Photo: Arun Rampure via Google
The Best Beaches
in Lanzarote
Wild Famara, the golden Papagayo coves and calm resort bays, ranked.
The verdict
- Best forTravellers who want striking volcanic scenery, golden coves and calm resort bays, with a distinctive island of art, wine and fresh fish behind the sand.
- Single best spotThe Papagayo coves for the most beautiful, natural swimming, reached on foot or by boat from Playa Blanca.
- One thing to knowLanzarote is windy by nature, so the south is calm and sheltered while the north around Famara is for surf and drama, not gentle swimming.
Published 1 February 2026. Last reviewed 5 April 2026
Lanzarote is the most singular of the Canary Islands, a place where black volcanic earth meets a turquoise sea and the late artist Cesar Manrique left a whole island styled to his eye. The beaches share that drama. They range from the protected golden coves of Papagayo in the south to the vast wild sweep of Famara in the north, with calm resort bays and busy resort strands in between, so the coast offers far more variety than its small size suggests.
What I love about a beach day here is how easily it folds into the rest of the island. You can swim a Papagayo cove in the morning, lunch on grilled fish at El Golfo beside its eerie green lagoon, and finish among the black ash vineyards of La Geria with a glass of crisp malvasia. The honest read is that this is a windy island and the south is far calmer than the north, so we rank the beaches below on the sand, the water, the setting and the day each one makes possible.
Ranked, not listed
Scored on the sand, the water, the setting and how good the day around each beach is. Honest verdicts, the windy truth told.
Playa de Papagayo
The island's finest beaches, a run of protected golden coves at the southern tip inside the Los Ajaches reserve, with calm clear turquoise water and no development. Reach them on foot, by car for a small fee or by boat from Playa Blanca, and bring a picnic for a long wild day.
Famara
A vast, wild sweep of golden sand under towering cliffs, raw and cinematic and shaped by the wind. It is a surf and kitesurf beach with strong currents rather than a gentle swim, and the laid back village of La Caleta behind it serves the freshest fish on the coast.
Playa Blanca
The calm town beaches of the southern resort, sheltered and shallow with a long flat promenade of restaurants linking them to the Marina Rubicon. Easy, sunny and family friendly, with the boats to Papagayo and Fuerteventura leaving from the harbour.
Las Cucharas
The main beach of Costa Teguise and the island's windsurf headquarters, a broad golden bay with steady breeze, schools on the sand and a promenade of bars behind. Lively and breezy, it suits the active more than those after a still swim.
Playa Grande
The long golden strand of Puerto del Carmen, the island's busiest resort beach, backed by the Avenida and its endless line of seafood terraces. Wide sand, full facilities and a sociable crowd, with the old harbour nearby for the best fish dinners in town.
Playa Dorada
A sheltered golden bay on the edge of Playa Blanca, calm and clean and well kept, with sunbeds, a gentle entry and the promenade a step away. One of the easiest family swims in the south, with cafes and the marina within a flat stroll.
For natural beauty there is no contest. The Papagayo coves are the island's treasure, protected golden bays of calm clear water reached down a dirt track or by boat, and worth every bit of the effort. Playa Blanca and Playa Dorada nearby give the easiest calm family swimming, while the wild beauty of Famara in the north is a different pleasure entirely, all swell, cliffs and big skies.
The honest read is that Lanzarote is breezy, more so than its neighbours, so set your expectations by coast. The south around Playa Blanca is the sheltered, calm choice, the windward north and the open beaches catch the trade winds and the surf, and the east coast resorts sit somewhere between. Pick your base by the kind of swimming you want, leave time for the volcanoes, the wine and the markets, and a one note beach trip becomes one of the most characterful weeks in the Atlantic.
Book a beach club in Lanzarote
Before you go
Which is the best beach in Lanzarote?
For natural beauty the Papagayo coves in the protected south lead, a string of golden bays with calm clear water and no development. For drama the wild surf beach at Famara under its cliffs is unforgettable, while Playa Blanca and Playa Dorada give the easiest calm family swimming. The best choice depends on whether you want wild, scenic or gentle.
Are the beaches in Lanzarote sandy?
Many of the best ones are golden sand, including Papagayo, Famara, Playa Dorada and the Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise beaches. The island is volcanic, though, so you will also find black sand and pebble shores, and a few beaches such as Janubio by the salt flats are dark volcanic sand. Check before you go if pale sand matters to you.
Where should I stay for the best beaches in Lanzarote?
Playa Blanca in the south is the calmest and closest to the Papagayo coves, Puerto del Carmen is the liveliest with the most restaurants, and Costa Teguise suits windsurfers and families. For wild beauty and surf, the north around Famara is special but quieter on amenities. Base in the south for calm beaches and easy access to the island's finest sand.
Is Lanzarote good for a winter beach holiday?
Yes, it is one of the most reliable winter sun islands in Europe, mild and bright through the cooler months. The sea turns brisk in winter but stays swimmable for the hardy, and the southern resorts keep their easy beach rhythm. It is cooler than summer and often breezy, but for escaping the northern winter it is hard to beat.
What is there to do beyond the beach in Lanzarote?
Plenty, and it is unusually distinctive thanks to the artist Cesar Manrique, whose work shapes sites such as Jameos del Agua and the Mirador del Rio. The Timanfaya volcanic park, the vineyards of La Geria with their black ash pits, the Sunday market at Teguise and the green lagoon and fish restaurants of El Golfo all reward a day away from the sand.