Updated July 6th, 2020

This post might contain affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, if you buy through my site. I appreciate your support of my site.

Lanzarote, one of the Spanish Canary Islands, is the perfect place for water activities. Whether you are looking for a relaxing beach vacation or an action packed week doing water sports, you can find what you are looking for in Lanzarote. One of my favorite activities whenever I travel is kayaking, so kayaking in Lanzarote had to be on my list of things to do on the island. Kayak Lanzarote offers a few different types of adventures, including a guided kayaking trip to Papagayo Beach. This was one of my favorite day trips in Lanzarote. Continue reading to find out what you can expect!

Kayaking in Lanzarote

Pick-Ups

My kayaking adventure started with a prompt pick-up from my hotel in Playa Blanca and a quick drive to Kayak Lanzarote’s site near Playa de las Coloradas. Unlike other day tours, the kayaking trip is kept small so you don’t waste time driving around to pick up a lot of people. 

Gearing Up

Due to the sub-tropical climate you can go kayaking in Lanzarote all year-round! During the winter months you are able to wear wetsuits. The kayaks, paddles, life jackets and dry bags are provided all year round. 

The site has bathrooms, showers and changing rooms. You can securely leave behind any belongings you don’t want to bring with you in the kayak.

Kayaking

After changing we headed down a rocky slope with our kayaks down to the beach. After a short instructional briefing we were on our way! 

We kayaked from our starting point in Playa de las Coloradas to Playa de Papagayo. While it was a guided trip it didn’t feel overly guided as we were a bit spaced out. There was a few quick stops throughout the route where we would gather together, rest a bit, take pictures and listen to information about the area. You receive all the photos the guide takes for free shortly after the tour. 

La Playa de Papagayo

Unlike the other beach areas in Playa Blanca, Papagayo beach is more secluded with only two small restaurants up on the cliff. If you need to use the bathroom you can go up to one of the restaurants.

Papagayo’s bay shape provides calm waters and one of the best spots for for snorkeling in Lanzarote. 

Snorkeling

It was my first snorkeling experience. Beforehand I was the most concerned about the goggles and water leaking in and affecting my contacts. We were taught how to put on the googles properly and to wet our faces so the temperature inside the googles was a little colder. We were also told to spit in the googles. I thought the guide was joking and trying to have fun with the tourists. Another snorkeler said they had gone before and spitting in them really does help visibility underwater.

After I got my goggles figured out I was ready to tackle my snorkel. My hygienist and dentist know how much I dislike foreign objects in my mouth. A snorkel was no different! I was thinking I would just wear the mask while holding my breath and still get the underwater experience. The guide did not understand my aversion to the snorkel. He offered to hold my hand as we went deeper in the water. The water and the experience was not a problem, it was the darn mouthpiece I wanted to avoid. He didn’t quite seem to comprehend that, so off I went into the water with the full snorkel because I didn’t want him to think I was afraid!

I spent a lot of time taking the snorkel in and out of my mouth. I was constantly spitting up salt water. If only I had done the mouthpiece first, then I would have had much more spit available for my goggles! For some reason I always forget what type of water each body of water is made of. After this experience I will surely remember that ocean water is salt water.

Considering the concept of a snorkel is to be able to breathe under the water, it took me awhile to realize it really did work like that and I didn’t need to keep holding my breath. Once that was all sorted I was able to enjoy the new experience and go swimming after fish. It was neat to be able to hold a starfish that my group found.

At first with the sun beating down in the kayak I was a bit warm in a wetsuit. With the water temperature around 65 degrees, I was glad to be wearing a wetsuit, especially at the end. With the suit the water wasn’t too chilly, it was getting out and being in a ‘wet’ wetsuit that was a little bit nippy.

Exploring a Cave

Following a quick snack on the beach (chocolate bar, fruit & water), we set off towards our original starting point.

On the way back we did a quick detour into a cave. It was pretty small so we went in one at a time. One pair had a difficult time entering because the waves kept washing them over to the rocky edge.

At the very end the waves were really difficult to paddle in. I kept trying to look at the landmarks on the beach to see if I was making any progress or if the waves were pushing me out to sea more than my paddling was bringing me in. But of course I made it safely ashore once again and was pleased with my active day at sea. Although the excursion is listed as 3 hours, it ended up being more like 4 hours plus transportation time. 

I’m so glad I went kayaking in Lanzarote. My experience from start to finish with Kayak Lanzarote was seamless and enjoyable! I highly recommend the Papagayo trip. 

Pin It!