Lanzarote is about 60 kilometres from end to end. It looks as if it doesn’t matter where you stay. It does.
From Playa Blanca, Papagayo is a quarter of an hour away and Órzola more than an hour. From Costa Teguise it’s the other way round. And depending on the resort, a hire car goes from handy to essential.
This is the comparison we wish we’d read before our first trip: real drive times, beaches, buses and a clear verdict for each area.
The three main resorts at a glance
| Puerto del Carmen | Playa Blanca | Costa Teguise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From the airport | ~15–20 min | ~35–40 min | ~20 min |
| Best for | First visit, families, atmosphere | Couples, quieter families, the sea | Wind sports, easy access to the north |
| Blue Flag beaches 2026 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Direct airport bus | Yes (line 161) | Yes (line 161) | No (change in Arrecife) |
| Do you need a car? | To get out of the resort, yes | Yes, the north is a long way | Yes |
Approximate drive times without traffic, from a route planner. Add 10–20% at busy times.
Puerto del Carmen: in the middle of everything
Best for: first-timers, families, anyone who wants restaurants and a bit of life within walking distance.
It’s the area with the most tourist beds on the island. The municipality of Tías, which it belongs to, has around 24,900 hotel and apartment beds.
The beaches. Its big strength. Playa Grande is 1,190 metres of sand with gentle waves and lifeguards. Los Pocillos (1,230 m), Matagorda (840 m) and Playa Chica complete the line-up, and all four hold a 2026 Blue Flag. Playa Chica is also the best spot for easy snorkelling.
The atmosphere. Avenida de las Playas runs the length of the seafront, and the old town, around the harbour and Plaza del Varadero, is where you go for fish and for a night out.
The location. The most central of the three. From here:
- Airport: ~15–20 min
- Timanfaya: ~30 min
- La Geria: ~25 min
- Papagayo: ~40 min
- Jameos del Agua: ~45 min
On the water from here: the I Love Papagayo catamaran leaves from Puerto del Carmen itself, and the sunset cruise runs along this coast. It’s also the best base for diving.
→ I Love Papagayo · Sunset cruise · Diving in Lanzarote
Do you need a car? You can go several days without one: you’ve got the beach, food and buses to Arrecife, Costa Teguise and the airport. But Timanfaya, Papagayo, La Geria and the north have no useful bus. For a trip of more than three days, hire one for at least part of it.
→ More on Puerto del Carmen and Tías
Playa Blanca: the quiet south
Best for: couples, families after a calmer stay, anyone who’s coming for the sea.
It has the most hotel beds on the island: the municipality of Yaiza has around 17,000. It’s also the newest resort and the quietest at night.
The beaches. Playa Dorada and Playa Flamingo have calm water, and the town beach holds a 2026 Blue Flag. But the real star is a quarter of an hour away: Papagayo, the sheltered coves of the Los Ajaches Natural Monument. You drive in on a dirt track and pay €3 per car (residents don’t pay).
Marina Rubicón. The marina, sheltered from the trade winds, with a market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This is where private boats to Papagayo leave from.
Fuerteventura next door. The ferry to Corralejo takes 25 to 35 minutes.
The location. Great for the south and west. Far from everything else:
- Papagayo: ~15 min
- Timanfaya: ~30 min
- La Geria: ~30 min
- Airport: ~35–40 min
- Teguise: ~45 min
- Jameos del Agua: ~65 min
- Órzola (La Graciosa ferry): ~70–75 min
That last figure matters. A day on La Graciosa from Playa Blanca means almost two and a half hours of driving, there and back, before you even get on the boat.
On the water from here:
→ Private boat to Papagayo from Playa Blanca · Request your private charter
→ Jet skis in Playa Blanca · Parasailing in Playa Blanca · Lobos Island and mini-submarine
Do you need a car? Yes. There’s a direct bus to the airport (line 161) and to Arrecife, and since May 2026 the local town bus comes every 15 minutes on average. But no bus goes to Papagayo, and the north is more than an hour away.
→ Playa Blanca’s beaches · Yaiza
Costa Teguise: wind, Manrique and the north on your doorstep
Best for: windsurfers and kitesurfers, anyone who wants the north close by, those who prefer a smaller, more residential resort.
The wind. It’s the most exposed of the three to the trade winds. For swimming that’s a drawback; for sailing it’s the reason to come. Las Cucharas is a stop on the PWA windsurfing world tour.
The beaches. Las Cucharas (640 m), Los Charcos, El Jablillo and El Bastián. None holds a Blue Flag this year. For calm beach days, Puerto del Carmen is 25 minutes away.
Manrique. The Pueblo Marinero in the centre was designed by César Manrique and is part of the official route of his work.
The location. The best base of the three for the north and centre:
- Teguise (Sunday market): ~20 min
- Airport: ~20 min
- Jameos del Agua: ~30 min
- Famara: ~30 min
- Órzola: ~35 min
- Timanfaya: ~45 min
- Papagayo: ~50 min
From here: the north, La Geria and paragliding over Famara.
→ La Geria wine tour · Paragliding over Famara · The 7 César Manrique centres
Do you need a car? Yes. There’s no direct airport bus (you change in Arrecife), and its big advantage, having the north close by, only works with a car.
And three less obvious options
Arrecife. The capital. Less touristy and more real: the Charco de San Ginés lagoon, the market, the old-school bars. Playa del Reducto holds a 2026 Blue Flag and has lifeguards all year. It’s 15 minutes from the airport and the hub for every bus line. A good option for short stays or if you’re travelling without a car.
→ Arrecife, Lanzarote’s capital
Caleta de Famara. A fishing and surf village facing one of the most spectacular beaches in the Canaries. For surfing, walking and fresh fish. Not for swimming: strong currents and a near-permanent red flag. A car is essential.
The north: Haría, Órzola and around. Rural houses and silence. Jameos del Agua is ~12 minutes away and the La Graciosa ferry ~20, but Papagayo is more than an hour. A car is essential.
→ Haría · Ferry to La Graciosa · Private water taxi
So, where should I stay?
| If you’re… | Stay in… |
|---|---|
| A first-timer, here for a week | Puerto del Carmen |
| A family with young children | Puerto del Carmen or Playa Blanca |
| A couple after peace and the sea | Playa Blanca |
| A windsurfer or kitesurfer | Costa Teguise |
| Keen to see the north and La Graciosa | Costa Teguise or the north |
| A surfer | Caleta de Famara |
| Travelling without a car | Puerto del Carmen or Arrecife |
Our advice for a week: you don’t need one resort to do everything. Stay where your beach days work best and use a car for the rest. From any of the three main resorts, Timanfaya is under an hour away.
What the brochures don’t tell you
- No bus goes to Timanfaya, Papagayo or El Golfo. That’s three of the places almost everyone wants to see.
- Timanfaya is booked online, for a set date and time. No ticket, no entry, wherever you’re staying.
- The best places to eat like a local are inland, in the village teleclubs, and buses don’t get there either.
→ Lanzarote’s teleclubs
So whichever resort you pick, our advice is the same:
→ Book your hire car with 10% off (code VISITLANZAROTE)
→ Do you need to hire a car in Lanzarote? The honest answer
Already booked your accommodation and want to know what to do each day from there? Someone from our team who lives on the island will plan your itinerary, with real drive times, free, within 24–48 hours.
Looking for ideas? 7-day itinerary · experience catalogue · exclusive experiences
Quick summary
- Puerto del Carmen: the most central, four Blue Flag beaches, plenty going on. A car to get out of the resort.
- Playa Blanca: quiet, Papagayo 15 minutes away, Fuerteventura by ferry. The north is more than an hour.
- Costa Teguise: wind, Manrique and the north close by. No direct airport bus.
- Arrecife, Famara and the north: for short stays, surfing or silence.
- From anywhere: a car for Timanfaya, Papagayo and the north
