Lanzarote holidays

Things to do

Explore your destination

Here's a little taste of what's on offer: for more excursion ideas, speak to your Rep.

Grand Island Tour
Forget sandy beaches, one of Lanzarote’s number one attractions is Timanfaya National Park. Here, you can ride a camel through the rugged landscape, see the destruction a volcanic eruption leaves behind and check out El Golfo’s green lake and El Janubio’s salt flats. Plus, you’ll taste local wine, see whitewashed villages and pretty albino crabs.

Rancho Texas
Practice your Texan drawl, it’s time to head back to the ranch and see cowboys and Indians battle it out in the wild west. During the day, there’s an Indian-style village to explore and at night, there’s toe-tapping dancing, lasso demos and thigh-slapping fun. The evening includes a barbeque with enough food and drink to fill the hungriest cowboy.

Submarine Safari
All aboard the yellow submarine. Head into the depths off the coast of Lanzarote where, in air-conditioned comfort, you’ll see the colourful marine life of Puerto Calero without getting your hair wet.

Volcan Grill
It’s not everyday your dinner’s cooked by volcanic heat. But at El Diablo, in the Timanfaya National Park, your meal’s whipped up using this unusual heating method. And, it’s served with panoramic sunset views, musical entertainment and is topped off with an impressive erupting volcano cake.

Highlights

• Setting foot into the moon-like landscapes of Timanfaya National Park, the setting of the original version of Hollywood blockbuster Planet of the Apes
• Speeding down fast slides and riding the rapids and inflatable jet skis at the fabulous Aquapark near Costa Teguise
• Finding out how El Grifo wine is made at Lanzarote’s Wine Museum near Masdache, the Canary Islands’ oldest wine cellars built over volcanic lava in the 18th century
• Watching an egg being fried on one of the volcanoes in Timanfaya National Park; meaning ‘Fire Mountains’, you’ll see just how hot the ground is when it starts sizzling
• Adding a boat trip to Fuerteventura to your Lanzarote holiday, to discover jaw-dropping sandy beaches, pretty villages and windmills turning lazily
• Visiting the world’s largest lava cave, Jameos del Agua, which Lanzarote born artist César Manrique turned into gardens, an auditorium, a swimming pool and restaurants
• Tasting the local Malvasía wine on a vineyard tour in La Geria, just north of Puerto del Carmen
• Imagining pirates attacking at Castillo de San Jose in Arrecife, which Lanzarote’s favourite artist César Manrique has made into an art gallery and restaurant
• Sailing to the peaceful little island of Graciosa for its amazing beaches and stunning volcanic landscapes
• Going underground at the Cave of Los Verdes, the world’s longest volcanic tunnel, created from an eruption over 3,000 years ago, it’s well lit with pretty green lights

Food and drink

With seafood dishes so popular in the Canary Islands, you just have to try Pescado a la Sal, fish baked in salt, and Sancocho Canario, a dried fish and potato stew.

You’ll also find a decent steak here, with plenty of international restaurants in the south coast’s main resorts serving up steak and chips, as well as full English breakfasts and Sunday roasts for a taste of home.

There are also wonderful tapas restaurants, with tasty nibbles like juicy olives and spicy prawns, perfect with a glass of sweet Malvasía wine; if you like a drier taste, try the semi-seco or seco varieties.

Evening Flavour

If you’re looking for maximum partying, Puerto del Carmen has bars, pubs and clubs along its buzzing Avenida de las Playas and in the Centro Atlántico, with Caesar’s and Disco Ibiza two of the most hyped.

For something more exclusive, at Playa Blanca’s Marina Rubícon you can sip drinks in the upmarket restaurants and bars, which include Café del Mar, a branch of the famous Ibiza sunset bar.

If easy evenings of sunset strolls, a few glasses of wine and a lingering meal out tickles your fancy, head to Costa Teguise.

Shopping

For a traditional shopping experience, head to the Sunday morning market in the old capital of Teguise on your Lanzarote holiday.

You’ll find local keepsakes in Teguise’s market, like handmade tablecloths, paintings, jewellery, and belts and handbags; take a break from the market’s bustle to watch Spanish dancing in front of the church.

In the capital, Arrecife, you can spend hours in the boutiques and find bargains in duty-free shops selling perfume, alcohol and electrical goods.

Puerto del Carmen’s Biosfera Centre is the place to hit for clothes shopping, with high street names like Zara on the list.

Dates for the Diary

Fiesta de San Gínes, in August, celebrates Lanzarote’s patron saint with a week of activities across the island, from sailing and wrestling to electing a new Miss Lanzarote, all with a firework finale.

For the Family

• Get all nautical at Lanzarote’s Puerto Calero where your kids can go catamaran sailing, helping steer the boat and raise the sails. It’s a real family experience for your holiday.
  
• Give go-karting a whirl at Gran Karting Club, near the airport. It’s got mini-karts for over fives, a junior track for over 12s, and karts designed for mum or dad to control while little ones think they’re doing the driving.
  
• At Aquapark in Costa Teguise, young kids have their own pool, slides, trampolines and bouncy castles, but there’s plenty of fun for teens and parents, too.

Local weather

Information

Language: Spanish. Currency: Euro. Standard GMT: +0 hrs. Spanish Tourist Office: 2nd Floor, 79 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6XB. Telephone: 020 7486 8077. www.spain.info

Travel money

Euro

You can get commission-free foreign exchange on currency notes and travellers cheques at most First Choice Travel Shops and Holiday Hypermarkets.