📘 Discover Lanzarote with César Manrique
I've created “Lanzarote with César Manrique”, a guide packed with fascinating stories, interesting facts and practical information about the island's attractions. It will help you plan your sightseeing in Playa Blanca and the surrounding area – from coastal walks and the Montaña Roja volcano to the most interesting places in southern Lanzarote.
🚗 🚌 One Guide – Two Versions to Choose From!
🚗 Lanzarote by Car – For those who want to explore the island at their own pace. You'll find ready-made driving itineraries, suggested sightseeing routes with attractions in a logical order, GPS locations, parking information and practical driving tips.
🚌 Lanzarote by Bus – For those who don't plan to hire a car. I've organised the sightseeing around four popular holiday bases: Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise, Playa Blanca and Arrecife. You'll find specific bus connections, route numbers, bus stop locations, options for changing buses, and suggested walks and excursions.
🧭 Plan your sightseeing your way: Discover interesting places, walking routes and attractions across Lanzarote. Check GPS locations, ticket prices, opening hours, accessibility information and other practical tips to help you explore the island independently.
👉 Discover my guide: “Lanzarote with César Manrique”
⛴️ Fuerteventura in One Day – By Ferry from Playa Blanca
Did you know that you can visit another island during your holiday on Lanzarote, even if you're not hiring a car?
Ferries depart from Playa Blanca harbour to Corralejo on Fuerteventura, and the crossing through the Bocaina Strait takes just 25–35 minutes. That's close enough to set off on an excursion in the morning and return to your hotel in the evening.
And although both islands belong to the Canary Islands archipelago, their landscapes can be surprisingly different. Lanzarote is famous for its rugged volcanic terrain, while northern Fuerteventura is known for its vast sandy beaches and pale sand dunes.
⚓ Corralejo – What Can You See on Foot After Leaving the Ferry?
Ferries arrive at the harbour in Corralejo, a popular holiday resort at the northern tip of Fuerteventura.
You don't need to arrange any additional transport to enjoy a few interesting hours here. Close to the harbour is the older part of the town, whose history is closely linked to fishing.
It's worth wandering through the narrow streets, exploring the small coves and stopping at one of the restaurants serving fresh fish and traditional Canarian dishes.
During your walk, you can discover:
⚓ The Old Harbour and Corralejo Town Centre – The former fishing quarter, full of restaurants, cafés and small shops.
🏖️ Playa de Corralejo Viejo – A small town beach where you can relax or take a dip in the ocean.
🌊 The Seafront Promenade – Perfect for a leisurely stroll with views of the Atlantic.
🏝️ Isla de Lobos – A small volcanic island visible from the coast of Corralejo. You can admire it from the shore or plan a separate boat excursion.
🏜️ Corralejo Sand Dunes – A Piece of Desert Beside the Ocean. The landscape here is completely different from Lanzarote. Vast stretches of sand, wide beaches and the blue ocean create scenery reminiscent of a desert. However, remember that the most beautiful sections of the dunes are located outside the centre of Corralejo.
⛴️ How Do You Get from Playa Blanca to Fuerteventura?
Ferries operate between Playa Blanca harbour and Corralejo throughout the year.
You can buy tickets online. Before booking, compare ferry departure times in both directions, prices and booking amendment conditions.
💡 My Tip – Don't Try to See All of Fuerteventura in One Day. Fuerteventura is a large island, and its most interesting attractions are spread across considerable distances.
🚌 Buses in Playa Blanca
Not planning to hire a car? Playa Blanca can be a good base for exploring southern Lanzarote and organising excursions to other parts of the island.
Buses, known as guaguas in the Canary Islands, are operated by Intercity Bus Lanzarote. You can use both intercity services and the local bus that runs around Playa Blanca.
🚏 Where Can You Find a Bus Stop?
Playa Blanca stretches for several kilometres along the coast, so bus stops are located in different parts of the resort.
The town also has a bus station, where you can start your journey to other destinations on Lanzarote.
🎟️ How Do You Buy a Ticket?
You can buy your ticket directly from the driver. When boarding, tell the driver the name of your destination.
You can pay by cash or bank card. If you're paying in cash, have some change ready – the operator only accepts banknotes of €10 or less. It's also worth carrying some cash in case the card terminal isn't working.
If you plan to use buses frequently, you can check the available travel cards and multi-journey tickets.
📱 Where Can You Check Bus Timetables?
You'll find up-to-date routes, bus stops and departure times on the operator's official website: 👉 https://arrecifebus.com/lineas/
Before setting off, check not only your departure time but also your options for getting back. Some services run less frequently at weekends and on public holidays, and the last bus may leave earlier than you expect.
🚌 Can You Travel Around Playa Blanca by Bus?
Yes! There's also a local bus service running around the resort, which can be useful if you're staying far from the centre or don't want to walk the entire length of the seafront promenade.
It's particularly convenient in hot weather or after a long walk. However, remember that the bus doesn't reach every attraction or natural walking trail.
♿ What Should You Know Before Travelling?
If you're travelling with a pushchair, large luggage or have reduced mobility, check the travel arrangements before setting off.
Don't assume that every bus stop will be equally convenient or accessible. If necessary, contact the operator to confirm whether you can use a particular service.
💡 One more tip: Keep an eye on your route while travelling and press the STOP button in good time to let the driver know you want to get off.
Buses make it possible to discover Lanzarote without a car, but they do require a little more planning. That's why it's best to choose places close to one another for a day's sightseeing and always check your return connection.
🏘️ Where Can You Go by Bus from Playa Blanca?
Playa Blanca is located at the southern tip of Lanzarote, but that doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to nearby beaches and attractions if you don't have a car.
By bus, you can visit traditional Canarian villages, explore the island's capital, discover popular holiday resorts and even plan an excursion to northern Lanzarote.
Some destinations can be reached directly, while others require a change of bus, usually in Arrecife.
🌺 Yaiza – A Whitewashed Village Among Volcanoes
One of the most interesting destinations is Yaiza, a picturesque village nestled among the volcanic landscapes of southern Lanzarote. It's worth strolling between the whitewashed houses, visiting the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios and discovering the history of a village that survived the great volcanic eruptions of the 18th century.
🚌 Getting there: Buses from Playa Blanca stop in Yaiza.
🐪 Uga – Traditional Lanzarote
Uga is a small village known for its whitewashed buildings, palm trees and traditions associated with breeding camels, which were once used for work on the island. You won't find major tourist attractions here, but that's precisely why it's worth visiting. It's an opportunity to discover a quieter, more traditional side of Lanzarote.
🚌 Getting there: Bus connections are available from Playa Blanca.
🏙️ Arrecife – Lanzarote's Capital
If you fancy a full-day excursion, head to Arrecife. You can explore the picturesque Charco de San Ginés lagoon, Castillo de San Gabriel, the historic Church of San Ginés and the seafront promenade. Arrecife is also an important transport hub. Buses depart from here to many places that are difficult to reach directly from Playa Blanca.
🚌 Getting there: Direct bus connections from Playa Blanca.
🌴 Puerto del Carmen – Beaches and an Old Fishing Harbour
Puerto del Carmen is one of Lanzarote's largest holiday resorts, but it's worth visiting for more than just its beaches. You can stroll along the long seafront promenade, visit Playa Chica and explore the old harbour of El Varadero, which recalls the town's fishing heritage.
🚌 Getting there: Direct bus connections are available from Playa Blanca, but not all buses heading towards Arrecife travel through Puerto del Carmen.
⛪ Teguise – The Former Capital and Sunday Market
Teguise is one of Lanzarote's most fascinating historic towns. It served as the island's capital for several centuries. Among its cobbled streets, you'll discover historic churches, former mansions and places connected with the history of pirate raids. On Sundays, a popular market attracts locals and tourists from across the island.
🚌 Getting there: On Sundays, a special bus service runs from Playa Blanca to the market in Teguise. On other days, check the options for travelling with a change of bus.
🌵 Northern Lanzarote – An Excursion with a Bus Change
If you enjoy longer excursions, you can also plan a trip to the north of the island. Interesting destinations include Guatiza, from where you can reach Jardín de Cactus; Arrieta, with its La Garita beach; and Órzola, where ferries depart for La Graciosa. However, remember that travelling from Playa Blanca can take quite a long time and may require changing buses in Arrecife. It's therefore best to allow a full day for this type of excursion.
🚌 Where Can You Check Bus Connections?
Before every excursion, check the latest routes and departure times on the operator's official website:
👉 Bus Connections from Playa Blanca – services departing from Playa Blanca.
👉 All Bus Routes and Timetables on Lanzarote – the complete list of routes and timetables.
💡 My tip: Don't try to visit too many places in a single excursion. Buses allow you to explore Lanzarote without a car, but journey times, changes and waiting for connecting services can make your trip considerably longer.
🌋 What About Timanfaya and Other Famous Attractions?
Not every place on Lanzarote is accessible by regular public transport.
You can't take a regular bus directly to Timanfaya National Park, Los Hervideros or Salinas de Janubio. In these cases, it's worth considering an organised excursion that includes transport and sightseeing.
This way, even without hiring a car, you can discover some of Lanzarote's most extraordinary landscapes.
🌋 Montaña Roja – A Walk Up a Volcano
Fancy taking a break from the beach? In the western part of Playa Blanca rises Montaña Roja – an extinct volcano standing approximately 194 metres above sea level, whose distinctive reddish cone can be seen from many parts of the resort.
It's one of the most interesting walks you can enjoy while staying in Playa Blanca without a car.
The trail leads across rocky volcanic terrain to the rim of a wide crater. From here, you can admire panoramic views of Playa Blanca, the blue Atlantic Ocean, neighbouring Fuerteventura and the rugged landscapes of southern Lanzarote.
If you fancy a longer hike, you can also walk around the crater rim. However, this adds an extra section over uneven ground, which is exposed to strong winds in places.
🥾 Practical Information
📍 Trail starting point: The western part of Playa Blanca, near the Montaña Roja residential area. You can reach the start of the trail on foot from nearby hotels and holiday apartments.
📏 Route length: Depends on your chosen starting point and whether you plan to walk only to the crater rim or continue all the way around it.
🕒 Time: Allow approximately 1–1.5 hours for the ascent and descent. If you want to walk around the crater and stop for photographs, plan for more time. Remember to allow extra time for the walk from your hotel.
🥾 Difficulty: Moderate. The ascent doesn't require any climbing skills, but some sections are steep, rocky and covered with loose gravel.
☀️ My tip: Set off in the morning, take plenty of water and wear shoes with good grip. There's virtually no shade along the trail, and the wind can be exceptionally strong on the crater rim. In very windy conditions, it's better to avoid walking around the crater.
Montaña Roja is a wonderful way to see Lanzarote from a completely different perspective – and discover that even without hiring a car, you can explore the island's volcanic landscapes.
🚶 Playa Blanca Seafront Promenade
One of Playa Blanca's biggest attractions is its long seafront promenade, which allows you to explore the resort without a car. As you walk along the Atlantic coast, you'll pass sandy beaches, harbours, restaurants, viewpoints and places that recall the resort's fishing heritage.
Interestingly, you can walk much further than the last hotels and holiday apartments. At the western end of the coastline lies Punta Pechiguera – a rocky headland with two lighthouses standing side by side.
🌊 From Las Coloradas to Marina Rubicón
You can start your walk in the eastern part of Playa Blanca, around Las Coloradas. The coastline here is rockier, and the buildings gradually give way to open views of the ocean.
Along the way, you'll see Castillo de las Coloradas – an 18th-century defensive tower that once guarded Lanzarote's southern coastline.
Nearby is Marina Rubicón, an elegant yacht marina with restaurants, shops and small bridges. It's a lovely place to take a break before continuing your walk.
🏖️ Playa Dorada, Playa Blanca and Playa Flamingo
Continuing westwards, you'll reach the resort's three most popular beaches.
🏖️ Playa Dorada – A wide, light-coloured sandy beach located between Marina Rubicón and the centre of Playa Blanca. The bay, sheltered by breakwaters, is a popular spot for swimming and relaxing. Restaurants and other facilities are located nearby.
🏖️ Playa Blanca – A small beach in the very heart of the resort. This is where the town gets its name. The seafront promenade, lined with cafés, shops and restaurants, runs right alongside it. It's worth stopping here for a moment to admire Fuerteventura on the other side of the strait.
🏖️ Playa Flamingo – A sandy bay in the western part of the resort, protected by stone breakwaters. When the sea is calm, it's a popular choice for families with children. A promenade runs above the beach, with the distinctive volcanic cone of Montaña Roja visible in the background.
Each of these beaches has a slightly different character. You can visit all three during one walk or choose just one and combine sightseeing with some relaxation by the ocean.
🌋 Further West – A Quieter Coastline and Montaña Roja
Beyond Playa Flamingo, the promenade gradually moves away from the busiest part of the resort. It's quieter here, and the landscape becomes more rugged.
Along the way, you'll see rocky stretches of coastline, small coves and buildings extending along the slopes below Montaña Roja.
It's worth exploring the area around Playa de Montaña Roja, where you'll find beautiful views of the Atlantic. Along this part of the walk, you can also admire the distinctive red volcanic rocks that are so typical of Lanzarote.
But you don't have to end your walk here!
💡 Punta Pechiguera – Two Lighthouses at the End of the Island
If you fancy a longer walk, continue westwards towards Punta Pechiguera. This rocky headland lies at the south-western tip of Lanzarote. Here, two lighthouses stand side by side, separated by more than a century of history.
🔸 The Old Lighthouse – Faro de Pechiguera
It began operating in 1866. It's a small stone tower attached to the former lighthouse keepers' accommodation. For more than a hundred years, it helped ships navigate safely through the strait between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
🔸 The New Lighthouse – Faro de Punta Pechiguera
The much taller white tower began operating in 1988, replacing its predecessor. It stands approximately 50 metres high and continues to serve as a navigational aid today.
Both structures can be viewed from the outside. They look particularly striking standing next to each other – the small historic lighthouse and the tall modern tower.
It's also an excellent place to admire the ocean, the coastline of Fuerteventura and the sunset.
⚠️ Please note: The final stretch leading to the lighthouses is no longer a typical, comfortable promenade. In places, you'll need to walk over unpaved, rocky ground. Take care near the rocky shoreline, particularly during strong winds and high waves.
Playa Blanca Without a Car – What to See and How to Get Around
Playa Blanca is one of Lanzarote's most popular holiday resorts, located at the southern tip of the island, beside the strait separating Lanzarote from Fuerteventura. Once a small fishing village, it has developed into a holiday resort with a long seafront promenade, sandy beaches, an elegant marina and views of the neighbouring island.
Can you explore Lanzarote while staying in Playa Blanca without hiring a car? Of course! You can discover plenty of interesting places on foot, while local buses allow you to plan excursions to other parts of the island. You can also take a ferry to Fuerteventura and even reach the famous Papagayo beaches.
I'll show you what is worth seeing on foot in Playa Blanca, which walking routes to explore, where you can travel by bus and how to discover southern Lanzarote without a car.
🏖️ Playa Blanca – What Can You See on Foot?
Playa Blanca is much more than hotels, restaurants and sandy beaches. Although it's now one of Lanzarote's most popular holiday resorts, just a few decades ago it was a small fishing village whose inhabitants depended mainly on the sea for their livelihoods.
During your walk, you can discover traces of this past, see an 18th-century defensive tower, visit an elegant marina and explore places offering beautiful views of neighbouring Fuerteventura.
🎣 From Fishing Village to Popular Holiday Resort
Playa Blanca's history is closely connected to the ocean. For a long time, it was a small settlement at the southern tip of Lanzarote, where most inhabitants made their living from fishing.
The town's name literally means "White Beach" and comes from the small sandy bay around which the settlement developed.
Everything began to change in the 1970s, when increasing numbers of tourists started arriving on Lanzarote. The first hotels, restaurants and holiday apartments appeared, and the former fishing village gradually developed into a large resort.
Despite these changes, Playa Blanca has retained some of its original character. The best places to discover it are around the old harbour and the town centre.
⚓ The Old Harbour – Where Playa Blanca's Story Began
If you'd like to discover a place connected to Playa Blanca's fishing heritage, head towards the old harbour.
For many years, this was the centre of local life. Boats set out to sea to fish, fishermen prepared their nets, and families waited for their return.
Today, the harbour area looks very different. Alongside small fishing boats, you'll see tourist vessels and ferries operating between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
It's worth stopping here for a moment to look out across the ocean. On the other side of the Bocaina Strait, you can see the coastline of Fuerteventura – an island that has long been connected to Playa Blanca by sea.
🏘️ The Old Town Centre – Calle Limones and Surrounding Streets
From the harbour, you can walk into the older part of Playa Blanca, where you'll find low-rise whitewashed buildings, shops, restaurants and narrow streets.
One of the best-known places is Calle Limones, a shopping street running parallel to the seafront promenade.
It's a lovely place for a leisurely stroll, some shopping or a coffee break. It's also worth exploring the side streets, where the atmosphere is often quieter than along the seafront.
Don't expect an extensive historic old town with grand palaces like those in Teguise. Playa Blanca's charm lies mainly in its coastal character and the way its fishing village heritage blends with the modern holiday resort.
🏰 Castillo de las Coloradas – The Tower That Guarded the Coast
One of Playa Blanca's most interesting historic landmarks is Castillo de las Coloradas, also known as Torre del Águila.
This small stone defensive tower was built in the 18th century to protect Lanzarote's southern coastline from attacks by pirates and privateers arriving from North Africa.
Its location was no coincidence. From its elevated coastal position, guards could watch for approaching vessels and warn local inhabitants of potential danger.
Today, the tower is one of southern Lanzarote's distinctive historic landmarks. You don't need to go inside to appreciate it – it's worth admiring the building from the outside and stopping to enjoy the views of the ocean, Marina Rubicón and Fuerteventura.
👀 Look out for: The castle looks nothing like the great fortresses of mainland Europe. It's a small, solid structure whose main purpose was to watch over the coastline and defend against unexpected attacks.
⛵ Marina Rubicón – An Elegant Yacht Marina
You'll discover a completely different side of Playa Blanca at Marina Rubicón, a modern yacht marina in the eastern part of the resort.
Whitewashed buildings, small bridges, restaurants, shops and moored yachts create the atmosphere of an elegant seaside town.
You can stroll along the waterfront, watch the boats and relax in one of the cafés overlooking the marina.
A market is also held here on certain days, where you can buy handicrafts, clothes and souvenirs, among other things. It's worth checking the current market days before your visit.
💡 Did you know? The name Rubicón refers to a historic area of southern Lanzarote where European colonisation of the Canary Islands began in the early 15th century.
🤿 Museo Atlántico – A Museum Hidden Beneath the Ocean
Can you imagine a museum where, instead of walking between exhibits, you dive several metres beneath the ocean's surface?
You'll find just such a place off the coast of Playa Blanca! Museo Atlántico is an extraordinary collection of more than 300 underwater sculptures created by Jason deCaires Taylor. They depict people, everyday situations and scenes that encourage reflection on the modern world.
The sculptures lie at a depth of approximately 12–15 metres, near Marina Rubicón. Over time, they have also become a habitat for marine life, allowing art to literally merge with nature.
🤿 Do You Need to Know How to Dive?
You don't necessarily need a diving certification. Some dive centres offer special programmes for beginners, including training and a dive accompanied by an instructor. However, you must meet the health and safety requirements set by the organiser.
💡 Good to know: Before booking, check the current conditions, price and what's included in the excursion. Diving availability also depends on the weather and sea conditions: 👉 Museo Atlántico – Information and Diving Reservations
🗺️ Where Are These Places Located?
In my guide, “Lanzarote with César Manrique”, also available in a version designed for visitors exploring the island by bus, you'll find an interactive map showing attractions, walking routes and bus stops. It will help you plan both your sightseeing in Playa Blanca and further excursions around Lanzarote.