Most people only see the tourist resorts when they visit Lanzarote, however, just as there are a wide variety of landscapes on the island, there are also big differences between the towns and places.
To view full information and links about each place listed below, please click on the name of the place.
Lanzarote’s Capital
Arrecife
If you want to catch a more modern and metropolitan side of Lanzarote then visit Arrecife, the islands capital. Here you will find a lively port city, shaped both by its seafaring past and its current, rapid regeneration.
Arrecife is home to around half the island’s inhabitants, with a population of some 45,000 and boasts shopping galore, beaches, parks, promenades, nightlife and all of the attendant urban hustle and bustle.
Main Resort Towns
There are four main resort towns on the island of Lanzarote.
Costa Teguise
One of the island’s longest established resorts, Costa Teguise started to be developed in the 1970s and was really designed as a tourist resort from the start.
There are many things to do in Costa Teguise, from lazing on the beach to a round of Golf or revitalising your senses with a blast on a windsurfer.
Playa Blanca
The Lanzarote resort of Playa Blanca has seen rapid development over the last few years, although thankfully due to the islands strict planning laws, none of this has been high-rise.
Although it continues to develop, it has retained its more relaxed atmosphere and is still considered more upmarket by many, than Costa Teguise or Puerto del Carmen, and is home to the largest selection of luxury villas in Lanzarote.
Puerto Calero
A very new resort — much smaller than Costa Teguise, Playa Blanca or Puerto del Carmen — and definitely more upmarket.
Puerto Calero represents one mans dream and is definitely a place to visit if you appreciate the finer things or have a love of boats, as the marina here is excellent.
Puerto del Carmen
The oldest resort on the island and still a firm favourite with many people. Originally built around the old harbour it has extended along six kilometres of golden, sandy beaches.
It offers a wide range of holiday styles from studio apartments overlooking the lively beach road to luxury private villas in the exclusive Los Mojones area perched on a clifftop overlooking the harbour and out to sea.
Other Towns
Haria
Widely known as the valley of 1,000 palms, Haria has much to offer the visitor who wants to see a real slice of Lanzarote.
A rural community, cut off from much of Lanzarote, the town is starting to recover it’s golden past.
San Bartolomé
San Bartolomé lies right in the heart of Lanzarote — both geographically and culturally. Find out all about it in our Visitors Guide to San Bartolomé.
La Villa de Teguise
Teguise was the capital of the island for hundreds of years, until it lost this title to Arrecife.
Now largely ignored by tourists — other than for the Sunday Market — it remains a great place to visit in the week, as it has some excellent architecture and remains relatively quiet.
Check out our Guide to Teguise to find out more.
Tias
Despite being one of the oldest and most important towns on the island Tias doesn’t often feature very prominently in many tourist guides and, on the face of it, appears to boast few major attractions.
Yet this busy town, overlooking the main resort of Puerto Del Carmen, is home to a Nobel prize winner as well as a growing army of ex-pats. It also boasts a growing reputation as a destination in it’s own right and is the conduit through which the vast majority of the island’s sizeable tourist revenue flows.
Find Out More in our Guide to Tias.
Yaiza
Voted the Prettiest village in Spain on more than one occasion, Yaiza is a quiet and tranquil place to explore.
Lucky to still be here at all, because of it’s proximity to the volcanoes at Timanfaya, it should be on any visitors list of places to see.
You can find out more by reading our Guide to Yaiza.
Coastal Villages
There are still a number of small, sea-side villages which have escaped the developers excesses found in the main resort areas.
Caleta de Famara
Small fishing village on the North-West coast, which is highly popular with local and international surfers.
With some stunning views, bracing walks and a selection of nice — if simple — restaurants, it has much to offer if you want to chill out for a while.
Playa Quemada
Just a few kilometres South of Puerto Calero, this is a very small village, where the houses spill right onto the black, volcanic beach.
It certainly offers an insight into what Lanzarote used to be like, before it was discovered by the tourist trade.
