Lanzarote’s greatest asset is its landscape, and a surprising amount of it is free. The island’s paid sights are excellent, but you can build several satisfying days around coast, viewpoints, markets and villages without buying a ticket. This guide shows what is free, how to link it into efficient days and where a ticket is worth the money.
The free lava coast
On the southwest road between the salt works and the village of El Golfo, Los Hervideros is a stretch of cliffs where waves surge through caves in lava that reached the sea in the eruptions of the 1730s. Marked paths and platforms let you walk along the top, and there is no entry charge. A few minutes on, the Green Lagoon at El Golfo is a crater lagoon filled by the sea, with a viewpoint beside the car park that is free to use at any time. Stay on the paths, keep away from the edge and watch the waves, since the sea can be dangerous. You can also look at the Salinas de Janubio from the road, and a guided visit is a low-cost way to learn how the salt is made.
Villages and markets
The market at Teguise on Sundays is free to wander and comes with the pleasure of the island’s former capital, with its whitewashed streets and old buildings. It is crowded, so go early. In the north, Haría and its valley of palms cost nothing to visit, and two viewpoints show the green grove. On Saturday mornings a craft market fills the main square. Many other villages, such as Yaiza in the south, have tidy squares and cafés where a coffee is the only cost. Arrecife has a waterfront promenade and a small old quarter that are free to explore, and the island’s churches and plazas are open to walk past.
Beaches and sea
The beaches are free, and Lanzarote has a good variety. Famara, below the northern cliffs, is a long, wide beach popular with surfers, and it is spectacular in the evening light, although the surf and currents call for care. In the south, the Papagayo beaches sit in a protected area, so check whether any vehicle charge applies and how you can reach them, and bring your own water and shade because there are few facilities. The resort beaches of Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen have promenades, cafés and showers, and the seafront walks are free. Swim where there are lifeguards and obey the flags.
Walking and viewing
Lanzarote is a good island for walking, with volcanic cones, coastal paths and viewpoints. In the north, the crater of the Volcán de la Corona is reached on foot, and the cliffs at Famara give long views. Always carry water, wear sturdy shoes, bring sun protection and a windproof layer, and stay on marked paths, particularly in protected areas. Leave volcanic stones where you find them.
Paid sights worth the ticket
A few visits are worth paying for even on a budget. Timanfaya National Park is the one essential, since the coach tour and the geothermal demonstrations cannot be matched. The Cueva de los Verdes and Jameos del Agua are inexpensive compared with the experience, and the Fundación César Manrique shows how the artist lived. The Jardín de Cactus is a modest garden with high rewards. Choose two or three of these rather than all of them, and book timed tickets ahead so that you do not lose a day to a sold-out slot.
Saving money on the practical side
Self-catering apartments and simple hotels such as Hotel Puerto Carmen keep accommodation costs down, and supermarkets are easy to find in the resorts. Lunch menus in local restaurants are often better value than dinner, and a shared plate of papas arrugadas with a fish of the day is cheaper than a long à la carte meal. A hire car is the most flexible way to link the free sights, and sharing it among several people reduces the cost per head. If you do not drive, buses connect the main towns and resorts, though services to remote sights are limited, so check timetables first.
A free day, sketched out
Start in the south with Los Hervideros and the Green Lagoon, picnic or eat simply in El Golfo, spend the afternoon on a beach, and finish with a walk on the promenade in Playa Blanca. A second free day can take in Teguise on a Sunday morning and the Haría viewpoints in the afternoon. Add one paid highlight and you will have seen the island’s essence at a fraction of the usual cost.
