

3. El Golfo

EL Golfo is a tiny village most famous for its green lagoon, one of the most beautiful landmarks in Spain. This green colour of the lagoon leads to a unique contrast with the black sand and the red craters. To see the lagoon you have to walk up a couple of stairs to a viewing platform.

El Golfo is just a short drive away from Los Hervideros.

4. Jardín de Cactus

Created by César Manrique, the cactus garden is a famous attraction located in Guatiza. The garden has over 450 examples of different cacti types in the shape of a large amphitheatre. Entry is €5.80 and the garden is open from 9am to 17.45pm in the summer months and from 10am to 17.45pm in the winter months.

This will not be a whole day activity and I would recommend spending about 1 to 2 hours at the garden unless you are really into cacti. Jardín de Cactus in Lanzarote can be visited as part of a Lanzarote highlight bus tour or with a rental car.

5. Cuevas de los Verdes

Another must see attraction in Lanzarote is this lava tube which was created around 3000 years ago. The caves are approximately 6 kilometres long and you are able to visit about 1km of it via a guided tour. No need to book anything in advance!

As part of a large group, a guide will walk with you around the cave for bit while explaining its formation to you in both English and Spanish. As part of the tour you will be taken to the famous concert hall. Entry to the cave is €9.50 for adults and the tour lasts approximately 50 minutes.

6. Mirador del Rio

Mirador del Rio is a viewpoint in the North of the island. From there you can have a great view on the island of La Graciosa which is located North of Lanzarote.

The view is amazing! Entry to the platform is €4.50. You don’t even necessarily have to go to the view-point. Just next to it you can also have a great view on the island. And you don’t even have to spend a dime (or euro).

7. Jameos del Agua

I have seen this place on every blog post I read before taking my trip and they all said it is a must visit. And that’s why I am including it! Honestly, this place was just weird and I don’t know what it was at all. There was also some event for local people going on and I just felt like I was totally not welcome.

If you still want to go, the price was €8.50 per person. Opening times might differ, so have a look online before. Jameos del Agua is located just next to Cuevas de los Verdes.

Additional Things to see/visit in and around Lanzarote

Teguise: A lovely little town that is worth a visit of you have time left. It is the old capital of Lanzarote and there is supposed to be a huge market every Sunday!

Museo Atlantico: Europe’s first underwater museum accessible for scuba divers and snorkelers. Museo Atlantico was honestly the thing I was most excited about and I had booked a dive for my birthday. However, there was a storm and there were no boats going for the whole time I was there, which I am still pretty upset about. (I guess I have to go back one day). A lot of dive school offer trips to the underwater museum.

Fuerteventura: This canary island is actually pretty close and you can even book day trips over there. If you want to check out the island for longer, then there are ferries going a couple of times a day from Playa Blanca.

Wine tasting: I heard Lanzarote is a great place for wine tastings. Mostly because it is so unique to grow the grapes in the volcanic ashes. Might be an idea if you like wine.

Transportation across the Island of Lanzarote

Lanzarote has a well-connected bus system that will take you to all the major places such as Costa Teguise, Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen.

If you want to be independent and see a bit more of the island, what most people do is to rent a car for a couple of days to make their way around. There are car rentals at the airport as well as in all major tourist areas. But you don’t need to have a car throughout your whole 4 day stay in Lanzarote.

But you can also book a bus tour such as with low coast tours, that has different routes and will take you to the highlights of Lanzarote. I did the South tour, which took me to the National park and Los Hervideros for example.

I came back with a car the day after to drive a similar route and make some stops along the way this time. That was also a good idea, because with the bus tour you only have a limited amount of time at each stop. But if you do not want to rent a car then it was a great way as well to see a lot from the island in a short amount of time.

In which area to stay in Lanzarote?

There are three main tourist areas where you will probably end up staying, with each of them having its perks. These are: Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca and Arrecife. However, I also saw some hotels in Costa Teguise, which is located a little North of Arrecife.

Arrecife:

The capital is not as touristy and you get to see more of the local life in Lanzarote which is nice. It is by the ocean and there is beautiful walk along the coast that you can follow along. Attractions such as Castillo de San José are in walking distance. The main bus station is also just a 10 minute drive away from the airport and busses to other towns, such as Puerto del Carmen, leave quite frequently.

The beach, however, is not the nicest and if you prefer a bigger variety of restaurants then this probably is not the right area for you to stay.

I stayed in Arrecife at Hotel Diamar, which was alright and not as expensive.

Puerto del Carmen:

In this area you will find the most tourists and hotels. There is a great walk along the beach with all kinds of restaurants, duty-free shops, bars and souvenir stores. There is also a shopping mall nearby, as well as a couple of dive shops.

It’s a lovely area if you don’t mind the tourist crowds.

My tip: Cantina don Rafael – Mexican Restaurant: I went here for my birthday for dinner and I loved the food so much. I would definitely recommend this place if you like Mexican food!

Playa Blanca:

This area is located in the South of Lanzarote. I didn’t spend much time here, but it was far not as busy as Puerto del Carmen. There were also a lot of shops for tourists but the area was much smaller. There is a big harbour here as well. Playa Blanca is close to Fuerteventura, if you are planning to take the ferry to this canary island.

I feel like Playa Blanca is a bit out-of-the-way and even if you find a bus connection it will take you a while to arrive anywhere. Therefore, I would definitely rent a car if you are staying in this area.

How expensive is it?

Of course I also have to include a few prices in my ultimate guide to Lanzarote. Credit cards are widely accepted but also make sure to have some cash on you for smaller purchases. There are plenty of ATM’a around the island, so no need to worry about that.

Here are some examples of what costs you could encounter:

• South Tour by bus (full day): € 32
• Bus ticket Arrecife to the airport: €1.40
• Car rental per day (smallest car +insurance): €36
• Dinner at a restaurant per person: €15
• Mid-range hotel per night (2 people + breakfast): €60
• Fuel at the gas station: €1.02 per litre
• Timanfaya National Park: €8
• McDonalds Meal: €6
• Domestic Beer (0,5l): €1.50
• Cappuccino: €1.50

4 Days in Lanzarote – When to visit the island?

Lanzarote is usually warm all year around. In summer though it can get pretty hot, so think about that if you planning on spending much time out in the sun.

Temperatures in the winter usually do not go under 14 degrees Celsius and go up to about 21 degrees Celsius during the day. It can get pretty windy though so bring some layers of clothing with you. In the summer the island barely gets any rain at all.

So you can pretty much visit all year around, with Spring or Autumn probably being the best seasons as it won’t be too hot. I went at the beginning of March and it was still getting quite chilly, especially at nighttime and still too cold to go swimming.

Extra tips for your trip to Lanzarote

1. Make sure to always put sunscreen on! I got sunburned even though I was freezing all day and walking around with two hoodies. Better safe than sorry, right?

2. If you are only staying for a couple of days, only travel with carry on luggage, you can get super cheap flight deals if you are flexible in your timing

3. If you want to buy perfume then do that on the island, it is so much cheaper than in Germany for example. My perfume was less than half the price than usually and up to 100ml there is no problem taking it as carry-on on your flight

4. Save money by purchasing a pas for various attractions! If you know you want to visit three or more the famous attraction across the island then you can get a cheaper deal for purchasing a pass. Attractions included are Jameos del Agua, Jardín de Cactus, Timanfaya, Mirador del Rio or Cuevas de los Verdes. But just make sure that you are actually saving money when purchasing such a pass, which can be bought at the entrance of any of the mentioned attractions.

And this concludes my ultimate guide to Lanzarote. For more Lanzarote travel inspiration, check out my favourite 25 pictures that will inspire you to visit this lovely little island 🙂

If you have any more questions, please drop a comment and I will try to answer them as well as I can!

And this is how to spend 4 days in Lanzarote. Are you planning on traveling to Lanzarote or any other of the canary islands? Would you like to go in the future?

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