Lanzarote is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Canary Islands; clock eyes on the spectacular volcanic and mountainous scenery and beautiful and it's not hard to see why. Then of course, there's the weather, which is warm and sunny all year round.
There are numerous lovely beaches scattered all along the coastline, from striking black sand beaches to rugged and remote rocky coves, take your pick and while away long balmy days sunbathing and enjoying a wide range of watersports.
Located in a national park at the south-eastern tip of the island,Playa de Papagayo is one of the best beaches in Playas del Papagayo and arguably one of Lanzarote's most beautiful beaches. Pristine and unspoilt, this beach boasts fine white sand and calm, crystal clear waters. If you take the time and effort to trek here via a dirt track through Los Ajaches nature reserve - you'll be rewarded with a naturally protected crescent-shaped beach ideal for enjoying a relaxing day in the sun. Plus, on a clear day, you'll be able to enjoy views of the islands of Puertito and Fuerteventura from the cliff over the beach. Facilities at this beach are best described as basic, there are no toilets, however there is a decent café-style restaurant and bar and car parking. This beach is perfect for sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling, and if you don't fancy the trek, there's a water taxi service available in high season fromPlaya Blanca.
Famara beach is one of the biggest beaches on the northern coast of Lanzarote. This remote 3km long stretch of beach is very popular with sun bathers, joggers and water sports enthusiasts, especially surfers, kitesurfers and windsurfers. There are various surfing schools near the beach offering water sports lessons, excursions and equipment. Benefitting from some stunning surrounding scenery, Famara beach not only features an inviting expanse of sand and some great waves, this unique beach offers dunes and thanks to its location, is bordered by Caleta de Famara on one side, Risco Mountain on the other. This beach can be battered by some pretty strong winds, so keep this in mind in terms of safety, even if you're an experienced surfer. This beach isn't suitable for swimming. Peak surf season is November to March and this surf spot is recommended for experienced surfers upwards. Professionals often train here an indication of the type of surf that needs to be contended with. There's nowhere for food and drink directly on the beach, but there are some good bars and restaurants in the nearby village of La Caleta de Famara.
Located in Playa Blanca, Playa Flamingo is a beautiful golden sandy beach situated on the western side of the island. Popular with tourists and locals alike, this beach is clean, safe and handily located just outside of the town centre, near a pretty promenade with a good number of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Due to two piers arching around the bay, swimming is very safe here, so Playa Flamingo is extremely popular with families. The views of the two neighbouring islands of Fuerteventura and Lobos are lovely especially if viewed from a bobbing lilo.
Playa Doroda, or otherwise suitably known as The Golden Beach thanks to its warm gold-hued sand, is yet another beautiful and popular beach in Playa Blanca. It is located on the eastern side of the island ands is naturally well sheltered with calm clean waters so ideal for families. Its modest size means it can get quite crowded during the peak summer months, still, there are plenty of sun loungers just get there early to claim one! This beach is popular with local residents who enjoy an early morning dip, and is handily close to Playa Blanca. It's also well served by a good bar area based behind the beach, which also offers food and public toilets. Keep the kids busy with banana boats, snorkelling and pedalos.
Playa Grande is Puerto del Carmen's main beach it's also HUGE, so doesn't ever get too overcrowded. It stretches all the way to Playa Los Pocillos (Puddle Beach) where the two merge. Playa Grande's clean white sand stretches for more than 1km towards Avenida de la Playas and there's loads of sun loungers for hire, plus parasols, toilets, parking and a plethora of watersports including scuba diving , parasailing, snorkelling and jet ski fun. This beach also benefits from plenty of good shops, restaurants and bars in nearby Puerto del Carmen.
Playa Matagorda is on the eastern side of Puerto del Carmen and is one of the biggest beaches in Lanzarote. It is a suitable beach for families, especially those with children as the water is calm, clear and shallow, it also doesn't get too busy. There are sun loungers for hire and several amenities in nearby Matagorda. Hiring a bike and cycling along the pretty promenade to nearby Playa de Los Pocillos is a fun way to break up all that beach bumming.
Playa Chica is not an especially sizeable beach, however, is still very popular with holidaymakers and locals alike as it's a safe clean beach with shallow calm waters ideal for swimming specially if you're little ones aren't overly familiar with the big blue. Located in the old town of Puerto del Carmen, this beach is normally pretty busy during summer months. There's a good range of watersport activities to enjoy such as snorkelling, paragliding, diving and jetskiing.
Playa de las Cucharas is Costa Teguise's main and most central beach and therefore attracts sun seeking holidaymakers in their hordes. Handily surrounded by many restaurants and bars, you don't have to worry about packing up a picnic complete with sandy sandwiches. This beach is very popular among windsurfers owing to its suitably windy conditions, and there are a couple of good surf schools nearby where you can book up lessons and hire equipment.
Playa Honda is situated on the far eastern side of Playa Matagorda. Its boasts golden clean sand and clear azure waters, however, the beach is situated straight under the flight corridor of Arrecife airport so can be noisy at times! Still, keep it in mind if you want somewhere that is likely to be pretty quiet (in terms of crowds).
Las Conchas is an idyllic strip of golden sand situated on La Graciosa Island, which is part of the Chinijo archipelago, just off the north of Lanzarote. Its waters are crystal clear a major pull for tourists and locals alike however, although the sea looks incredibly inviting, be careful when swimming here as the currents can be strong. to this beach normally swim along the shores but spend most of their time lazing around or taking romantic and relaxed walks. Scuba divers will be in their element here, but if diving isn't your thing and you fancy being a bit of action between soaking up some serious rays and cooling off in the sea, you can walk and/or cycle around the island. Peckish? There are a good number of decent restaurants in the little harbour of Caleta del Sebo.