Seven days in Lanzarote is enough to see the whole island without rushing. That is precisely the problem: because time feels plentiful, most people waste it. They turn up at Timanfaya at 1pm and lose an hour on the access road. They drive to Papagayo on an August Saturday and can’t park. They leave La Graciosa until the final day, and the wind cancels the ferry.
This itinerary is ordered so that none of that happens to you. Each day covers one area of the island, with timings designed to stay ahead of the crowds. The one non-negotiable: a hire car. Public transport doesn’t reach half the places on this route.
Day 1 — Arrival and first bearings
Don’t plan anything ambitious on arrival day. Collect the car at the airport, settle in, and give the afternoon to your base: the seafront promenade in Puerto del Carmen, the old harbour in Playa Blanca, or the beach at Costa Teguise, depending on where you’re staying.
If you land in the morning and have energy left, drive up to the village of Yaiza at sunset or head into Arrecife for a stroll around the Charco de San Ginés lagoon. Then an early night — day 2 rewards an early start.
Day 2 — Timanfaya and the lava coast
The headline act, and the day most visitors get wrong.
Tickets for Montañas del Fuego (the Fire Mountains) are sold online only, with an assigned date and entry time — nothing is sold at the ticket office any more. Book the first slot of the morning (access opens at 9:30), the coolest hours with the site at its emptiest, and present yourself at the ticket office 15 minutes early with the ticket downloaded to your phone, because mobile signal in the park is unreliable. The visit includes the Route of the Volcanoes by coach and the geothermal demonstrations at Islote de Hilario, where the ground still burns two centuries after the eruptions. Allow around 75 minutes inside; last access is at 15:45.
Afterwards, follow the southern coast road: Los Hervideros, where the sea pounds through tunnels of lava; the green lagoon at El Golfo; and a fish lunch in the village itself. On the way home, stop at a winery in La Geria — vines planted in hollows of volcanic ash are the most surreal sight on the island, and the volcanic Malvasía tastes best where it’s grown.
If you’d rather feel the volcanic landscape than watch it from a coach window, guided buggy routes run through the terrain around the park. It’s the experience visitors rate highest. [Link: /en/reserva-las-mejores-experiencias-de-lanzarote/]
Day 3 — Manrique’s north
The north is César Manrique’s Lanzarote, and it’s best travelled south to north, finishing at the island’s finest viewpoint.
Start at Jameos del Agua first thing, continue to the Cueva de los Verdes (the guided visit lasts an hour and has an ending we won’t spoil), and have lunch in Órzola or in Haría, the village of a thousand palms where Manrique spent his final years. Finish at the Mirador del Río: the view of La Graciosa from the Famara cliffs justifies the entire trip. A local’s tip: 50 metres before the entrance there’s a spot where the panorama is almost identical — with no glass in the way.
Day 4 — La Graciosa
The eighth Canary Island: no tarmac, no traffic lights, and the clearest water you’ll see in Spain.
The ferry leaves from Órzola and takes around 25 minutes. Once there, two options: hire a bicycle and ride to Playa de las Conchas (the big beach in the north — swim with care, there are currents) or take a 4×4 taxi if you’re travelling with children. Bring water and something to eat: outside Caleta de Sebo there is absolutely nothing, and that is precisely the point.
Book the ferry or catamaran in advance in high season. [Link: /en/reserva-las-mejores-experiencias-de-lanzarote/]
Day 5 — Papagayo and the south
The Papagayo coves are the island’s best beaches, and in summer everyone knows it. The play: arrive before 10:00 (access is via a dirt track, with a small per-vehicle fee) or go after 17:00, when the light improves and the car parks empty out.
In between, walk the Playa Blanca promenade and Marina Rubicón, and if you’re travelling with children, give them an afternoon at the pool or the town beach. Close the day with a sunset from the southern coast: the sun drops into the sea and the views stretch to Fuerteventura.
Day 6 — Teguise, Famara and the west coast
If it’s a Sunday, start at the Teguise market — the largest in the Canaries — then wander the historic centre of the island’s former capital. If not, the town is worth the visit anyway, with far fewer people.
In the afternoon, Caleta de Famara: six kilometres of sand beneath the cliffs, a surf-town atmosphere and the most photographed sunset in Lanzarote. If you’ve always wanted to try surfing, this is the beach to learn on — there are schools for every level and forgiving waves most of the year. [Link: /en/beginners-guide-to-surfing-in-lanzarote/]
Day 7 — Arrecife, the César Manrique Foundation and farewell
Save for last what sits closest to the airport. In the morning, the César Manrique Foundation in Tahíche: the house the artist built over five volcanic bubbles explains everything you’ve seen all week. If you have hours to spare, add the Jardín de Cactus or a final stroll through Arrecife and the Castillo de San José.
Frequently asked questions
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