The 20 Best Things To Do In Lanzarote With Kids

Why Should You Visit Lanzarote?

Lanzarote is almost guaranteed to be warm and sunny compared to the UK at any time of the year. So if you are looking for warmth then the Canary Islands are good place to visit. Lanzarote itself has a lot of direct flights from package holiday companies, including Jet2 and TUI.  So it’s an easy place to visit for a relaxing holiday in the sun. However there is a lot more to Lanzarote than simply a place to lounge by the hotel pool! Being a volcanic island it’s one of the best places to learn about volcanic eruptions, geology and admire volcanic rocks. This does make the landscape quite barren, but it’s certainly very interesting for children of all ages.

Getting To Lanzarote

As I mentioned you can easily book a package holiday to Lanzarote with everything included. But it may be cheaper to just do it DIY, so check the prices before you book. Direct flights are available from all over the UK to Lanzarote and is the most common way to arrive. You can easily hire a rental car on the island to get around too

However, if you would like to arrive without using flights there is still the possibility of getting the ferry from the port of Cadiz in Spain to Arrecife in Lanzarote. It’s around a 27 hour journey and is not cheap, especially if you choose a cabin to get some sleep.  

Best Place To Stay in Lanzarote

There are so many hotels in Lanzarote it’s hard to say which is the best to stay in. However when it comes to areas it depends what you are looking for. We have stayed both in the South in Playa Blanca and in the North near Arrieta. Personally I preferred the North as it seemed more authentic with a lot more locals around and few large hotels.  The South of the island is very built up and is mostly large hotels, with very few people actually living around the coastal area.  It’s certainly a tourist trap!

So my personal opinion is to head North and enjoy a little of the ‘real’ Lanzarote culture and friendliness. There are lots of small eco resorts or local buildings as holiday lets, perfect for a family holiday.  Please check out both our Eco Finca Arrieta and MYND Yaiza (Playa Blanca) posts to see the difference in locations.

20 Best Things To Do With Kids in Lanzarote

The whole family will find something they enjoy in Lanzarote, whether it’s exploring the volcanic sights or relaxing on beautiful beaches, there is so much to do! Here are our 20 favourite things to do. The list is missing a few popular places, most notably Rancho Texas Park, the main reason for this is that they have dolphins in captivity here which is completely unnecessary and purely for profit, as the dolphins have no need for conserving in a zoo. For this reason only I would avoid visiting, parks should only be used for conservation purposes of those animals species that need help. Instead take a boat trip to see the dolphins and other marine life in their natural environment around the island.

Timanfaya National Park – Lanzarote With Kids

Timanfaya National Park is located in the Montañas del Fuego – mountains of fire. You will need to book tickets in advance and in the summer either arrive at opening or later in the day an hour before closing. Otherwise you will be in for a long wait in a queue of cars, waiting for parking spaces! The alternative is booking a tour via a company that takes you there by bus, these buses do get to skip the queue, however you will have limited time to explore.

There are toilets and a cafe, plus souvenir shop. Show your tickets to the bus driver near the shop and you will get a place on one of the tour buses that take you on a loop around the volcanoes, explaining some of the geology you can see. The audio is in 2 different languages, so make sure you ask the bus driver which languages that will be spoken!

Back at the cafe you will be directed to watch the force of the heat below the surface with some demonstrations causing steam to shoot out of the ground hay set on fire by the heat of the earth. There is also chicken roasting over a pit next to the cafe too.

Timanfaya Visitor Centre

Just down the road from the National Park entrance at Mancha Blanca is the Timanfaya visitor centre. It’s free to enter and it has an exhibition and audio visual centre to learn more about the volcanic nature of the island. It’s definitely worth visiting and the kids learned a lot about volcano and the natural landscape of Lanzarote here.

Cueva de los Verdes

Sticking with the volcanic activity, Cueva de los Verdes is a lava tunnel, which stretches for over 8 km in a complex of tunnels and caves. However, tourists are limited to a tour via a path to protect the rest of the tunnel structure. You must buy tickets online for tours at set times, but this is an activity that will fascinate both young children and older children. 

Cactus Garden

Jardin de Cactus is one of the most beautiful cactus gardens I’ve seen. Even if it’s windy elsewhere, the amphitheatre style layout of the garden means it’s calm and warm to walk around at any time of year. Kids of all ages will be fascinated by the different types of cactus and succulent paths planted here and it’s a great place to capture some instagram worthy images.

Mirador del Rio

The Mirador del Rio is a view point high up in the cliffs, overlooking the smaller island of La Graciosa. It’s the perfect place to get an excellent view, although there isn’t much else to do here with small children. Older kids will probably enjoy the view and spotting different boats moving around below.  There is also a great little cafe, which my eldest loves for the apple pie!

Los Jameos del Agua – Lanzarote With Kids

César Manrique, a famous artist, architect and sculptor of Lanzarote, created this natural looking home, partly within an old lava tunnel. You can’t explore the entire building, but it’s worth visiting to admire the beautiful building and spot the many blind crabs in the aquatic habitat of the old lava tunnel!

Dolphin Watching Trip

If you are lucky to have calm waters during your visit I highly recommend taking a dolphin watching trip. There are mixed reviews for the different companies, however I found a great company based out of Puerto Calero, called Sea Safaris Lanzarote. They have excellent reviews and actually care about the wildlife. Even when we saw a whale in the distance they didn’t attempt to get too close as there was already another two boats nearby and they did not want to scare the creature. They are also amazing at find dolphins, we had a fantastic time as they found hundreds of dolphins chasing a school of fish and we could see the dolphins playing and enjoying the fish all around us! Younger kids will love this just as much as the adults, do take a seasickness tablet if you’re prone though.

Lanzarote Aquarium

On a rather too hot day or perhaps when there is sand storm, the aquarium may be one of the best ways to stay out the sandy air. It’s small, but has a range of different aquariums featuring typical species found around the Canary Islands as well as some more tropical species. There is also a tunnel where you can watch sharks swim over you, or tactile tanks where you can gently handle some animals.

Aqualava Water Park – Lanzarote With Kids

The Aqualava water park is located in Playa Blanca and can be very busy during the summer holidays. The pools are heated by geothermal energy and, as the name suggests, it has a volcanic theme. We spent the good part of a day here, leaving only because I was beginning to burn as there was little shade (despite having plenty of applications of suncream!). The good parts were definitely the water slides and wave pool, the kids spent most their time in these two areas. The lazy river didn’t really work well, it hardly seems to push you along, and also there were not enough floats for everyone wanting to use it. The food wasn’t amazing, but it’s not expensive, just make sure you have footwear and clothing on to go inside the building! There are also lockers available to keep your items safe.

Aquapark Costa Teguise

Aquapark in Costa Teguise has many more slides available, so this is perhaps a better water park to visit if you are staying nearby or have older children who spend most heir time on the slides. Although it is a little more expensive than Aqualava park. We didn’t visit Aquapark on either of our visits, but it does seem to have similar reviews to Aqualava, with the only negative that it is more dated.

Camel Ride

At the Southern end of Timanfaya National Park you will see a camel ride area. It’s quite busy during the summer and consists of a line of camels with one person sitting on either side of the camel (in seats) being taken up a hill and then back down again. It is fun for small children, but older kids may find it boring.  All the camels seem well loooked after and have a rest after every few rides.

Surf Lessons at Famara – Lanzarote With Kids

With beautiful seas and plenty of wind, Lanzarote is a great place to learn water sports.  Surf lessons are available at Famara via several different operators, you can book these in advance or head down on the day to see if there are any spaces. They also provide wetsuits to wear if you don’t have one.

Day Trip to La Graciosa

This small island of La Graciosa is accessible via ferries from Orzola in the North of the island. There are several ferries a day and you can hire bikes or jeeps on the island to explore further. The children and I hired bikes to visit one of the beaches (Playa de las Conchas) on the far side of the island, there are hills but they managed this fine! unfortunately the waves were too big and current too strong to swim in the sea. This is the island you can see from the Mirador del Río, so look up at the cliffs opposite when you arrive. If you have smaller children with you then you may enjoy playing at the smaller beach beside the cafes in the main town.

Playa de Papagayo – Lanzarote With Kids

This is a popular natural beauty spot at any time of year, although you will find it packed in the summer months. It’s possible to walk along to the beach from Playa Blanca in mild temperatures, but it’s too hot for walking in the summer. There is usually plenty of space for parking above the beaches. The water is a beautiful turquoise blue colour and delightful to swim in. Many people bring snorkels to look at the fish further out in the bay.

Playa de Famara

Although I mentioned it above as a great place to go surfing, it’s also fun for body boarding. At 5km long there is plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the beach. So bring along a picnic and enjoy the warm weather and space to yourself.

​Museo Atlántiqo

This is an interesting addition to a family vacation with older children. It’s basically and underwater sculpture gallery in the Atlantic Ocean! If you have a diving licence then it will obviously be cheaper as you just need to hire the equipment. But there is training available for non-divers to learn how to dive and also visit the sculptures too. There are a variety of sculptures and plenty of wildlife to see too. Definitely a unique experience for your visit to Lanzarote.

Playa de la Garita

In the North of the island near Arrieta is Play de Garita, a beach that is part black volcanic sand and part golden! It’s a great beach for body boarding and is used by locals too, so a fun place to visit away from the tourist crowds.

Contemporary Art Gallery – Lanzarote with Kids

The International Museum of Contemporary Art at Castillo de San Jose is another interesting indoor activity for a family trip. I always think art is important to introduce to kids, partly so they can see it can take many forms and how subjective art is. However as this art gallery is actually in a castle, it’s even more interesting!

Shopping at Haria or Teguise Markets

Saturday mornings are the best day to visit Haria for the traditional artesan market. There are many different handmade products to browse, and is a must for those who like locally made souvenirs.  For a more colourful market with a variety of edible produce and souvenirs than visit Teguise market on Sunday morning. Teguise market also has folkloric with songs and dancing.

Salinas de Janubio – Lanzarote With Kids

The salt flats at Janubio are an interesting addition to a visit to Lanzarote. It’s a bit off the beaten track and not necessarily the first place you would think of on a family holiday. But it’s interesting to hear how the salt is collected and buy some of your own to try! 

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