It’s that time of the year when you’re probably planning your summer escape and the countdowns are probably beginning. If you’ve not decided where to head for a little bit of summer sun one place you want to consider is Lanzarote, it is the perfect place to relax and for families.
We have been fortunate enough to have been able to head out to Lanzarote for the last 3 years and are a little sad that we wont get back out there this year due to various reasons however we have made some amazing memories and its the one place we always recommend.
I wanted to share a few of our favourite things to do in Lanzarote to help you plan your trip a little better plus also the little tips we’ve picked up on our trips out there.
If you are heading out with little ones there is a whole host of things to do on the island from visiting the local tourist attractions such as visiting Fundacion Cesar Manrique which shows you around the home of the man who inspired so much of the islands architecture to trips up the volcanos however some of our favourite places to visit were:
- Submarine Safari
- Rancho Texas
- Teguise Market
Last year was the 2nd time we had taken a trip on the submarine and it was the one thing that Ethan had been looking forward to since we had landed.
On our first ever visit out to Lanzarote we had taken a trip on the Submarine however Kayleigh and Ethan couldn’t really remember much as they were both young so to them this was the first trip to the bottom of the sea that they could really enjoy and take memories back home with them to share with their friends!
The adventure takes your 100ft down to the bottom of the ocean where you get to see life under the sea from the comfort of a viewing port. When you come to a rest at the bottom of the ocean you are greeted by a diver that comes round the submarine with lots of fish following! Perfect for the kids. They also have a sting ray which comes to say hi occasionally, we’ve not been lucky enough to see it yet however Ethan was convinced on our trip he saw it moving from under the sea bed as we went by.
It really is one of those things that I think if you have the chance to do it, I would really recommend booking a trip. They have a coach which picks up from lots of the resorts and takes you back again, perfect for tired little ones.
If you are doing the trip for a special occasion, make sure you get in with the team as they can arrange for the diver to show a personalised message for your loved one on the window down at the bottom of the ocean!
Again this was a 2nd trip to Rancho Texas however again this year the kids were more excited as they could only remember snippets of their last trip out to the ranch.
If you have never been or heard of Rancho Texas it is a zoo/water park rolled into one that is simply amazing and the surroundings are stunning.
Once you are in the park there is so much to do you really can spend the whole day in there. Like I said they have the water park section which has lots of outdoor pools and slides for the whole family to enjoy. They also have changing rooms and lockers so if you only want to spend some of your time in the water section you can get dried up and head out into the rest of the park.
In the main section of the park you have all of the animals spread out in different sections, these have lots of shaded areas so if you go on a hot day like we did there is plenty of spaces to rest up out of the heat and top up the sun cream.
They also have 3 shows which run daily, Birds of Prey, Sea Lions and Parrots and Cockatoos which if you are going to the ranch I would recommend you do these all!
The kids love the parrots show and they are really clever birds. They had the kids entertained the whole time! I loved watching the sea lions again as I think they were just fantastic and this time we arrived a bit early and watched people have their sea-lion interaction and it looked amazing! Definitely up there on my to do list when we return.
It was our first time watching the birds of prey and as you can see from the pictures above the birds are stunning and to be able to see them spread their wings and fly was something else.
We ate at the park for our lunch as the food is not only delicious but also really good value for money. For our lunch we sat in the Wildhorse Saloon and the service was second to none in the height of the summer.
If you are doing just 1 day out on your trip this has to be it!
Teguise Market
If you are looking to explore a bit of the old capital Teguise and do a bit of light shopping why not try the weekly market at Teguise. As well as the usual craft and tourist bits they have a delicious food market section.
Whenever we go I always get myself a yummy loaf of onion bread and this spicy tomato dip, I have no idea what it’s called as its hand-made by local but it is delicious!
The market is a great trip out for one of your sunny days in Lanzarote.
These are just a few of the excursions you can do in Lanzarote and ones that we have actually been on but the island is beautiful without paying for excursions too if your budget doesn’t stretch.
Our top tips for your trip to Lanzarote:
- Make the most of the beautiful beaches – We stayed in Costa Teguise at the amazing Sands Beach Resort (if you are looking for somewhere to stay we highly recommend here, perfect for families and it really is our home away from home!) and the beaches seem to go for miles of gorgeous golden sand. It is so calming and peaceful being able to sit and watch the sea come in and out, there is also lots of water sports in the area so you can watch that too!
- Take the kids on an adventure – We live miles from the sea so the only time we tend to get to the beach is when we get away however the kids all time favourite thing to do on holiday is go crab hunting! I am awful at it as I squeak when they move however luckily for me Daddy Vs Work is much better and the kids love it when we can catch some and have a look at them all before setting them free back into the ocean.
- Try the local food – On our first trip out we mainly stuck to the British bars and restaurants and played it safe with food we know however this time we tried a whole variety of food and everyone loved it. If you are in Costa Teguise you have to try Portabello’s, no word of a lie, it is the most delicious place to eat on the island and Nati and her team make you feel right at home. We went for Daddy s Work 30th back in 2013 and mine last year and we eat here at least 3 times when we head out. I recommend the homemade pate for starter and definitely check our the specials board, for my birthday I had lamb ravioli and I was divine.
As I mentioned above if you haven’t found your place to stay you need to have a look at Sands Beach Resort. It was recommended to us by several people before we booked and we weren’t disappointed. The resort is on the beach front and is perfect for families. Lots of space to play and the accommodation is perfect for families.
Last year we had a beach front apartment and it was amazing. We over looked the lagoon which meant we were seconds away from the beach and if we needed to pop back to our apartment for a drink or to go to the toilet it was only a short trip. It was so nice being able to have breakfast overlooking the private lagoon or watch the sun rising over the Mai Tai bar.
One things for sure I’m going to miss us not taking a trip out there this year but if you are going you are in for a real treat!
If you are going or you have any questions just shout and we will do our best to give your our thoughts on Lanzarote and what it has to offer.
Great to have you back. Many thanks for the review, we have shared to our social media channels.
Thank you & thank you for another amazing trip!
Hi, just popping over from the SoFab hub to say hello! Great post, I have actually always really wanted to go to Lanzarote but was never sure what I would do once I got there. Thanks for sharing!
You have to go visit if you can, it is lovely out there!