Planning to spend one week in Lanzarote? Great choice, this is one of our favorite islands in Europe! And why you may ask – am I the best person to tell you how to spend one week in Lanzarote? Well, I’ve visited this gorgeous island three times (so far!), done all of the activities, and eaten at all of the restaurants listed below. So, I’m writing from personal experience!
Lanzarote is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Europe and that’s because the weather is consistently great, it’s easy to get around and there are heaps of amazing things to do here. What other places in the world can you visit a cactus garden and a cave in the same afternoon? Not many! That’s the great thing about this island, too – it’s small so you can pack a lot into one week in Lanzarote!
As I said, I’ve been to this stunning island three times now, the first time I spent 5 days in Lanzarote. But I think one week in Lanzarote is the ideal amount of time to spend here as you’ll get to tick off the must-see places and above all, not feel too rushed!
The PERFECT Lanzarote Itinerary
Your one week in Lanzarote will kickstart with three nights in Puerto del Carmen as this resort town is close to the airport and from here you can easily explore places like the Jardin de Cactus, Jameos del Agua, and Caleta de Famara. Next, you’ll spend two nights in Costa Teguise so that you can visit Teguise town and the aquarium. Finally, you’ll end your one week in Lanzarote with two nights in Playa Blanca, aka our favorite place to stay on the island!
Day 1: Puerto del Carmen
We recommend starting your week in Lanzarote in busy Puerto del Carmen, seeing as it’s only a 15-minute taxi ride from Lanzarote Airport.
Puerto del Carmen is a package holidayer’s dream. It is a bustling and vibrant resort with an abundance of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. It is definitely geared towards the younger tourist. In the new town of Puerto del Carmen, the beach is its beating heart, its core, it runs pretty much the entire length of the resort.
You can do every type of water sport imaginable, from jet skiing to surfing. We went to the Marine Water Park (a floating playground of sorts in the sea), which was way more challenging than it looked, but what a laugh we had. My belly was sore from laughing the entire time. My nephew who’s seven went on this but my niece who’s not yet two was too young. I definitely recommend your little one be over seven for this activity. It costs €5 per person.
I think the best way to spend a day in Puerto del Carmen would be to start with a wander through the old town, then head to Rancho Texas Park for a few hours (it’s so much fun and not just for kids) and then end your afternoon relaxing on the beach. You can read more about my favorite things to do in Puerto del Carmen below –
The old town of Puerto del Carmen:
My personal favorite in this area is the ‘old town’ of Puerto del Carmen, which has more of a local feel to it. There are lots of restaurants along the cliff walk to Puerto Calero, and many serve fish caught that day. I definitely recommend walking this route, too, for some great photo opportunities.
Rancho Texas Park:
This is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Lanzarote with kids! Rancho Texas Park is a massive Western-themed park that is home to a zoo and water park. You can also catch several educational presentations throughout the day here. These include a dolphin show, a birds of prey demonstration, a macaw and cockatoo show, and a sea lion show. We saw all of the presentations when we visited and honestly, they’re all worth seeing. Each show lasts around 20 minutes. The dolphin show was our favorite!
In the zoo section, you can see lots of different animals from white tigers to penguins and crocodiles and there’s even a petting zoo section where you can pet goats and donkeys. What I loved about the zoo section is how spread out it is and there’s lots of shade too. Ideal for escaping the intense Lanzarote heat.
As I mentioned, there’s also a waterpark here which has a couple of slides and two splash zones – one for older kids and one for younger kids.
Tickets for Rancho Texas Park cost €42 per adult and €28 for kids aged between 3 and 12. Kids under 3 are free!
Where to stay in Puerto del Carmen:
We recommend spending three nights in Puerto del Carmen and using it as your base to explore the Cactus Garden and Jameos del Agua on your second day. And El Golfo and Caleta de Famara on your third day.
We recommend the following hotels in Puerto del Carmen –
- Gloria Izaro Club Hotel – located 650 meters from the beach with a large outdoor pool and air-conditioning in each room. A one-bedroom apartment (including breakfast) costs from €85 per night
- Gueldera Apartments – just 400 meters from the quieter Playa de los Pocillos, each apartment here offers a terrace. A standard apartment costs from €57 per night.
- Rocas Blancas Apartments – just 50 meters from the main beach in Puerto del Carmen, you are certainly right in the middle of the action – making it ideal for couples. There are stunning views from your private balcony. A one-bedroom apartment costs from €70 per night.
Day 2: Cactus Garden & Jameos del Agua
Using Puerto del Carmen as your base, we recommend getting up early on day two to head to two of my favorite spots on Lanzarote – the Jardin de Cactus and Jameos del Agua. It’s best to have a car for this as the Jardin de Cactus is a 30-minute drive from Puerto del Carmen and Jameos del Agua is a further 15-minute drive from the Cactus Garden. As getting here via public transport will take a lot longer.
If you do need to use public transport – you will need to get the Line 12 and then the Line 7 bus from Puerto del Carmen to the Cactus Garden. Then, from the Cactus Garden, you can hop on the Line 9 bus to Jameos del Agua.
Cactus Garden:
The Jardin de Cactus is exactly what it says on the tin – a garden filled with cactus. Would you believe, there are around 4,500 cactus here? And they’re all different shapes and sizes. Even though my daughters were only 3 and 2 when we visited, they loved it here and my 3-year-old still talks about the huge cactus. There’s a massive 8-meter cactus at the entrance that’s so cool to see!
The on-site restaurant serves up a variety of cactus-themed food. We loved the cactus croquettes and my daughters loved the prickly pear juice. If you’re a coffee drinker like us, the coffee here is good and strong!
I recommend spending around two hours here, an adult ticket costs €8, and children aged between 7-12 cost €4. Children under 6 are free! We rented a car to get here – it’s located in the small town of Guatiza around a 30-minute drive from Puerto del Carmen.
Jameos del Agua:
Another one of the most popular attractions on Lanzarote is Jameos del Agua. This super-unique lagoon is 7 meters deep and is located inside a cave. The deep blue lagoon is home to the famed blind crab. These teeny-tiny white crabs are unique to the cave (they’re not found anywhere else in the world!).
The cave was formed due to the collapse of the volcanic tube of La Corona and it’s such a photogenic and unusual place. We took lots of photos. There’s also a museum on-site called the Casa de los Volcanos, which you pay a little extra for but here you can do a virtual reality experience in the museum that explores the inside of the cave- my daughters loved it.
Me and my husband loved the natural auditorium here, it’s an event space within a cave that seats up to 550 people. And I can imagine that getting to see a concert here would be a bucket-list-worthy experience!
We recommend spending around 2.5 hours here exploring the cave and the museum. There’s also a restaurant and Cafe on-site. We got some snacks at the Cafe and were surprised by how reasonably priced it was. An adult ticket for Jameos del Agua costs €15 and children aged from 7-12 are €7.50. Kids under 6 are free.
Day 3: Caleta de Famara & El Golfo
For your third day we recommend driving from Puerto del Carmen to El Golfo (this will take around 30 minutes) and from there drive a further 45 minutes to Caleta de Famara. Both are what I would call hidden gems on the island of Lanzarote. They are both insanely beautiful and are a must-visit if you’re into photography (like me!)
Again, I highly recommend having a rental car for today. But, if you do need to use public transport you can get the bus from Puerto del Carmen to Yaiza and hop in a 10-minute taxi ride from there to El Golfo. To get from El Golfo to Caleta de Famara – you will need to get two buses the Line 20 and then the Line 60 bus.
El Golfo:
Start this morning at El Golfo, which as I said is around a 30-minute drive from Puerto del Carmen. Here, you’ll find Charco de los Clicos, a viewpoint over a bright green lake that’s surrounded by volcanic Mars-like scenery. It’s a short walk from the car park to the viewpoint where you’ll see not only the green lake, which gets its color from the type of algae that grows in it but also a black sand beach. You can follow a different, longer path to the beach if you wish.
There’s also a large Cafe near the car park which has a lovely outdoor area that looks over the beach. And in the small fishing village below the car park (it’s called El Golfo) there are several excellent seafood restaurants. We recommend having lunch in one of these.
Caleta de Famara:
The unique beach-side town of Caleta de Famara is around a 45-minute drive from El Golfo. The drive there is reason enough to visit it – long winding roads through the volcanic landscape. Yup, Caleta de Famara, more commonly known as Famara is one of my top picks for your week in Lanzarote.
This part of Lanzarote is famous for its incredible surfing and watersports facilities. You can try your luck at surfing, kitesurfing, or windsurfing – basically any kind of surfing you can think of! Lessons are easy to come by, and there are more than enough places to rent equipment in the small village. We counted five on our short walk.
Whether you just want to laze on the sand surrounded by rugged cliffs that would look more in place in South Africa, or get involved in the watersports yourself, Famara makes for a great afternoon out on the island.
Day 4: Costa Teguise
Next, we recommend heading to Costa Teguise and checking in for two nights.
Nicknamed breezy Teguise due to the cooling breeze that blows over the area every so often. Costa Teguise is ideal for families, given it’s a little quieter than Puerto del Carmen. Beach-wise – Bastian Beach is ideal for families with small children since it is easily accessible and protected from the winds. Jablillo Beach is also stunning with its fine white sand.
In the town area of Costa Teguise, why not visit the Pueblo Marinero, which is a cluster of typical Canary buildings developed by artist Cesar Manrique? It is home to many restaurants, bars, and stores, as well as a market held every Friday from 7 pm.
On a side note, it’s never too hot on this coast, in fact, it can be quite windy. The locals even call it ‘Breezy Teguise’.
Some of my favorite things to do in Costa Teguise include visiting the Lanzarote Aquarium and the Aquapark Costa Teguise. You can read more about these below –
Lanzarote Aquarium:
One of the biggest aquariums in the Canary Islands is located in Costa Teguise. The Lanzarote Aquarium is home to various species of tropical and local Canarian fish as well as ocean predators like sharks. You can also see eels, hermit crabs, and more here!
There’s a tactile (touching) aquarium here where visitors can touch sea urchins and sea cucumbers.
For older kids, a dive with sharks in the aquarium is sure to be an experience they’ll remember forever. It’s completely safe and is run by a diving center with years of experience. Not to worry if you’ve never dived before as it’s suitable for beginners.
Entrance costs from €15 per adult and €10 for children aged from 4-12. Kids under 3 are free!
Aquapark Costa Teguise:
The biggest waterpark on the island is located in Costa Teguise, Aquapark Costa Teguise has something for all ages and it’s the perfect place to spend a full day! There are 3 different sections for different age groups. For small kids, there are soft slides a game castle, and a lagoon. While older kids can have fun on the Kamikaze slide, Whirlwind slide, and adrenalin-pumping rapids.
For non-water-related fun, you can test your skills on the obstacle course, go paintballing (for an extra fee), or check out the 10D cinema. Tickets for the Aquapark in Costa Teguise cost from €28!
Where to stay in Costa Teguise:
We were lucky enough to stay at the THB Lanzarote Beach Resort, which has everything you could possibly think of. Seven swimming pools, a poolside bar, a supermarket, an on-site restaurant free water sports including kayaking, and stand-up paddle-boarding. If you have your own inflatable SUP you can try it out at the sheltered Cucharas beach. If not, you can rent one from the Surf School near Cucharas Beach.
Day 5: Teguise
The old capital of Lanzarote on the island’s east coast is my suggestion for your fifth day as it’s just a 20-minute drive from Costa Teguise. You can easily get the Line 31 bus here if you don’t fancy driving.
Teguise is awash with colonial charm and architecture. The town’s lovely cobbled streets and white-wash buildings make it a joy to stroll through. It’s pretty small, too, so you can definitely walk all of it in under an hour.
Teguise is most well-known known for its busy market that takes over the gorgeous Plaza de San Miguel every Sunday morning. You can buy everything from beer to fine artisan crafts to cheap watches here. The vibrant atmosphere alone makes it worth the trip. The market is very obviously targeting tourists so you’ll also see a number of street musicians and artists plying their trade around the hustle and bustle of the market.
As well as the market, Teguise boasts a number of fine churches and religious icons. Must-sees include the Ntra. Sra. de Guadalupe church, the convents of St. Domingo and San Francisco, and the castle of Santa Bárbara which stands atop the Guanapay volcano, overlooking the city.
Day 6: Playa Blanca
To end your itinerary we recommend spending your last two nights in Playa Blanca which is our favorite place to stay on the island!
Playa Blanca is both peaceful and stunning and is the third largest tourism area on the island (behind Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise). The Playa Blanca boardwalk is where the majority of the bars and restaurants are located. The recreational port is also worth a visit as there is a large shopping center here.
The best beaches in Playa Blanca are Dorada, Flamingo, and Papagayo. The latter (Papagayo) is the most popular with its white sandy coves.
We recommend having a slow, easy day today – walk along the coastal walkway which is lined with restaurants, bars, and Cafes, go for a swim in Papagayo Beach, and eat some awesome food. Our favorite restaurants in Lanzarote are located in Playa Blanca – we particularly loved Indian Delights and Mariachi Mexican Food both on Avenida de Papagayo, and Ninen (an incredible Italian) on Calle Limones.
Where to stay in Playa Blanca:
In Playa Blanca, we stayed at Caybeach Sun – which is around a 10-minute walk into town. Playa Blanca is our favorite area to stay in Lanzarote as it’s so pretty and the restaurants here are the best on the island. At Caybeach Sun, there’s a decent-sized kids pool, two bigger pools, a kid’s playground and, a kids club. You can book all-inclusive as an option here but we chose self-catering and were really happy with our large one-bedroom apartment with a balcony. It had a hob, microwave, fridge, etc. so we could make breakfast and lunch if we wanted. Rooms here start from around €100 per night.
Day 7: Arrecife
For your last day in Lanzarote, we recommend leaving Playa Blanca early so that you can spend a couple of hours in Arrecife before your flight home. FYI, Lanzarote Airport is only a 10-minute drive from Arrecife.
Arrecife doesn’t get a massive amount of tourists, but that’s what we like about it. It feels very authentic. You could easily spend a few hours this morning getting lost in its white-washed maze. Considering Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote, I’d say it’s a must-see on your Lanzarote itinerary.
Highlights include the charming Charco de San Ginés boat lake and the Castillo de San Gabriel.
While you’re here you could go shopping at the biggest shopping center on the island. It’s called Lanzarote Open Mall and it only opened in 2022. It’s got 3 floors and lots of shops, restaurants (there’s a McDonald’s here), as well as a children’s playground on the terrace level. We spent a few hours here on our last visit to Lanzarote and I shopped in Pull & Bear, Zara, Primark, Bimba y Lola, and Stradivarius. We had a rental car to get here and there’s plenty of parking – around 1,000 car spaces.
Why we rent a car in Lanzarote:
For our week in Lanzarote, we rented a car so that we could easily explore Jameos del Agua, the Cactus Garden, and El Golfo from where we were staying. It worked out cheap and it actually only ended up costing a fraction more than a return taxi to/from the airport would have cost.
Driving in Lanzarote is easy as long as you follow the main roads and don’t go onto any narrow dirt roads – there are a couple of these near Timanfaya National Park and Caleta de Famara.
We tend to always book our rental car through Discover Cars. This is a search engine for rental cars and allows you to filter by price if you’re on a budget or by vehicle type if there’s a specific car you’re after.
The best month to visit Lanzarote:
Lanzarote is appealing year-round due to its mild climate. And the best month to visit depends on your preferences and the activities you wish to enjoy. For those looking to sunbathe and enjoy the gorgeous beaches here, the summer months from June to August offer the warmest temperatures and are perfect for sunbathing and swimming. Average summer temperatures in Lanzarote sit at around 27 Celsius (81 Fahrenheit).
If you prefer a quieter atmosphere and cooler weather, consider visiting Lanzarote in October or in spring (March to May), when there are fewer tourists but still plenty of sunshine. Winter months, from December to February, are also popular as they provide a mild escape from colder climates, with average temperatures ranging from 14 to 22 Celsius (57 – 71 Fahrenheit), making it an excellent time for outdoor activities like hiking and exploring the island’s volcanic landscapes.
Thanks for Reading!
Tell me – what did you think of our guide to what to do with one week in Lanzarote? Is there anywhere on the island we have missed? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
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Last Updated on February 7, 2025 by snaphappytravel