What to see in a week on the island of Lanzarote

The island of Lanzarote has an infinite number of natural landscapes and plans to offer, so the recommended time to visit it is at least four or five days.

In any case, if you have enough time to spend a week, you can explore it from north to south, getting a much more complete view, and you will even have time to hop over to the eighth island, La Graciosa.

Day 1: Northern route

The first day will focus on a route through the north of Lanzarote, starting with a visit to two works by César Manrique, the Cactus Garden, a botanical garden with more than 7,000 cacti from all continents, and Jameos del Agua, a lake inside a volcanic tube, where an endemic species called the blind crab lives.

Then we will cross the road to enter a route through the Cueva de los Verdes, a seven-kilometer grotto used as a refuge by the islanders during pirate attacks and with a great surprise at the end.

After an intense morning of sightseeing, you can enjoy typical Canarian dishes in the restaurants of Arrieta. Afterwards, you can drive up to the top of the Risco de Famara to enjoy the Mirador del Río, a viewpoint 400 meters high from where you can contemplate the Chinijo Archipelago, a group of islets formed by La Graciosa and the islets Roque del Este, Roque del Oeste, Alegranza and Montaña Clara.

To end the day, the ideal is to rest on the beach of Caletón Blanco, in Órzola, one of the most peculiar locations on the island. It is a beach where white sand mixes with the black of volcanic rocks and the turquoise blue sea.

Day 2: Southern route

The second day begins among volcanoes in the Timanfaya National Park, where you can enjoy geysers, a route through the Fire Mountains by bus and dishes made with the heat of the earth at the El Diablo Restaurant, a work by César Manrique.

After the visit, the ideal is to continue the route south, towards Playa Blanca, where you will find numerous characteristic enclaves of the island, to take movie-like photos, such as El Golfo, Los Hervideros or the Salinas de Janubio.

Once the route is finished and after several hours "of sightseeing", you can finally relax on the beaches and coves of Papagayo, at the southernmost point of the island. If you haven't eaten yet, you can do so at the beach bar on top of the mountain, where you will have a panoramic view of the two main coves. 

You can also rent a kayak in Papagayo to discover its hidden caves and coves or stay until sunset to watch the sunset.

Day 3: route through the center of the island

The third day in Lanzarote will begin with a visit to César Manrique's House-Museum to the Farmer. 

The tour continues at the Cuervo Volcano, at the exit of Masdache, a perfect place for a family walk inside a volcano. After the trail, we will move to La Geria to have some Lanzarote wines.

After the appetizer, you can eat the famous "papas arrugadas con mojo", or other typical dishes of the island in one of the teleclubs in the area, and then relax on the popular Famara Beach, under the imposing cliff.

To close the day, you can visit the Lagomar Museum and have dinner or drinks at its bar-restaurant, embedded in a cave in the town of Nazaret. 

Day 4: climb a volcano and natural pools

After a quiet day, it's time to get energized to climb a volcano called Caldera Blanca, a five-hour route where you will climb and surround a crater more than 1,200 meters in diameter.

After completing the morning of physical exercise, you can head to the municipality of Yaiza to spend the afternoon enjoying a hidden natural wonder, Los Charcones, a set of natural pools.

There you can enjoy a dream sunset, however, it is important to mention that it is a difficult access area where the sea hits the rocks with force, so you have to go with great caution.

Day 5: visit to the island of La Graciosa

Another alternative is to spend a day on the island of La Graciosa, the eighth island of the Canary Islands. It is a practically virgin place, without roads, with very few buildings and just over 700 inhabitants. 

It is one of the few places where the massification typical of tourist places in Spain has not yet arrived, making it the perfect place to spend a day among its "wild" beaches and relax.

Lacking an airport, and being separated by a strip of water known as El Río, the only way to get there is by boat from the north of the island of Lanzarote, on a journey that lasts barely half an hour.

Once on the island, you can hire a jeep, a bike, or walk to three of its most famous beaches, La Francesa, Montaña Amarilla, and Las Conchas. 

Day 6: Puerto del Carmen and Playa Quemada

With the accumulated fatigue from the previous day, you can relax by strolling along the avenue of Puerto del Carmen, the most touristy area of the island, and buy a souvenir or two to remember it by. 

Although you can stay to sunbathe on the beach and eat in the area, there is also the option of traveling to Playa Quemada and eating typical food in one of its restaurants facing the sea. 

In addition, in Playa Quemada you can enjoy unique black sand beaches, such as Arena or el Pozo. They are places very little frequented by tourists and even locals, due to their remoteness from the town.

Day 7: Arrecife and Playa Honda

On the last day, you can take the opportunity to visit the corners of the Lanzarotean capital, Arrecife, starting with a good breakfast at the top of the Gran Hotel. The day will continue with a walk through the center until you reach the famous Castillo de San José, where you can observe contemporary art, as well as hear stories of how pirates used to arrive in the area.

After the visit, you can eat in one of the bars in the area of the picturesque Charco de San Ginés, just a 20-minute walk along the coast.

With a full stomach, you can take the opportunity to go shopping in Playa Honda, or have something sweet for dessert in one of its adjoining streets that lead towards the sea.

As a final flourish, you can stroll along the Avenida de Playa Honda until you reach the end of the airport, where you will see planes passing overhead with a movie-like sunset.