We recently booked an all-inclusive holiday in Lanzarote with Tui. Before the plane landed, we got a glimpse of the landscape and could instantly see why the Island has this nickname. Covered in the remnants of volcanic activity, it makes for extremely epic scenery. Due to the nature of the time, Covid restrictions were a little unsettling for travel. However, after 2 days in the resort, we decided it was time to hire a car and get out to explore the island.
We didn’t have many expectations of the Lanzarote holiday. We had booked it 2 days before we travelled so didn’t have much time to plan. I think this worked great though as we found there was so much more to Lanzarote than we had ever imagined. It takes about an hour to drive from one tip of the island to the other making it easy to explore. Lanzarote’s main highway runs the length of the island. Roads are very established, great if you are a novice to driving on the other side of the road.
In the blog post, I want to share with you some of our favourite activities and attractions to do when you are on holiday in Lanzarote, there’s so much to do here!
Timanfaya National Park
Probably the most well-known tourist attraction for holiday-makers in Lanzarote. First, we decided to head to the visitor centre which is about 5 minutes down the road. Inside is a museum of information on the historical volcanic activity on the Island. It also teaches about Volcanoes in general which our toddler really enjoyed as it was interactive. After, we then headed to the main entrance where there is a ticket office and a man selling the passes.
Included in the price of the entrance was a 45-minute bus tour of the national park, visiting different volcanoes and explaining the activity. Afterwards, you head back to the main building for a demonstration of the different hot spots and what they can do. There is no other way to view the National Park other than to do the passes but I felt it was well worth the price.
At the top, there is also a restaurant that I would highly recommend if you get the chance. Prices are mid-range but really worth it, even just for the experience. We had lunch and ordered the volcano roasted chicken and pork skewers. You can watch the chefs cooking your food over a volcano grill. You can admire the never-ending views of volcanic rock whilst eating.
Entry Prices – 12 Euro per adult, ages 7 – 14 years are 6 Euro and under 7 years are free.
Cueva de los Verdes – Green Caves
Probably one of our favourite activities of our time there. The cave is an accessible section of the famous long lava tube in the North of the Island. All together the tube is 6km long inland and continues below the sea for 1.5km. when choosing a cave, we noticed another cave called Jameos del Agua. However, we decided to do this one as it felt more gritty and less staged. As soon as you read anything about the green caves you’ll constantly see people talking about the ‘secret’. This was also why I chose this one as I needed to know what it was. I won’t spoil the secret but you won’t be disappointed, it’s amazing!
The entrance is 10 Euros per adult and you have to join a guided tour to enter. They run every 20 minutes with no minimum amount of people (this was the case when we visited). Our group had around 20 people and we hung at the back of the group so we could walk at Roman’s pace. We made it, even more, child friendly by going on a T-Rex hunt, hiding his dinosaur toys on the rocks, It kept him engaged and he absolutely loved it!
Wine tasting in La Geria
Something initially more for the adults, but actually a great thing for the whole family. Lanzarote has an amazing valley called La Geria which is now a protected area. La Geria is a long road, covering around 52 square kilometres lined with vineyards that look like another planet. The Vineyards are built with volcanic rocks in a row after row of semi-circles and a grapevine in each one. This helps to stop the harsh winds from destroying the crop. Black volcanic rock soil to grow the crop makes it unique, this wine is something you need to try!
You can drive along the road and just pick a vineyard to pull into. We chose Bodega La Geria as it had such a lovely atmosphere and great grounds for little ones to explore. They also had a shop and restaurant attached, we grabbed a wine tasting platter and some ice creams. Sit outside as the views are incredible. I highly recommend visiting one of the wineries at sunset, the colours are phenomenal.
Green Lagoon
Located in the beautiful El Golfo, we visited here a few times due to the number of things here to see. First, is the Green Lagoon itself. The lagoon is the remains of a volcanic crater that over the years filled with seawater. The algae mixed with sulphur has created this wonderful green glowing water in the crater. There is a really accessible track that you walk up to the viewpoint, most abilities will be fine with this. Once you have been up then I recommend going down!
There is a large black sand beach at the base. We loved exploring the rock pools and volcanic rock made a great climbing frame. Finally, if you drive to the end of the road in El Golfo we found a great playground opposite the beach. It had loads of climbing frames, slides and swings that were great for burning some toddler energy.
Beaches
I always have to mention beaches. Holidays in Lanzarote mean you are spoilt for a choice of beaches. There are so many to choose from, we tried to visit as many as we could fit in. We went to some local beaches in Playa Blanca where we stayed. However, we also travelled to some of the best beaches we’ve ever visited.
Firstly is Papagayo, this one was constantly recommended to us on Instagram. An honest review; yes it was extremely pretty and very impressive. But, it is also uncomfortably crowded. Baring in mind we visited during covid restrictions, the beach was packed out. I don’t think I would want to be here at the height of the season or you need to get here very early to avoid the crowds. You also have to pay to pass the toll booth which leads to the beach in order to get there. I’m glad we went as it is so beautiful, but just bare this in mind.
Our favourite beach in Lanzarote was Playa Caleton Blanco. It’s located right up in the north of the island, but if you have small children you need to go here! The water is really shallow even after walking out far. Due to the volcanic lava, the beach is covered in natural toddler splash pools. They run along the front of the water and stay warmer in the sun. The beach itself is huge so there’s no worry of overcrowding and the sand is that perfect sand that brushes straight off. If you know, you know!
Teguise Sunday Market
If you fancy some retail therapy then head to the town of Teguise on a Sunday. It is a very charming, quaint town with cobbled streets. Lined with beautiful cafes, independent shops selling local items and restaurants. You could spend an entire day here just wandering around exploring the museums and church alone.
On Sundays, the town comes to life with a market covering the streets. You can find stalls of local artists and sellers selling their art, crafts and souvenirs to take back a little piece of your Lanzarote holiday.
If you are looking for a great keepsake and original piece of art there is a great shop called Wax Hands. Owned by a Welsh couple Laura and Paul they create these amazing pieces of wax art from your hands for as little as 10 Euros! If you are also into diving Paul is an experienced diving instructor on the island, he took us out on a great dive trip after meeting him in his shop and getting chatting.
Holiday in Lanzarote – Where to next?
If you enjoyed this post and are looking to book another destination for a family holiday. Why not check out more of our European destination guides here.
