5 Fantastic Excursions for You to Try When You Stay in Lanzarote
If you are planning to take a holiday in Lanzarote or are already here, you have made an excellent choice! For those of you that have visited before, then you already know how wonderful the island is, and for the first-time visitors among you, you are in for a wonderful surprise.
Lanzarote itself is an incredible island with a year-round, warm sunny climate, welcoming local population, delicious food and drink, attractive urban areas, and stunning natural landscapes. In addition to all of this, we want to help you make your holiday even more memorable by suggesting some fantastic excursions for you to try while you are here.
Enjoy a Wine Tasting Tour
Due to the year-round warmth and sun, the grapevine growing conditions in Lanzarote are surprisingly favourable, despite the island’s lack of rainfall and rugged rocky landscape. If you picture a vineyard in your mind, what you think of will resemble something quite different from those that exist in Lanzarote.
Rather than rows and rows of grapevines in a lush field growing directly next to each other, vineyard owners in Lanzarote have been able to cultivate wine in a style that is unique to Lanzarote and is fascinating to see. Each vine is planted by hand in small craters dug from the small granules of volcanic rock that cover much of the island, known as picon, and then a semi-circle of larger rocks, known as a zoco, is added around each crater.
The picon helps to overcome the lack of rainfall, as it is porous and absorbs moisture from the air, preventing evaporation by releasing the moisture slowly to the roots in the soil below. The semi-circle of rocks around the outside help offer further protection from the sometimes-strong winds. The overall scene is completely striking, with the bright green leaves of the vines contrasted with the dark stones, the volcanic landscape, and the bright blue sky.
The grapes grown are used to produce some delicious wines, especially dry, semi-sweet and sweet whites. There are around two million litres of wine produced annually in Lanzarote. Connected to each vineyard is a Bodega which offers wine tasting experiences and sells their wines.
Several different companies offer wine tasting tours that will take you to distinct bodegas in La Geria, the wine-growing region of the island. On these tours, you will be able to taste a fantastic selection of some of the delicious wines that Lanzarote has to offer.
You will also learn plenty about the unique process of wine cultivation and production on the island, the history of wine in Lanzarote and more about what makes it such a special place. Many of these tours also provide delicious meals made with locally produced ingredients.
Rent a Bike and Ride Along the Coast
Lanzarote is a wonderful location for getting on a bike and heading off for a leisurely ride. It is a rare day when the temperature is not warm, and the sun is not shining which will give you wonderful riding conditions. As well as the fantastic year-round warm, sunny climate, the landscape and sights are also incredible. A bike ride is a perfect way to experience some of the amazing views that Lanzarote has to offer!
Compared to a walking excursion, you will be able to go for a longer distance, and unlike if you drive around the island, you will not be enclosed and cut off from the outside and will instead feel more connected to the nature of Lanzarote. A bike ride is therefore the perfect middle ground between walking and driving, providing the benefits of both, with few of the downsides.
As you ride along the many coastline trails, you will feel the warming rays of the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. You will be able to marvel at stunning sights such as the gorgeous blue ocean, beautiful beaches, and the unique, rugged volcanic landscape of this mesmerising island.
It is wonderful to witness the natural comparison between the bright blue ocean and sandy beaches, strongly contrasted with the interior of the island, which boasts ancient volcanoes and stunning preserved lava fields.
There are many places that you can rent a bike and set off on a route of your choosing, or you may wish to take a guided tour with a well-established company. Whichever you decide is best for you, both options are great. You will see amazing sights, feel energised and gain some wonderful memories!
Go on a Stunning Sailing Excursion from Puerto Calero to Papagayo
As Lanzarote is a relatively small island, you are never far from the beautiful blue Atlantic Ocean that surrounds it. This makes it a perfect destination for anyone that loves ocean-related activities. There are so many different options from swimming or snorkelling to scuba diving or surfing.
A highly recommended excursion if you love to be out on the water, is a stunning sailing excursion aboard a catamaran, that sets off from the luxurious Puerto Calero harbour and sails to the famous golden sandy beaches of Papagayo. This brilliant catamaran cruise is run by a company called Catlanza. The staff speak a variety of different languages and are very friendly and accommodating.
While onboard there is a selection of drinks available including water, still and sparkling, juices, wine, beer, cava, all of which are included in the price of the trip. Once the catamaran reaches Papagayo, the anchor is dropped, and you are free to swim or go snorkelling.
You will be amazed at the hundreds of fishes that will surround you as you swim in the clear blue waters. If possible, we recommend diving under the water with goggles to get the full experience and take an underwater camera to capture the exciting scenery of underwater life.
In addition to swimming and snorkelling, you also have the option to try kayaking or SUP (Stand Up Paddle) which adds to the variety of the excursion. As well as drinks there is also a tasty lunch of pasta with tomato sauce and fresh vegetable sauce and salad provided. The waters around the boat are clear and the beach backdrop is stunning. Combined with a cloudless sky, this all creates an awesome sailing trip, that offers a perfect way to enjoy a different side to Lanzarote.
Rent a Car and Go For a Drive
Due to Lanzarote’s relatively small size, renting a car and going for a drive is an excellent choice if you want to be able to visit many of the sights and major tourist attractions all in one day. The island has many excellent car rental services, each with a wide variety of different vehicles available to suit any taste. The cars on offer vary in price and size, but all are relatively new and are well maintained. It is also great to see that CICAR, the largest car hire company in Lanzarote now offers electric vehicles for hire in its fleet.
Driving around Lanzarote in a day is easy to do, or you can choose a selection of various locations, stopping along the way for food and drink, sightseeing and shopping.
An example of a route you could take is to drive from Costa Teguise, eastwards along the south coast. Stop off at Playa Honda first to have a stroll along the huge sandy beach next to the calm blue waters. Here you will find a broad selection of cafes and restaurants with wonderful sea views while you enjoy a beer, glass of wine or café con Leche (coffee with milk) and some tapas. There is also the Deiland Shopping Centre not far from the beach, making this a good spot for shopping.
Next, you may wish to stop off at Playa Quemada, meaning burnt beach. It gets this name from the black pebbly beach which appears as if it has been burned with fire. Being off the usual tourist track makes this a lovely peaceful place to stop off at, with just a few traditional restaurants overlooking the sea. It is very serene and attractive with its cliff backdrop and gentle waves lapping at the shore.
From there you can drive to the stunning seaside town of Playa Blanca (White Beach), the southernmost town on the island. This is the newest resort on the island and is one of the main touristic locations in Lanzarote, so is full of life. There is a large port from which ferry’s head back and forth all day long to neighbouring Fuerteventura, many places to eat and drink and a wide variety of shops.
It is a lovely place to wander around taking photos of the gorgeous golden sandy beach and various colourful sights, before settling down for a dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants overlooking bustling modern Rubicon Marina, where you will be able to see some stunning luxury yachts.
To end a brilliant day out, you can drive back to Costa Teguise, stopping off at nearby Arrecife, Lanzarote’s capital city. This is only about a 35–40-minute drive from Playa Blanca. As the sun is setting, it is very pleasant to wander down the pretty high street and around El Charco de San Ginés, one of the most attractive and best-loved parts of the city.
El Charco de San Ginés translates as ‘the puddle of San Ginés’ and is named after the San Ginés nearby. It is a tidal inlet of seawater that is full of colourful little fishing boats bobbing up and down in the water. Surrounding the water is a multitude of cafes, bars and restaurants which are frequented by both locals and tourists. Many are very popular due to the gorgeous setting and can get lively at certain times of the day, including the evenings. From this area, it is just a short walk to the luxurious new Arrecife marina where you can also enjoy a drink or ice cream.
After that it is a quick drive back to Costa Teguise. This is just one option for a day out with a rental car, but of course, with a car, you have the freedom to explore the entire island and go wherever the road takes you!
Take a Catamaran Cruise Around La Graciosa
Although this article already mentions one catamaran cruise, this next one is quite different but equally as good. The excursion is run by Líneas Marítimas Romero, and involves a trip on one of the largest commercial catamarans in Europe!
You will be collected from your hotel by bus and transported to the small port town of Órzola in the very North of Lanzarote. From there you take a 25-minute regular ferry ride to the tiny neighbouring island of la Graciosa. Once you arrive you can take a stroll around Caleta de Sebo, the only permanently populated village on the island. This enchanting place is like stepping back in time.
There are no paved roads and only sandy tracks, with just a small number of cars which transport tourists around. There are restaurants, cafes and bars and some beaches here, but the best of this trip is yet to come.
After a short wander around this fascinating small village, it is time for you to board the impressive luxurious catamaran for a sail along La Graciosa’s amazing coast. It was once connected to Lanzarote, so the water separating the two, known as El Rio (the river), is quite shallow.
You will be able to see the seabed clearly as the catamaran sails closer to the shore and you will be able to glimpse a huge array of fish swimming around. During the cruise, you will be provided with a mojito, and as many soft drinks, beers, or glasses of wine as you want. You will also be given some Spanish tortilla and bread snack, and later a delicious freshly prepared paella, followed by a dessert of fresh fruit.
The first stop on the trip will be to see the awesome Montaña Amarilla (yellow mountain) with its adjacent Playa Cocina (kitchen beach). After this the crew drop anchor near the stunning Playa Francesa (French Beach). You can either swim to the beach to sunbathe or stay on the boat. There are also a variety of enjoyable activities which include sea kayaking, snorkelling and water trampolining.
You will be able to enjoy two hours at this stunning beach with its crystal-clear water, before heading back on board for lunch. The crew are all very friendly and as the catamaran heads back to the port there is even singing and dancing onboard which is great fun!
These excursions each offer unique experiences and give you a different way to enjoy the incredible island of Lanzarote. This is merely a small snapshot of the options that are available though, as there are so many other fantastic excursions that you can try when you stay here.
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