Canary Islands,  Guides,  Itineraries

One Week Lanzarote Itinerary & Guide

Updated November 4th, 2020

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Last winter I spent a sunshine filled week in the Canary Islands. Off the coast of northwestern Africa, these Spanish Islands make for an ideal warm weather destination year-round. Using my pre-trip research and my experiences on the island of Lanzarote I put together this one week Lanzarote itinerary and guide. In this guide you will find all the information you need to know about why you should choose Lanzarote, how to get around, where to stay and the best places to visit in Lanzarote.

Why Visit the Canary Islands?

Arrecife, Lanzarote

Last February when I had a break from school I knew I needed to get out of Russia and go somewhere warm. Long story short I wanted to fly somewhere that wasn’t too far away or too complicated. I discovered the Canary Islands, Europe’s version of the Caribbean. What I love about the Canary Islands is that you can go somewhere warm and tropical that is only a few hours from most of Western Europe. You can reach the islands directly from London in a little over four hours. The Canary Islands are the perfect warm weather winter escape!

Why Go to Lanzarote?

There are seven Canary Islands. Trying to decide which Canary Island to visit? My top five reasons for choosing Lanzarote were:

Island Relaxation

Arrecife, Lanzarote

You can lounge around all day at your resort’s pools or at the beach. Enjoy the year-round sunny temperatures.

Nature

Mountains near Timanfaya National Park

Along with beautiful beaches the island boasts volcanic and mountainous landscapes. With volcanoes and lava fields Timanfaya National Park is a must to visit.

Adventure

Kayaking in lanzarote to Papagayo Beach

With options for snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, hiking, SUP and more, you can stay active on the island. It doesn’t have to just be about lounging on the beach in Lanzarote!

Culture

what and where to eat in Lanzarote

Many of the best places to go in Lanzarote revolve around César Manrique. Thanks to this Spanish artist there are numerous cultural sites to visit around the island. You can also enjoy a bit of Spanish culture through the language, food and warm hospitality.

Value

5 star resort in Playa Blanca

You will be happily surprised at the cost of four and five star all inclusive resorts near the beaches. You can have a great gateway at a reasonable cost.

Getting Around Lanzarote

how to get around Lanzarote by bus

The easiest way to get around Lanzarote is to rent a carFrom what I could tell and what I heard from others it is pretty easy to drive around and to navigate the roads. I don’t remember seeing a single traffic light, but the island is FULL of roundabouts.

If you don’t want to rent a car for any reason, it is doable to get around in and between the major resort towns by public bus. Buses do not run frequently, so make sure to plan ahead to get from one place to another. Once you are on the bus, the ride goes pretty fast with only minimal stops between towns.

Download the Moovit app to help plan your trips. Also look online to see the timetables. If you go to any of the larger bus stations, usually called “Estacion de guaguas” they will give you a map. There is a card that you can buy at the Arrecife bus station and on the buses as well. You get a discount when you load it up with money and then you do not need to pay each time either. The bus only makes change under 10 euros. Most of the intercity buses have luggage storage beneath the bus, but no bathrooms. 

Without a car you will probably need to go on guided day trips with tour companies to reach a lot of the natural and cultural areas of the island because buses do not run to all parts of Lanzarote. See below for my Lanzarote day tour recommendations.

One Week Lanzarote Itinerary

You could easily spend the whole week in one resort town, or even just the resort where you are staying. It was my first time staying at an all inclusive resort and I did see the appeal of that option. But if you are an explorer like me, you will want to see as much of your destination as possible. As nice as lounging on the beach or poolside is, there is so much more to Lanzarote than just the resorts.

If you have 7 days in Lanzarote here is how you can stay at three different resorts and visit the cultural and natural parts of the island. Click on the underlined words below to find out more and read previous posts about the activities.

Days 1 & 2: Arrecife

Castillo de San Gabriel Arrecife
Castillo de San Gabriel

Transport

On day one arrive to Arrecife Airport (ACE). It only takes about 15 minutes by taxi from the airport to reach the main part of Arrecife. Taxis are available when you exit the terminal. If you arrive during the day you can take buses from the airport to the Parque Viejo stop in Arrecife. The stop is a four minute walk from the hotel.

Hotel

Hotel Miramar: Avda. Coll, 2, 35500 Arrecife, Lanzarote, Spain

The hotel is handy from the Arrecife airport and offers beautiful views of the sea. This smaller and less expensive hotel is nice when arriving late into the city and not having as much time to spend at the hotel. For my full review read A Night in Hotel Miramar.

Activities

Walk around Castillo del San Gabriel and visit Museo del Historia – across the street from Hotel Miramar

Meander along the waterfront and explore the parks

Shopping: Centro Comercial Deiland and Biosfera Plaza are both open on Sundays. The majority of the other stores and the main shopping street are closed. Other days of the week Calle Real is the pedestrian shopping street to visit. 

La Casa Amarilla: A small museum showcasing Lanzarote’s history.

Food

Malecón: Av. César Manrique, 6, 35500 Arrecife, Spain

At Malecón you can sit outside and have beautiful views of the water while enjoying typical Lanzarote favorites like papas arrugadas and mojo.

Days 3, 4, and 5: Playa Blanca

where to stay in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

Transport

There are several options to go from Arrecife to Playa Blanca by bus. From Hotel Miramar you can either walk to the main bus station, which takes about 15 – 20 minutes, or take a bus or taxi to the main bus station. The walk has some uphill parts and felt a bit long to me with luggage. There is a local bus that stops on the hotel’s street and goes directly to the station. You just need to check that the times line up.

In Playa Blanca bus 30 will take you from the main bus station to the Playa Dorada stop which is across the street from the hotel. Again it is about a 15 – 20 minute walk from the bus station to the hotel. While it didn’t feel unsafe, it was pretty dark and not walker friendly in the evening so I waited for the bus.

Hotel

Boutique Hotel H10 White Suites – Adults Only: Calle Janubio, 1, 35580 Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, Spain

This adult only hotel is a perfect escape with options of breakfast only, half-board or all inclusive. If you are going to be doing day trips go with the half-board. Read more of my thoughts on the hotel here.

Activities

The hotel has a large central area of chaise lounges and two pools that you could easily relax in all day.

A short walk away is the beachfront full of restaurants and souvenir shops.

The day trips in Lanzarote that are best from Playa Blanca’s location are:

Food

Restaurant Camel: Av. Marítima, 37, 35580 Playa Blanca, Spain

Located along the beachfront you can enjoy beautiful views of the ocean and do some people watching while enjoying some Spanish fare.

Days 5, 6 and 7: Costa Teguise

what to do in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote

Transport

Just like getting from Arrecife to Playa Blanca, there are many options to reach Costa Teguise by bus. You will need to take bus number 30 from the Playa Dorado bus stop across the street to la Estación de Guaguas de Playa Blanca (main bus station). After arriving at the main bus station you will need to connect to one or two other buses. Ultimately end up at the Playa Roca bus stop in Costa Teguise.

On the last day you will return to Arrecife to fly out of the main airport. Depending on your flight time you can either take a taxi or a bus from the Playa Roca stop in Costa Teguise to the airport.

Hotel

Vitalclass Lanzarote Resort: Av. de las Palmeras, 15, 35530 Costa Teguise, Las Palmas, Spain

This large resort also offers breakfast included, half-board or an all-inclusive option. For a reasonable price you stay in a large apartment and have access to multiple pools, a fitness center, a playground, evening entertainment and more.

Activities

You can always spend a lot of time at the resort or exploring the beachfront in Costa Teguise.

The day tours in Lanzarote that are best from Costa Teguise’s location are:

Food

Doña Lola: Av. del Jablillo, 15, 35508 Costa Teguise, Spain

In addition to some amazing seafood you can also order Italian food here. The oceanfront view makes the location perfect.

I hope this one week Lanzarote travel guide and itinerary convinced you to book a trip to Lanzarote!

Here’s some more ideas for where to stay in Lanzarote. Search for special deals below! 



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17 Comments

  • Ambuj Saxena

    Thank you for a well-detailed travel itinerary. I like Canary islands a lot and have heard a lot about it and amazingly, everything is positive! I loved the way you have broken down the itinerary with cost and other details. Thank you for adding another destination on my bucket list.

  • Follow My Anchor

    I had just a small taste of Lanzarote in only a day when I was working on a cruise ship. I loved the vibe of the island and I am absolutely planning to go back and spend a week there. There is a lot of useful information in your post. I would love to hike the Fire Mountains in Costa Teguise!

  • kasia

    I must say that I’ve heard of the Canary Islands and thought I’d visit one day, but your post makes me realize I should go sooner! What a great spot to vacation in!

  • Christina

    Wow, Lanzaroteis beautiful. I love that it is a small island, but so vast in the amount of activities and landscapes you can enjoy. The beaches look beautiful. I have never been to a European island, only Caribbean, but would love to visit one soon. As your post shows there is so much beauty to enjoy.

  • Medha Verma

    Wait a minute- I didn’t think there was enough to do in Lanzarote for 1 whole week but I can see from your carefully detailed out itinerary that there is. And to think, this is just one of the seven Canary Islands. I am also an explorer, not the kind of person who can just spend the day in a resort, and I love to venture out to explore the place that’s why I didn’t think there was much for me in a place like Lanzarote but I am happy to be proved wrong! Would love to rent a car and drive around!

  • Heather W

    The Canary Islands have always been a I would like to go kind of destination. It seemed expensive to get there, but I will admit I have never done any research into it. Looks like there are many reasons to visit Lanzarote which means it might need to pop higher in my list. Do you have any tips for getting to the islands cheaply?

    • admin

      It depends on where you coming from of course. I was flying from Moscow, Russia and I took three separate airlines (2 of them low-cast). I wrote a post taking about the experience and whether or not it was worth it. Basically it is a big hassle to fly separate airlines and go in and out of check-ins and security, but it was a cheap way. If you are looking for a cheaper way you could consider doing that. I always look for flights on kayak.com and they have options like that with multiple airlines. Once I got to Lanzarote I found everything to be pretty reasonably priced and I was happily surprised with the cost of the resorts.

    • admin

      You can actually do hiking, kayaking and more in Lanzarote too. It is not just for relaxing. Check out some of the links to the other activities you can do!

  • John and Susan Pazera

    So glad to connect with you on Twitter and thank you so much for replying to my questions. Your blog site is fantastic and this info is amazing. Following you!

    Cheers,
    John and Susan
    Expats in Medellin, Colombia

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