First Trip

On your first trip to an island like Lanzarate, as with any other, you will always have questions. In this section we will try to answer some of them, as well as giving advice, so that your visit to Lanzarote is as pleasant as possible.

The first recommendation is to book accommodation, you can choose between a hotel, apartments, rural house or even a villas, if you wish to have a more independent stay.

For transport, you can book a transfers, or hire a car these are very cheap on the island, as is the price of petrol.You also can opt for public transport such as a bus or finally, although somewhat more expensive, a taxi.

Amongst the places you shouldn’t miss, are Timanfaya, the Cesar Manrique Foundation, Jameos del Agua, El Golfo, el Mirador del Rio, la Cueva de los Verdes, the Cactus Garden, Teguise, Castillo de San José, el Monumento al Campesino, el Castillo de Guanapay, The Wine Museum (El Museo del Vino), el Museo Etnográfico, the Whale Museum (El Museo de Cetáceos), The Farming Museum (El Museo Agricola) or Las Salinas Del Janubio. For all of these you will find a more detailed and wider description in our Places of Interest section. You can also opt to arrange an excursion round the island; you will find everything you need in our section about excursions.

When it comes to food, there are dishes that you must try, such as the typically canarian sancocho (fish stew) or gofio (ground toasted cereals). We detail more traditional dishes in our Gastronomy section, and to accompany these dishes there is nothing better than canarian cheese and a good canarian wine. We offer a list of the best restaurants where you will be able to taste these dishes.

Finally, we remind you that you should not hesitate in sending us new queries via our Contact section, we will try to resolve them as soon as possible, and if we consider it a query of general interest, we will include it in our section to offer help new travellers.

In 1987 Lanzarote was declared one of the six universal models of sustainable development by the World Tourism Organization and in 1993 it was declared a Reserve of the Biosphere by UNESCO.

Lanzarote is the most easterly of the seven major Canary Islands and lies in the Atlantic Ocean only some 100 km (60 miles) from the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula.

Lanzarote, including the small islands of La Graciosa, Alegranza, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este y del Oeste, covers 886 km² running 60 km north to south and only 20 km at its widest point.

Fishing and agriculture once formed the basis of the island’s economy but have since been overtaken by the excellent quality of its tourism industry.

The artistic and cultural heritage has been successfully preserved.

The island enjoys an average temperature of 22ºC all year-round due to its advantageous location in the Tropic of Cancer.

Lanzarote is made up of seven municipalities: Arrecife (the capital), Teguise, Haría, San Bartolomé, Tías, Tinajo and Yaiza, with an official population of nearly 125.000 inhabitants, mostly residing in the south-central part of the island.

Arrecife is the political and commercial capital and home to half of the island’s population. Five minutes away is the international airport with its daily flights to the other Canary Islands as well as to mainland Spain and continental Europe.

Amongst the most outstanding attractions are the Art, Culture and Tourist Centres run under the auspices of the Insular Council. The world famous artist César Manrique's sensitive response to Lanzarote´s unique geography and people was instrumental in creating a pervasive artistic identity throughout the island.

The island was named after a Genoese navigator called Lancelotto Malocello who arrived on the island during the first half of the XIV century opening the way to successive expeditions of French, British and Spanish sailors and merchants. Previously the isles were known as the Fortunate Islands.

Great care has been taken in preserving its historical and artistic heritage, its monuments and characteristic houses, local festivals and customs... in short, the full expression of its culture and folklore.