Lanzarote Holidays: Resorts, Weather and Package Deals

Lanzarote works well for travellers who want reliable sunshine without a long transfer at either end. With direct flights from the UK and the airport only a few minutes from Puerto del Carmen, Arrecife and Tías, you lose very little of your holiday to travel, which matters with young children or on a short winter break.

Families tend to look first at Puerto del Carmen, which has Playa de los Pocillos on its doorstep and Rancho Texas Park, a zoo, within the resort. Couples and anyone curious about the island's character will find plenty beyond the beach: the Fundación César Manrique at Nazaret, the Jardín de Cactus at Guatiza, the Fortress of Saint Barbara above Teguise and the Castillo de San José in Arrecife, which houses the Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo.

Puerto del Carmen is the island's most searched-for resort and the biggest of the three, a town of around 30,000 people about six minutes by road from the airport. Playa de los Pocillos is its best-known beach, with Playa de Matagorda nearby towards Tías. It is the natural choice for families and first-timers who want everything close at hand.

Costa Teguise, smaller at around 7,600 residents, sits on the coast north of Arrecife with Playa del Jablillo and Playa de los Charcos, and the Royal Residence of La Mareta, a Spanish royal family residence, on its edge. It suits couples and families who prefer a calmer base. Playa Blanca, the second most popular resort, lies in the south and has its own ferry port.

For a quiet stay, small coastal villages such as El Golfo, with around 500 inhabitants and close to Timanfaya National Park, or Mala and Guatiza in the north-east are far removed from resort life. Arrecife, the largest town, is better for culture than for a beach holiday.

There is no off-season for weather here. At Puerto del Carmen the average high is 21°C in January and February, climbing to 25°C by April and peaking at 29°C in August, with October still reaching around 28°C. Overnight lows rarely drop below 15°C.

Rain is scarce all year. February and March are the dampest months, with four or five rain days, while July, August and September average just one. Winter sun seekers can travel from November to March with confidence, and summer brings the hottest, driest weather.

Package prices follow the UK school calendar, so half-terms, Easter, the summer holidays and Christmas are in highest demand. Booking early for those dates gives you more choice of resort and board basis; outside school holidays you usually have more flexibility.

Lanzarote Airport (ACE) is served by direct flights from the UK, and the departure airports available for your dates appear in each deal. The airport is unusually central: Tías is about four minutes away, San Bartolomé and Arrecife about five, and Puerto del Carmen about six, so the transfer in a package is short.

Playa Blanca and Costa Teguise are further from the airport, and the transfer time is shown when you compare packages. If you would rather explore on your own, car hire makes it easy to reach Timanfaya National Park, the Cueva de los Naturalistas near San Bartolomé or the northern village of Haría, and you can compare car hire on this page.

A package holiday bundles your return flight, hotel and airport transfers into one booking, and when sold as a package it is ATOL-protected, which British travellers value if plans change. You choose the board basis, from self-catering or bed and breakfast through to half board or all inclusive, which shapes both your budget and how much you eat out.

On this page you can compare live Lanzarote Spain holidays from Jet2holidays deals, TUI holidays, loveholidays deals and On the Beach deals side by side, including Jet2holidays Lanzarote packages if you already fly with them. You can also check hotel prices, see tours and tickets for sights like Timanfaya and compare car hire, so the whole of your Lanzarote Canary Islands holidays can be planned in one place.