Lanzarote
Spain
A black volcanic island that one artist talked out of building high, and almost no rain
Photo by Malcolm Ketteridge on Unsplash
Photos by Benjamin Knöll, Malcolm Ketteridge and Bechir Kaddech on Unsplash
Best time to visit all of Spain
All year — most comfortable March to May and September to November; the winter sun season is mild rather than hot
Climate month by month
The next sixteen daysOpen-Meteo
Average high and low · °C
Rainfall · mm per month
Best months to visit This month · wettest 25mm in Dec
Where it is
28.96°N, 13.55°W Open in Google Maps
Things to do
A week easily- Do Timanfaya first thing, because the volcano route is by park coach only and the queue builds
- Buy the combined ticket for the César Manrique sites rather than paying at each
- Drive the La Geria wine road and stop at two bodegas
- Take the ferry from Órzola to La Graciosa, where the streets are sand
- Swim at the Papagayo coves, reached by a dirt road with a small charge for cars
Lanzarote travel tipsthe general rules
Currency budget Spain
Mid-rangeEuros, and the Canaries sit outside the EU VAT area, so alcohol and tobacco cost less than on the mainland. Cards are taken everywhere, including at the César Manrique sites, which sell a combined ticket worth buying if you will see three or more.
ATMs & cards
Bank machines in Arrecife and in the resort towns. The standalone machines on the Puerto del Carmen strip push conversion; a bank branch is a short walk away.
Avoid these
- Euronet and the standalone machines on the resort strips
Use these instead
- CaixaBank
- BBVA
- Santander
- Sabadell
Decline the machine's offer to convert into your own currency and take the euro amount.
Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.
Safety all of Spain
SafeVery safe; petty theft in the resorts is the whole of the crime picture. The hazards are the Atlantic — strong currents on the west and north coasts, Famara above all — and the sun, which burns quickly in a breeze that makes it feel cooler than it is. The winter is mild rather than hot, and the trade wind blows most days.
Where to walk, and where to pay attention (9 areas)
Comfortable, including after dark
Worth more attention
- Playa de Famara — a surf beach with strong currents, where swimmers are lost most years
- Los Hervideros — and the rest of the west coast lava shelves, where waves break over the rocks without warning
- Red and yellow flags at any beach — the Atlantic here is not the Mediterranean
- The sun in the trade wind, which burns faster than the temperature suggests
Our own assessment, not a sourced index.
Entry & visa Spain visa rules
No visa needed
Freedom of movement — no time limit, and no visa. Bring a passport or national ID card.
Other passports
No visa neededup to 90 days
90 days within any 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen area, not per country. ETIAS, a paid online authorisation, is being introduced for these passports — check the official link for whether it applies to your travel dates.
Visa required in advance€90 (Schengen short-stay visa)
A Schengen short-stay visa is applied for before travel, at the consulate of your main destination.
How to get it: Apply at the consulate or visa centre of the country you will spend most time in, typically 15 working days ahead and no more than six months before travel.
Entry rules change often and depend on your passport, not where you live — the official page above is the authority, and the airline checks before you board.
Health & emergencies all of Spain
Excellent and cheapRequired to enter
No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.
Jabs worth having, and what happens if you need a doctor
Worth having
- Routine vaccinations up to date (MMR, tetanus, polio)
Getting treated
EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment.
Orientation, not medical advice — entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history. Check with a travel clinic four to six weeks before you go.
Food tip
GoodMalvasía from La Geria, a dry white grown in hollows dug through the ash, is the drink to try. Goat's cheese, papas arrugadas with mojo, and fish grilled whole at the harbour restaurants in El Golfo and Arrieta. The wineries along the La Geria road pour by the glass.
Travel tipsGetting around
WorkableThe mainland apps barely reach the island — Uber lists it, but do not expect a car. Taxis at a rank or called by the hotel are the answer, and a hire car is how most people get around.
Time zone and your working day
Atlantic/Canary — 5 hours ahead of you
3 hours of overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are — 09:00–12:00 your time, 14:00–17:00 theirs.
No overlap with a 09:00–17:00 day where you are. Working from here means one of you keeps odd hours — their day starts at 04:00 on your clock.
office hours both at once night
Their 09:00–17:00 is 04:00–12:00 on yours.
The difference from the UK, Europe, the US and ten more
Worked out against America/New York, which is where this request looks like it came from.
eSIM
A data eSIM for Spain, installed before you fly and working the moment you land:
Works here
Works hereRevolutIn the app
Must-see
Travel tipsNearby day trips
Travel tipsSay a few words
Spanish
- HelloHolaOH-la
- PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
- Thank youGraciasGRA-thyas
- Yes / NoSí / Nosee / no
4 more phrases
- Excuse mePerdónper-DON
- How much is it?¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta
- The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta
- Cheers!¡Salud!sa-LOOD
Religion
Catholic
Nominally Catholic and deeply secular in practice. Churches are working buildings as well as sights, and Semana Santa is taken seriously even by people who never attend Mass.
Travel tipsDo's and don'ts
Do
- Eat late — lunch from 14:00, dinner rarely before 21:00
- Greet with two cheek kisses, right cheek first, between women or a man and a woman
- Stand at the bar to drink; it is cheaper than sitting and more sociable
- Say buenos días on entering a small shop, and adiós on leaving
Don't
- Do not expect anything to be open between 14:00 and 17:00 outside the big cities
- Do not order sangria in a serious restaurant — it is a tourist drink; ask for tinto de verano
- Do not tip heavily; rounding up or a euro or two is normal
- In Barcelona, do not assume Catalan and Spanish are interchangeable — the distinction matters to people
Where to stay in Lanzarote
No Holistay rentals in Lanzarote yet — the platform is just opening up. Every listing here will have a video tour and the option to negotiate the nightly price directly with the host.
In the meantime, here is Lanzarote on the sites that do have the inventory — each search is already filled in:
- Booking.com hotels, guesthouses and apartments — the widest coverage almost everywhere
- Airbnb whole homes and apartments, and the better option for a week or more
How to get there
Fly into Lanzarote ACE
10 minfrom the airport· 6 km as the crow flies
10 min to Arrecife, 15 to Puerto del Carmen, 35 to Playa Blanca.
Google Flights · Rome2Rio for the trains, buses and ferries as well as the flights
