The best places to eat in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote

Playa Blanca is a small resort on the very south tip of the island of Lanzarote. Very popular with the German and Irish Tourists, it is a small, friendly resort with a lot to offer both couples and families.

The year round climate of Lanzarote makes Playa Blanca an appealing holiday destination 365 days a year. Temperatures in the summer can often hit 40 degrees Celsius, whilst in the winter rarely drop much below 20 degrees. Whilst Lanzarote is known to be a windy island, Playa Blanca is relatively sheltered as it sits in front of a backdrop of mountains.

One of the appeals of Playa Blanca is the sheer number of quality restaurants that are available across the sea front. The two main commercial areas of Playa Blanca are the town itself and the Rubicon Marina.

The Marina plays host to a number of very well presented restaurants that serve many different types of food from Italian to Tex Mex. The Marina is generally quieter than the main sea front of the town and so dining tends to be a little more relaxed and, in my opinion, is better suited for couples or more grown up families.

The main town has a very large selection of restaurants offering different cusines from around the world. No matter if you fancy an indian, or if you want to sample a traditional Spanish dish then there is something for everyone. The restaurants here are family friendly and kids can be entertained by attractions such as Parrots and a small fireworks display that takes place each evening.

Its very difficult to choose the best place to eat in Playa Blanca, simply down to the amount of choice and personal taste, but in our opinion these restaurants top the bill in terms of quality of food, service and value for money.

Afrodite Little Italy

If you are looking for a first rate Italian meal then this is the place for you, although prices for some of the dishes, in our opinion are a little pricey. Having said that the quality of the food is second to none and it's fair to say that you get what you pay for here.

La Vaca Tijuana

Situated on the main promenade in Playa Blanca, La Vaca Tijuana is a Steak House / Pizzeria that offers one of the best Mixed Grills you will ever taste. Prices are very reasonable and you will never leave feeling hungry! Whilst maybe not everyones cup of tea the service here is fantastic. I have had many a laugh and joke here whilst tackling their special mixed grill!

Tipico Canario

One of the first restaurants you will come across as you walk across the sea front from Playa Dorada is Tipico Canario. The food quality and portion size here is amazing. The waiter service is OK and the restaurant is generally pretty full all of the time giving it a good atmosphere.

These are just three of our recommendations. Of course, its down to personal preference of what you like to eat, and in some cases who you are dining with and how much you have to spend. There are some quite expensive restaurants in Playa Blanca, but in general you can get a really nice meal without having to break the bank.

An overview of Lanzarote and what it offers holiday makers

Lanzarote sits in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the west coast of Africa. It attracts millions of visitors every year, thanks to its all year round warm climate and a yearly average of 21 degrees celsius.

The landscape on Lanzarote is rocky, barren and - well - volcanic. You won't find many trees or greenery (although we do think that due to a slight climate change the island is slowly becoming a little greener) and there are no high rise buildings on the island apart from the Grand Hotel in Arrecife.

One thing that you will find no shortage of on Lanzarote is Restaurants. There is a vast selection to choose from, all offering different cuisines from typical Canarian food to indian!

There are three main tourist resorts on Lanzarote, not including Arrecife which is the capital of the island. The three main resorts are Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen and Costa Teguise. Each resort is very different in what it offers. Puerto Del Carmen is the largest and most lively resort, which offers nightclubs and bars that open until the early hours. Playa Blanca is a smaller resort built around a fishing port and Costa Teguise is a more modern purpose built resort on the East Coast.

The nightlife on Lanzarote is typically more relaxed than its sister islands within the canaries, which is why it tends to appeal to an older and family orientated audience, however Puerto Del Carmen does break this mold a little bit and tends to be where the younger holiday makers spend their time on the island.

If you are looking for something a little more extreme then Lanzarote won't let you down. From trekking up Volcanoes to diving to the depths of the ocean (both in a submarine and in a wet suite) there really is something for everyone. There are a number of sports that you can take part in on the island, from your usual football and tennis, to cycling and kite surfing.

For the more cultured amongst us there are a number of natural attractions on Lanzarote, the largest being the Timanfaya National Park. This part is situated on the west of the island and is made up of a number of Volcanoes. Within the Timanfaya Park is the El Diablo restaurant where the food is cooked on a natural volcanic grill. There are also regular demonstrations of active guisers. Other natural attractions include the Green Caves and Jameos del Agua, which are based around volcanic lava tunnels.

Many of the attractions on Lanzarote were created by the late Caesar Manrique, an artist who lived on the island. As well as the attractions mentioned above there is also Mirador del Rio and you can also take a trip to Manriques house, built from a Lava Bubble, where you can also sample some of his famous paintings.

What Playa Blanca offers Tourists and Holiday makers

Once a small fishing town, Playa Blanca sits on the southern tip of the Island of Lanzarote, around 30km from the Airport. The small town is peaceful, and yet vibrant enough to provide visitors with a holiday they won’t forget.

Although Playa Blanca was once a small fishing town, it is still relatively new in terms of being an actual resort, so there is little in the way of historic interest - with the exception of the Castle of Coloradas, situated between the town itself and Papagayo (where you will find an excellent beachs).

Whilst on the subject of beaches, Playa Blanca is not short in this department. Around the centre of the town there are three small beaches - Playa Flamingo (to the east), Playa Blanca (in the centre) and Playa Dorada (to the west, between the town and Rubicon Marina). Perhaps considered the better beaches, Papagayo sits to the west of the town itself, beyond the Rubicon Marina. They are a little harder to get to and require a drive or trip by water taxi.

To the east of Playa Blanca you will find the relatively modern Faro de Pechiguera Lighthouse, which was built in 1986. The sea at this point is often quite rough, although we have also been told it is very favorable for divers due to the rocks attracting various species of fish (there are a few dive schools in Lanzarote - check them out). Also to the east you will find the Montana Roja volcano. This Volcano stands 600 feet tall and visitors can climb this to be rewarded with excellent views of not only the town but the historic crater.

Playa Blanca is also considered a gateway to Fuerteventura as two ferry services run from the local port.

The nightlife in Playa Blanca is generally quite relaxed. You won’t find any large night clubs although the odd bar does open late if you are looking for a good dance into the early hours of the morning. 

The walk across the sea front of Playa Blanca is lined with an excellent selection of restaurants and small bars. It is safe to say that the quality of food in Playa Blanca is second to none on the island. If you like your live music then most of the small bars offer a great selection from rock to acoustic sets.

I have touched on the Rubicon Marina a couple of times in this article. The Rubicon sits to the west of the town of Playa Blanca, just after the Playa Dorada beach. The marina is home to a number of large and expensive yachts and is lined with designer boutiques and restaurants.

Although quite isolated there is now a good bus service that runs to Arrecife, the capital of the Island. Public transport on Lanzarote has improved considerably over the last few years. There are also a number of car hire companies, not to mention the organised excursions that take place on a daily basis to the other attractions around Lanzarote.

In summary, Playa Blanca is a great place to stay. It’s peaceful and provides a great relaxing base for your holiday.

Lanzarote - A tale of three resorts

Lanzarote is a popular, all year-round holiday destination. Thanks to its close proximity to the Sahara desert, the temperature rarely drops below 16 degrees Celsius at any part of the year. Add to that, the 16 days of rain a year and its easy to see what the appeal is.

There is plenty to do on the island of Lanzarote, wether its lying on the beach soaking up the sun, visiting one of the many natural attractions such as the Timanafaya National Park, enjoying the night life and huge selection of restaurants,bars and clubs or even taking part in some adrenaline sports such as kite-surfing up at Famara.

When people visit Lanzarote, its highly likely that they will stay in one of the three main tourist resorts - Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise or Playa Blanca (although we hope we are not giving too much discredit to Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote).

The three resorts are actually all quite different. Puerto del Carmen (also known as PDC to those in the inner circle) is probably the most popular resort, especially with the British. The long sea front strip of bars, clubs and restaurants means that there is something for everyone, not forgetting the huge beach that runs virtually all the way down the front of the town. Puerto del Carmen has quite recently undergone some renovation work along the sea front strip, including new lighting and a new one way system. We find that Puerto del Carmen is the ideal resort for young adults or groups / parties that are looking to let their hair down whilst on holiday.

Costa Teguise, on the East of the Island is a smaller, quieter resort ideal for families or couples that prefer to take things a little slower. There is a good choice of bars and restaurants here although as there is no real form of shelter it can get a little windy at certain points in the year. There is also an aquarium in Costa Teguise and a water park nearby so there is plenty to do for all ages.

Playa Blanca, sitting on the south-west tip of the island and sheltered by Mountains, is a little more refined. The once small fishing port has grown into a small holiday resort that seems to be more popular with the Germans. The small strip and sea-front walkway which is lined with some excellent restaurants (and yes, I have sampled virtually every one of them) and the Rubicon Marina is host to a bi-weekly craft market which is a must visit. There are three small beaches in Playa Blanca, all of which can sometimes get a little crowded so some holiday makers make their way over to Papagayo which is a larger beach to the east of Playa Blanca.

So which resort is the best for you? It really depends on your tastes and what sort of holiday you are looking for. All resorts have their positives so before you book your Lanzarote holiday just sit back and think about what you want to get out of your vacation before you commit to anything.

Lanzarote to lose its biosphere status?

Thanks to its year round warm climate, Lanzarote attracts many tourists looking for a relaxing and lazy holiday in the sun. Perhaps what many tourists don’t realize is that Lanzarote is a Unesco biosphere site, one of only 564 in the world!

With pioneering use of land a large part of the western coast of Lanzarote has been declared a nature reserve, the volcanic Timanfaya National Park, which is largely intact except for a tour-bus route, camel rides and a restaurant where food is cooked over a naturally lava-heated barbecue pit.

However, thanks to the so called ‘illegal’ building of 24 hotels in coastal resorts such as Playa Blanca the island is in danger of losing its biosphere status. The Canary Island Supreme Court has ruled that these hotels have been built illegally, with EU grants – issued partly with thanks to the islands biosphere status!

The biosphere status was issued to the island based on its development plans to promote sustainable tourism that respected the environment. The Cesar Manrique Foundation, named after the late artist Cesar Manrique himself, fights the development of large concrete buildings such as hotels on the other Canary Islands.

However, as you will see from the larger hotels that have been built on the sea front in resorts such as Playa Blanca there is reason for concern with regards to the biosphere status of the island.

Maybe the saving grace is that it is the Cesar Manrique foundation who have in fact ‘whistle-blown’ on these developers which may give the island a fighting chance in retaining the biosphere status.

There is no doubt that some of the larger hotels, such as those in Playa Blanca have helped the towns tourism trade, but at what cost? Playa Blanca, one a small fishing port is now a vibrant tourist destination enticing people from all over Europe.

The island has proven that, for years, it has been able to sustain repeat tourism through natural, low-key visitor attractions and it would be a tragic shame to see the Manrique legacy and biosphere status fall over the sake of corrupt property development.

5 things to do when staying in Playa Blanca

Once a small fishing port at the southern tip of Lanzarote, Playa Blanca is now a thriving resort, although it’s fair to say that unlike some of the other resorts on the island it has done very well when it comes to sticking to its roots.

Although relatively small, there is plenty to do in Playa Blanca, both for couples of all ages and families.

It is not unusual for people to book into a hotel or stay in an aparthotel when on holiday in Playa Blanca, and with the extreme summer heat can be too easy to just sit around the pool all day. But there are plenty of other things to be doing in Playa Blanca. Here are our top 5:

1. Hire a bike. There is a footpath in Playa Blanca that stretches from the lighthouse(s) in Faro de Pechiguera right through to Punta de Papagayo. It’s a fair treck and be careful of pedestrians!


2. Take a trip on the Glass Bottom boat. The sea around Playa Blanca is crystal clear, so what better way to see what’s beneath it than taking a trip on the glass bottom boat? The boat departs from both the harbour and the Rubicon Marina and heads towards the Papagayo beaches.


3. Relax on one of the beaches. There are a number of small(ish) beaches along the coastal footpath, scattered amongst a number of rocky coves. The main beach in Playa Blanca is sandwiched between two man-made beaches in Playa Dorado and Playa Flamingo. (At the time of writing Playa Flamingo is currently undergoing an overhaul and unavailable to the public)


4. Go Diving! Playa Blanca is home to the Lanzarote Dive College. Located by the Hotel Natura Palace (a short walk from the Playa Flamingo beach, towards the lighthouse) the Dive Centre caters for everyone from beginners to instructors.


5. Visit the bi-weekly market at the Rubicon Marina. Twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays) a local trade market takes place at the Rubicon Marina. You can find all sorts of bargains here from local crafts (a fantastic trader who builds leather chairs while you wait!), local wines and local products such as Aloe Vera gels and creams.

So, although Playa Blanca is the ideal place to relax, there is still plenty going on should you feel the need to venture outside your hotel during the day!

Why I would want to move to Lanzarote

I have an uncontrollable urge and passionate desire to move to Lanzarote. I can’t put my finger on a specific reason but have a collective of reasons for wanting to do so. It’s almost like the island has a spell on me.

I’ve worked in the corporate rat-race for 14 years, four of which I have ran my own business. When I visit Lanzarote on holiday I feel totally at ease. Even when I have had to pull out my laptop on the last couple of visits, it’s felt totally different to when I’m in the U.K. It’s difficult to explain.

The pace of life in Lanzarote feels less pressured, but that doesn’t mean that things wont get done. To me, it just means that things will get done properly – something that I have struggled to find evidence of in the UK for a good while. The U.K. has become a country of overworked, and in my view, underpaid individuals (unless you are a banker of course!)

Then of course there is the weather. Since arriving back from Lanzarote in November I have felt tired and de-motivated. The dark, cold nights just don’t do anything for me and when the days draw in all it makes you want to do is sleep – which is such a waste of valuable time! In fact, the only motivation I have had is the fact that we booked to visit again in July – with a view to looking at property whilst we are there.

The problem I have is convincing the better half. She works at a Theme Park in the U.K. and finds it difficult to disconnect from the place. Lanzarote is too quiet for here, in that things to don’t jump out at you to say ‘I’m here. There is plenty to do on the island but a lot of things have to be found.

Finally, the people on the island tend to be very friendly. I like the Spanish. I don’t know why, I just feel that I connect with them for some reason. I am yet to interact with someone on the island who wasn’t helpful – oh, and that also includes British folk that have moved out there. It’s just a really friendly island.

Why people rent Villas in Lanzarote

Lanzarote is a favourite all year round holiday destination in Europe. It is the fourth largest, most easterly of the Canary Islands not far from the coast of Africa. Typically Lanzarote is a 12 month a year holiday destination thanks to the warm climate.

Lanzarote itself has three main tourist resorts – Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca. Puerto del Carmen is probably the largest and most popular with the tourists, although it isn’t for everyone due to its lively night life because some people prefer a more relaxing holiday. Playa Blanca is smaller and more popular with families, couples and older visitors.

There are many Villas in Lanzarote, many of which are booked up all year around. So why are they so popular when there are so many hotels and apartments on the island?

A lot of the time people book villas when they are travelling with a large group. A villa tends to be a fixed cost, no matter how many people are staying in it. This is why they are so popular with families and large groups of friends. A lot of Villas sleep between 8 and 10 people, so image how cheap a holiday could be if you were paying £350 per week for a Villa between 10 people!

A lot of Villas are also built in quiet residential areas, which means they are out of the way of the hussle and noise of the main town areas. This is appealing to many people who visit Lanzarote as they tend to go to the island to relax in the natural surroundings.

Many private Villas in Lanzarote have private pools, which is ideal for those who like to relax away from the hectic atmosphere of pools at hotels and apartment resorts. Many villas also have a private patio or small garden area where you can enjoy a barbeque or simply lie out in the Lanzarote sun.

The whole atmosphere in a Lanzarote Villa is just so laid back. So if you want to save yourself a bit of money and enjoy a quiet, private, relaxing break on a beautiful, unspoilt island then a holiday villa is for you.