Lanzarote Holidays

Spend a fascinating few hours exploring the raw volcanic landscapes in Lanzarote’s southern region. Your journey begins in Uga, an appealing village of low white houses surrounded by palm trees. From here, you’ll head to the otherworldly Timanfaya National Park, the site of a series of eruptions from 1720 to 1736 and again in 1824. After watching demonstrations of the land’s geothermal power, you’ll board a coach to follow the starkly beautiful Ruta de Los Volcanes, with an expert guide to help make sense of what you’re seeing. Down by the sea at El Golfo, you’ll marvel at the extraordinary lagoon dyed vivid green by phytoplankton, set in the remains of a volcanic cone. Your final stop is a tour and tasting at a winery in La Geria, the island’s wine-making district, where the vines grow in land that’s completely covered in minute black volcanic pebbles.

• Duration: half day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Enjoy the best of northern Lanzarote on a journey through its dramatic landscapes and picturesque towns and villages. Your first port of call is the former capital, Teguise, where you’ll see its appealing old church and wander the narrow cobbled streets taking in the town’s sleepy charm. From here, you’ll continue to enchanting Haría, set in “The Valley of a Thousand Palms”, and on through other typical villages before arriving at the Mirador del Río. From this sleek architect-designed viewpoint on Famara Cliff, there are fabulous views of the neighbouring island of La Graciosa and the ocean beyond. Your onward route takes you past the imposing silhouette of La Corona volcano to your final stop: Jameos del Agua, a half-collapsed tunnel in the lava that contains an underground lake and one of the world’s most unusual music venues. On the return to your pick-up point, look out for plantations of prickly-pear cactuses, used in the production of cochineal.

• Duration: half day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Immerse yourself in the dramatic scenery of Lanzarote on a full-day adventure packed with unmissable sights. On the south coast, lava flows have created unique features, from the craggy shore and sea caves of Los Hervideros to the shallow Janubio lagoon with its salt flats. You’ll stop at El Golfo, a splash of dazzling green water in a collapsed volcanic cone, before heading to the Fire Mountains in Timanfaya National Park. In this blasted landscape – site of the island’s most recent eruptions – you’ll be able to appreciate the daunting power and stark beauty of these forces of nature. After lunch in Yaiza, one of Lanzarote’s prettiest villages, you’ll discover the plus side to all this geological restlessness in La Geria. This wine-making area in the shadow of Timanfaya is smothered in tiny black volcanic pebbles that retain precious moisture, and the vineyards that have been established here are like nowhere else. You’ll visit one of the wineries for a tasting, before heading north via sleepy towns and villages to Jameos del Agua, a volcanic cave complete with an underground lake.

• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Lanzarote has been shaped by its volcanoes, and this journey of discovery in the south will take you to some of its most otherworldly landscapes. Highlights include Timanfaya National Park, the scene of six years of all-but-non-stop eruptions in the 1730s, where the ground still simmers and where coaches take visitors along a narrow scratch of a road through the awe-inspiring Fire Mountains. The nearby coast has more geological sights, and you’ll get a panoramic view of the lagoon at Janubio, known for its salt pans, and the gnarled and jagged shoreline at Los Hervideros. At El Golfo, you’ll stop to explore the one-of-a-kind lake, stained vibrant emerald green by microscopic marine algae. After lunch in the picturesque village of Yaiza, you’ll cross into La Geria, a striking and unlikely spot for the island’s main vineyards. Here you’ll stop at a winery for a tasting and to discover how the tiny black pebbles that fell on this area during the last eruptions have proven to be such a boon.

• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Spend a whole day discovering the varied delights of northern Lanzarote, from scenic villages and quirky gardens to cultural attractions with a volcanic theme. At Teguise, the former capital, you’ll soak up the atmosphere of its narrow cobbled streets and its historic church, before heading on to Haría, with its scattering of simple whitewashed houses in a sea of palm trees. You’ll pass Volcan de La Corona and the shattered land around it before visiting the impressive series of lava caves formed by its last eruption. After a brief stop at a museum dedicated to the story of aloe vera, which grows here in abundance, you’ll check out the prickly-pear plantations in Guatiza, where natural cochineal is produced. Here a former stone quarry has been turned into a cactus garden that’s more beautiful than you’d believe possible. The final call is at the César Manrique Foundation, in the former home of the influential local artist, which has a hidden secret: a lower storey slotted into a series of underground lava bubbles.

• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

On the fringes of Timanfaya National Park, Los Volcanes is a startling landscape of lava fields created by the eruptions in the 1730s and 1824, and a fascinating place for a guided hike. As you walk among the volcanoes, craters and calderas, their slopes streaked orange, crimson, yellow and purple by minerals, you’ll discover an impressive range of features formed as the lava solidified, from cinder cones and tunnels to lava pools and hornitos. It’s so bare you could be walking on the moon, but if you look closer you’ll find lichens – nearly 100 different kinds – along with reptiles and birds, especially seabirds.

• Duration: full day
• Time: 8am to 3pm
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
The 3.5-mile walk is rated easy. Closed, comfortable footwear and warm layers are recommended.

Stretch your legs on a long-distance hiking trail that takes you through some of northern Lanzarote’s most impressive scenery. The 10-kilometre walk starts at the Volcan de La Corona, a natural monument whose imposing silhouette has dominated the skyline for around 3,000 years. You’ll circle the volcano, walking through the twisted sea of petrified lava known as the Malpaís de la Corona, taking in its strange beauty. From here, you’ll continue to the top of the Famara Cliffs, all that’s left of an ancient caldera and one of the most dramatic features of the island’s northern coast. You’ll follow the path for a few kilometres, enjoying the stunning sea views, before descending through a palm-tree-dotted ravine to the charming inland hamlet of Maguez not far from Haría.

• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
The 6-mile walk is rated moderate. Closed footwear is recommended.

Take to the water for a relaxing day discovering the scenic delights of La Graciosa, off Lanzarote’s north-west coast. You’ll reach the island via express ferry and board a sleek and spacious catamaran, where the pampering begins with a freshly made Mojito. As you sail along the coastline, taking in the magical views, you can lie back and soak up the sun in the nets or on the invitingly soft lounge seating. You’ll land at Caleta de Sebo, a picturesque fishing village that’s also the island’s sleepy capital, and whose unpaved streets lined with white sugar-cube houses are an appealing place to wander. Sailing on southwards, the catamaran will drop anchor in the sheltered bay just off Playa Francesa where you can snorkel, kayak or just stretch out on the soft white sand. Along the way, you’ll be able to enjoy lunch on board – a delicious freshly made paella.

• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
Draught beer, sangria and soft drinks on the boat are included.

Indulge in a spot of island hopping with a trip to neighbouring Fuerteventura. After a 35-minute ferry trip, you’ll reach Corralejo, from where you’ll head inland, enjoying the different landscapes along the way. Your first destination is La Oliva, briefly the capital 200 years ago and now a charming village blessed with a typically Canarian church that’s well worth a visit. From here, you’ll continue through the heart of the island to Betancuria, another former capital, where you’ll have some free time to explore: the immaculately restored 17th-century Casa Santa Maria, for instance, has a shady garden, craft demonstrations and an inviting café. Next, you’ll drop in at a traditional farm where they make goats cheese – a local speciality – and tour an aloe vera plantation. Returning northwards, along the coast this time, you’ll make a final stop at Corralejo’s famous natural park and its towering Sahara-like dunes before the return boat journey to Playa Blanca.

• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
You’ll need to bring your passport.

Corralejo natural park, with its soaring dunes, is arguably Fuerteventura’s best-known attraction and the perfect side trip from Lanzarote. You’ll board the ferry at Playa Blanca for the 35-minute cruise to Corralejo, keeping an eye out for flying fish, dolphins or maybe even whales on the way. Once on Fuerteventura, you’ll head to El Cotillo, a picturesque fishing village where you can check out the beach, walk along the promenade or relax with a drink in one of its little cafés. From here you’ll make for Corralejo, another former fishing village that’s now a popular resort, where you can go shopping, stroll through its streets or eat the freshest of fish in one of its inviting restaurants. After that comes the natural park itself, where you can walk on the dunes and try to take the perfect photo of them. There’ll be time to swim and sunbathe on the kilometre-long beach adjoining the park, undoubtedly one of the best in the Canary Islands, before your return to Lanzarote.

• Duration: full day
• Daily departures
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
You’ll need to bring your passport.