Things to Do in Lanzarote: Sights, Beaches and Day Trips

If you only have time for a few Lanzarote attractions, start with Timanfaya National Park. It lies on the west side of the island near the hamlet of El Golfo and is the sight most visitors put first. Closer to the resorts, Los Volcanes Natural Park near Tías protects more of the same lava country, so you get a sense of the island's volcanic character even on a short outing.

For things to see in Lanzarote beyond the landscape, the Fundación César Manrique at Nazaret and the Jardín de Cactus at Guatiza are the two names that come up again and again. Add the Fortress of Saint Barbara above Teguise and the Castillo de San José in Arrecife, which is listed as a museum, and you have a solid week of Lanzarote tourist attractions without repeating yourself.

Those who like something less obvious can look at the Cueva de los Naturalistas near San Bartolomé or the Archaeological area of Zonzamas near Nazaret, both well inland and quieter than the coast.

Puerto del Carmen and Tías, on the south-east coast, are where most people stay and where many Lanzarote beaches are found. Playa de los Pocillos and Playa de Matagorda run along this stretch, Rancho Texas Park is in Puerto del Carmen, and Tías has the Lanzarote Aeronautical Museum as well as easy access to Los Volcanes Natural Park. Arrecife, the capital, is next door, with the Castillo de San José and the Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo.

Costa Teguise, further up the east coast, has Playa del Jablillo and Playa de los Charcos, and it is also home to the Royal Residence of La Mareta, used by the Spanish royal family. Inland, places to visit include Teguise and its Fortress of Saint Barbara, Nazaret with the Fundación César Manrique and Zonzamas, and San Bartolomé with the Cueva de los Naturalistas. In the north, Guatiza has the Jardín de Cactus, while Haría and Mala have tours and activities of their own.

Out west, El Golfo is the base for Timanfaya National Park, and Tinajo also offers activities. Playa Blanca in the far south is one of the main resorts and has a ferry port, while Arrecife's port sits right by the town.

Families usually split their time between the beach and one or two outings. Playa de los Pocillos near Puerto del Carmen and Playa del Jablillo in Costa Teguise are both in the resort areas, so you are never far from your hotel when little legs tire. Rancho Texas Park, the zoo in Puerto del Carmen, is the most obviously child-focused attraction on the list.

The Jardín de Cactus tends to hold children's attention better than a conventional garden, and the Lanzarote Aeronautical Museum near Tías suits anyone with a plane-spotter in the family. Timanfaya National Park is a good choice for older children who will appreciate the volcanic scenery. Because the airport is so close to Puerto del Carmen, Arrecife and Tías, travel days with young children are refreshingly short.

You can compare tours and tickets for the island's sights directly on this page, with activities listed across a dozen towns from El Golfo to Haría. If you prefer to explore at your own pace, car hire is also shown here; distances are short, and most of the sights above sit within about 10 miles of the main resorts.

If you have not yet booked the holiday itself, package deals combining flights from the UK, hotel and transfers are displayed alongside, along with hotel prices. Weather is reliably dry all year, with highs of 21°C in January rising to 29°C in August, so the main thing that changes the cost of a trip is the school-holiday calendar rather than the season.