It’s easy to see why so many holiday-makers choose to visit the Canary Island of Lanzarote. It offers all-year around sun, in just over 4 hours flight time from the UK. If you’re considering a holiday in Lanzarote for the first time, or perhaps you’ve already booked, check out our top tips to a fantastic trip!
How to choose a resort?
The 3 main resorts on the island of Lanzarote are Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and Playa Blanca, so chances are you will stay at one of those for your first visit.
Puerto del Carmen is 10km from the airport and has something for everyone, from affordable apartments to luxury hotels. There is an old town (the harbour area) and the new town runs alongside 6km of beaches. Known as The Strip, there are shops, restaurants, and the night clubs which attracts a young crowd.
Costa Teguise is a man-made resort that attracts families, with its large all-inclusive hotels and its location on the island make it ideal for water sports enthusiasts too.
Playa Blanca is further away from the airport, on the southern tip of the island. It’s a little more exclusive than the other two resorts, with expensive hotels and private villas, plus long expanses of golden sand.
Pre-book flight transfers
With many flights a day from the UK it’s essential to book airport transfers in Lanzarote in advance for a hassle-free, reliable, comfortable experience. There’s a flight transfer to accommodate every budget and schedule. From buses for larger group , to shuttle services and private transfers for small groups of family or friends.
Choose an experienced, reputable company, with insurance for your luggage and have peace of mind that they will be waiting for you when you arrive, to take you to your final destination.
Alternatively, there are plenty of car rental options at the airport and some bus services to major resorts.
Excellent excursions
While you’re there take a chance to leave the resort and explore some of the island. Booking your Lanzarote excursions with a local operator in advance is advisable to avoid disappointment and makes it really easy to see in advance the locations on offer and when they run. There are dozens of things you can do on the island, ranging from diving in a Submarine to racing Go Karts and tasting wine. You can even visit the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura for the day. The unique charm of the old capital city of Teguise, is worth a visit, especially on market day.
Shop ‘til you drop – with caution
Shopping in the Canary Islands is duty free and their equivalent to VAT is just 7%, so there are bargains to be had on perfume, after-shave, cigarettes and alcohol (just check the limits on what you can take home.) Supermarkets are cheaper than the beach resorts shops. You will often see lots of electronic goods for sale in small shops, but beware, they are usually counterfeit. The Canary Islands currency is the Euro.
Be travel aware
Three things you should do before travelling to Lanzarote – get travel and medical insurance and apply for a new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) instead of an EHIC. This entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Spanish nationals. It won’t, however, cover you for medical repatriation, ongoing medical treatment or non-urgent treatment. Visit www.nhs.uk/ehic for full details on what it covers.
We hope you liked this post? Lanzarote is such a wonderful option for winter sun as well as the summer sun too of course! If you make the trip, then have a wonderful time and say hello to the sun from us!