Lanzarote, the fourth best European island for water sports among 500 islands studied

Lanzarote is the fourth most desired island in Europe for practicing water sports, according to the latest global study on active tourism presented by TUI Musement, the division of experiences, excursions, guided tours, and destination activities belonging to the global tourism group TUI Group.

The report, which analyzes the volume of Google searches associated with disciplines such as surfing, diving, kayaking, or snorkeling in 500 European islands, confirms the unstoppable rise of sports tourism, a segment that already accounts for nearly 10% of global tourism spending with growth forecasts exceeding 17% by the end of the decade.

Of Lanzarote's nautical offerings, the study highlights Famara beach for surfing and the coast of Los Ajaches and the cliffs of Papagayo for kayak routes.

The European podium of this classification is led by the archipelago of Malta, which leads the continental map with more than 157,000 searches driven by its seabed and enclaves such as Ċirkewwa.

Following in second place is Tenerife, which stands out as a key benchmark for surfing and snorkeling thanks to diving spots such as Bahía de Abades or Montaña Amarilla, while the bronze medal goes to the Portuguese Madeira, whose volcanic coastline and sites such as the Ponta de São Lourenço reserve attract the interest of surfers and divers from all over the planet.

Immediately behind Lanzarote, the island of Mallorca occupies fifth place, driven by kayaking and snorkeling in areas such as Cala de La Victoria, Sant Elm, or the surroundings of Dragonera.

For its part, sixth place goes to Fuerteventura, which is confirmed as a great destination for windsurfing and kitesurfing modalities thanks to the constancy of the trade winds and the optimal conditions offered by areas such as Sotavento or Flag Beach.

The list of the top ten positions is completed by the Greek enclave of Crete in seventh place —where the island of Dia attracts the attention of international diving—, followed by Sicily, the Balearic island of Ibiza —in ninth place, with great appeal in kayaking and diving activities linked to seagrass meadows— and the Italian Sardinia, which occupies tenth place.