Visit Lanzarote with the Spain travel guide

Visit Lanzarote

Lanzarote is the fourth largest of the Canary Islands. The Spanish owned archipelago located around 100 miles off the coast of West Africa. Enjoying a semi tropical climate that is characterised by very low rainfall and temperatures that average 22 °Celsius; even during the depths of December

As a result the island is popular as both a winter and summer sun destination and welcomes around 1.5 million tourists very year. The majority of them from the UK, Eire and Germany.

Explore Lanzarote

The island first came under Spanish rule in the early 1400´s when it was conquered by a Norman nobleman called Jean de Bethencourt. Who successfully subdued the native Guanche inhabitants before going on to conquer the other six Canary Islands.

During the 16th and 17th centuries Lanzarote became an important trading post between the New World and the Old World. Providing a refuelling post for the Spanish galleons that traversed the Atlantic at that time, laden with Inca silver and African slaves.

A lucrative trade that attracted the attentions of famous British privateers such as Walter Raleigh and Francis Drake (both to this day regarded as little better than pirates in Spain).

The island was rocked by a series of massive volcanic eruptions during the 1730´s; and again in 1824, events that totally transformed much of Lanzarote´s interior. Farms and villages were wiped out and replaced with lava fields and burnt out volcanoes.

Today this entire region, known as the Moñtanas del Fuego, or Fire Mountains, has become Lanzarote´s most popular tourist attraction. The surreal scenery here really is out of this world and is often likened to the surface of the moon. The lava fields occupy an area of around 200km square punctuated by the peaks of around 300 now dormant volcanoes.

Indeed the scenery here is so dramatic that it has been used as backdrop by numerous film makers. Pedro Almódovar's film 'Broken Embraces' stars Penelope Cruz and was shot on location around the island. Whilst science fiction classics such as One Million Years BC and Journey To the Centre of the Earth were also filmed at The Fire Mountains.

Tourism is concentrated in the three main resorts of Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise. This is where visitors will also find the bulk of the best Lanzarote villas and hotels and apartments for rent. Rural tourism is also growing in popularity as more and more visitors seek to connect with the 'real Lanzarote'.

As well as the volcanic region and 90 plus excellent beaches Lanzarote is also home to the many creations of the locally born artist, César Manrique. He not only campaigned for the controlled development of tourism on the island but also created ecologically friendly attractions that work with the volcanic terrain. Such as the Jameos del Agua, the Mirador del Rio and the Jardin de Cactus.

Manrique´s work and Lanzarote´s delicate volcanic terrain was placed under UNSECO protection in 1994 and Lanzarote is now a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The first island in the world to enjoy such status.

You can explore this volcanic scenery in the Timanfaya National Park whose entrance is near to the village of Yaiza.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Lanzarote guide and the Eastern Canary Islands guide.

Map of Lanzarote and places to visit

Lanzarote places to visit

Teguise

Teguise was the island's capital until 1852. It has some very attractive buildings. Visit the town on Suday, market day.

Teguise guide

Timanfaya National Park

The Parque Nacional de Timanfaya in the Mountanas de Fuego or Fire Mountains are eerily beautiful. At the entrance you can take a camel ride up a volcanic slope.

Timanfaya National Park guide