Lanzarote

1. Timanfaya National Park

2. El Golfo

3. Cesar Manrique

4. Wine Growing

5. Top sights

6. More excursion tips for Lanzarote

7. Cruiseport Guide Lanzarote

8. Book shore excursions

    8.1 Meine Landausflüge

    8.2 Get Your Guide

    8.3 Viator

Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the Canary Islands. It is 58 km long and 34 km wide. The island has approximately 150,000 inhabitants, nearly 60,000 of whom live in the capital, Arrecife. Lanzarote is located just under 12 km north of Fuerteventura.

It is one of the most beautiful islands in the Canaries, largely thanks to César Manrique, whose influence can be seen everywhere. The artist is the island's most famous resident. During his lifetime, he held significant influence and was able to convince the government to focus on high-quality tourism.

As a result, a rule was established that no building may be taller than an average palm tree. This policy largely prevented the "architectural sins" often seen elsewhere. Today, many of the island's top attractions can be traced back to Manrique's vision and work.

My advice for visiting Timanfaya National Park is to arrive early. It gets crowded very quickly in the morning, and long queues start to form at the park entrance. The drive from the harbor to the park takes about 30 minutes. Admission is €12 per person and includes a bus tour through the park with recorded information. The tour is very informative and definitely worth it.

Back at the starting point, we watched a short demonstration where a small geyser is created using a bucket of water. The steam rising from the ground is so hot that it can ignite dry grass. You can also buy sausages and meat grilled over the volcanic heat, though we didn't try it. Instead, we bought a magnet and left Timanfaya, passing a long line of cars that had since formed at the park entrance.

Just under 15 minutes from the National Park lies the small fishing village of El Golfo, with its charming white and blue painted houses.

We made a short stop here to see the Green Lagoon (Charco de los Clicos). It is fed by seawater through underground passages, and its vibrant green color stands out beautifully against the black volcanic sand. From the nearby cliffs, you can take wonderful photos of the sea and the village.

During a short stroll through the town, we looked for a restaurant to grab a bite to eat. We decided on Casa Torano, located in the heart of the village. The restaurant had the most beautiful terrace overlooking the sea and made the best impression on us. We ordered two salads and two beers. The salads were beautifully presented—something we hadn't quite expected in such a small village—and they were absolutely delicious as well. It was a wonderful surprise for us!

Our journey continued to the César Manrique Foundation. His former private home now serves as a memorial to the life and art of Manrique, who did so much for the island of Lanzarote. When he decided to settle on the island in the 1960s, he built a house on approximately 30,000 square meters that perfectly reflected his preferences and his way of living in harmony with nature.

Upon his return to the island, he saw the first—and to this day, only—skyscraper on Lanzarote. He urgently warned the government against committing the same architectural blunders seen on the neighboring islands. They listened to him, and to this day, there is no house, hotel, or other building on Lanzarote taller than the island's palm trees.

Today, the Foundation is housed in his impressive residence and the surrounding outbuildings. Manrique designed the entire complex himself to adapt it for its future role as a museum. We were lucky here as well; it wasn't crowded at all, allowing us to take everything in at our own pace.

There are more than ten bodegas on Lanzarote where you can enjoy wine tastings. They are located along the La Geria wine route. From the valley floor up to the high slopes of the volcanic cones, the black lava soil is covered with thousands of wine hollows.

We originally wanted to visit Bodega El Chupadero to taste the wine there. Unfortunately, it is closed from Sunday to Tuesday, so we continued driving for a few more miles until we reached the next wineries.

Lanzarote is a premier travel destination, attracting both cruise ship passengers and travelers seeking the Canaries' mild year-round climate. Because of this high demand, major attractions often have long queues or require pre-booked time slots to manage the flow of visitors.

To ensure a smooth trip, it is highly recommended to book fast-track tickets or fixed time slots for the following sights:

Lanzarotr can be explored very well independently. Here you can see the highlights awaiting you.

Here you will find information about the location of the port, public transportation, rental cars, and options for independent excursions.

Meine Landausflüge offer you fantastic cruise trips at the most popular ports worldwide. Typically, they are available in much smaller groups and at more affordable prices than the cruise line’s own excursions. All our options are carefully selected to guarantee you an unforgettable outing experience.

• Small group sizes  
• Punctual return guarantee  
• Convenient pick-up and drop-off service from/to the port  
• Money-back guarantee for itinerary changes and port cancellations  
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour (Flex option up to 60 minutes before the tour start)

With GetYourGuide, you can book land excursions in small groups, often at better prices than those offered by cruise lines. All experiences are carefully selected and reviewed by experts. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start of the excursion.

Viator, a Tripadvisor company, is one of the world's leading online marketplaces for travel experiences. The platform provides travelers with access to more than 300,000 activities, including guided tours, day trips, attraction tickets, and exclusive experiences in thousands of destinations worldwide. A key advantage for users is the millions of authentic traveler reviews that help in making informed choices. 

Viator is known for its high flexibility:

• offering free cancellation on many bookings up to 24 hours in advance.
• Additionally, the "reserve now, pay later" option provides financial freedom during trip planning. 

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