Explore Essentials: The Definitive Guide to Lanzarote’s Top Attractions

“Lanzarote’s location in the Canary Islands grants it great weather all year-round, making it the ideal spot for some winter sun. If you’re keen to go beyond the beaches though, the island is also packed with intriguing museums and natural sights. To help you plan, here are the top attractions in Lanzarote.

Timanfaya National Park
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Lanzarote’s top attraction, Timanfaya National Park (also known as Fire Mountain) is famed for its dramatic volcanic landscapes. Camel rides are popular, but you might prefer to explore on foot – you can take guided walks with park rangers. Most visitors explore Timanfaya on a coach tour, but it’s possible to drive solo too. If you’re making your own way there, arrive as early as possible to avoid the worst of the crowds.

Opening hours: 9am­-5:45pm

Admission: €13 adults, €8 kids

By Justraveling.com – http://www.justraveling.com/free-photos-5/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54716159

Bodegas El Grifo Wine Museum
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Despite its volcanic soil and hours of daily sunshine, Lanzarote has a long heritage of producing world-class wines. Head inland to San Bartolomé and the El Grifo Wine Museum – the oldest vineyard in the Canaries – to see vintage wine presses and taste crisp white wines made from local Malvasia Volcanica grapes.

Opening hours: 10:30am-6pm, October to May; 10am-8pm, June to September

Admission: €5+

LagOmar Museum
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One of Lanzarote’s most famous exports is César Manrique, an artist and activist whose works have been exhibited at galleries across the globe. This jaw-dropping museum built into the island’s red-hued lava rock was the home of actor Omar Sharif and was an ingenious collaboration between Manrique and fellow Lanzarote architect Jesús Soto. Highlights of LagOmar include its tube-shaped corridors, winding staircases and numerous water features.

Opening hours: 10am-6pm

Admission: €6 adults, €2 kids

Cueva de los Verdes
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This natural heritage site is one of the world’s longest lava tubes and it stretches for four miles (6km) beneath Lanzarote’s surface. Once a hideout for locals escaping marauding pirates, the cave was transformed into a mesmerising cultural attraction back in the 1960s by César Manrique and Jesús Soto. Book onto a guided tour to explore the eerie space. Tickets are 20% cheaper if you arrive after 3pm.

Opening hours: 10am-5pm

Admission: €9.50 adults, €4.75 kids

_By Lviatour – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16041943_Mirador del Rio
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The best views in Lanzarote are at this sky-high attraction. The atmospheric vantage point on the island’s north coast was used to spot pirate ships back in the 16thand 17th centuries, and there’s a neighbouring fort, which currently hosts a good selection of modern art. The Mirador itself is lodged inside the cliff face and has a glass frontage providing uninterrupted views of the ocean below.

Opening hours: 10am-5:45pm

Admission: €4.75 adults, €2.40 kids

Museum of International & Contemporary Art (MIAC)
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If you’re interested in art, you’ll want to visit Lanzarote’s leading exhibition space. Inside 18th-century San José Castle in Arrecife, it’s home to works from some of the biggest Spanish names in modern art – think Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. The gallery also has an airy restaurant overlooking the ocean on its top floor.

Opening hours: 10am-8pm

Admission: €4 adults, €2 kids

Playa de Papagayo
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When you’re in the mood for a beach day, make sure Playa de Papagayo is top of your list. It’s along the Papagayo coast on Lanzarote’s southern tip, and has soft golden sand and calm turquoise water ideal for a relaxing swim. There are also numerous smaller coves nearby if you’d rather lounge somewhere slightly more secluded.

Jardin de Cactus
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Does what it says on the tin, this one: an outdoor attraction dedicated to catcuses. Another landmark designed by César Manrique, the garden is in an old quarry outside Guatiza and has thousands of cacti of every shape, size and colour, with 1,100 different species. It feels as much botanic garden as it does ambitious art project and is well worth a visit any time of year.

Opening hours: 10am-5:45pm

Admission: €5.80 adults, €2.90 kids

Museo Atlántico
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Not your run-of-the-mill tourist trap, this museum is under the sea. As in, not in a building, but right on the seabed. Ideal if you’re keen to make the most of Lanzarote’s diving potential, it was initially created to help protect local marine life and boost underwater plant growth. Book a scuba diving trip through a local company and get ready to swim through sculptures inspired by both Greek mythology and current world issues.

Diving times: Monday to Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm

Find somewhere to stay on the island by browsing our range of hotels in Lanzarote.”