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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Playa Blanca
Give Playa Blanca 3–5 nights as a beach base, not a sightseeing stop: swim in the morning, drive or ferry out in the afternoon. Check ferry timetables and allow time for boarding.
Playa Blanca is Lanzarote's southern resort and ferry port, 40 km from the airport by the LZ-2, with three sheltered sandy beaches in a 9 km bay and a marina at Marina Rubicón. It is low-rise, walkable in the centre and spread out at the edges, and it works best as a base for the island's south plus a day trip to Fuerteventura. Most visitors come for a week of sun; three nights is the minimum that justifies the transfer.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (peak heat and crowds), Christmas and New Year
- Stay
- 3–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–2.50 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €12–18 |
| Beer: caña at a bar / supermarket can | €2–3.50 / €0.80–1.50 |
| Taxi across town | €5–10 |
| Bus 30 within town | €1.40 |
| Aqualava Water Park adult entry | €23 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ACE · Lanzarote (Arrecife) Airport
- Bus 161 runs from T1 and T2 to the Playa Blanca ferry pier via Puerto del Carmen and Yaiza, about €3.30; taxi or hire car is faster with bags.
Typical fares
- Playa Blanca → Corralejo, Fred Olsen
- about €32 per adult foot passenger, 30 min (2023 figure, check current fare)
- Playa Blanca → Corralejo, Líneas Romero
- about €20 per adult, foot passengers only, 30 min (2023 figure, check current fare)
- Bus 161 airport → Playa Blanca ferry pier
- about €3.30, every 30 min Mon–Fri, hourly Saturday, every 2 h Sunday (2023 figure, check current timetable)
- Bus 30 across town
- about €1.40, every 30 min (2023 figure, check current fare)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is compact and walkable, but the resort stretches about 8 km (5 mi) east to west. Bus 30 crosses town every 30 min from Montaña Roja via the ferry pier and bus station to the east end, about €1.40 cash to the driver (change up to €10). Taxis are easy to find. E-scooters are available by app, about €1 to unlock plus €0.30 per minute. A hire car is the practical choice if you want Papagayo, the national park and the west coast.The centre is compact and walkable, but the resort stretches about 5 mi (8 km) east to west. Bus 30 crosses town every 30 min from Montaña Roja via the ferry pier and bus station to the east end, about €1.40 cash to the driver (change up to €10). Taxis are easy to find. E-scooters are available by app, about €1 to unlock plus €0.30 per minute. A hire car is the practical choice if you want Papagayo, the national park and the west coast.
See and do
Known for
- Playa Blanca, Playa Flamingo and Playa Dorada beaches
- Papagayo coves
- Marina Rubicón
- Ferry to Corralejo, Fuerteventura
- Montaña Roja
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Corralejo, Fuerteventura | Fred Olsen car ferry or Líneas Romero fast ferry from Playa Blanca port | About 30 min crossing plus boarding |
| Timanfaya National Park and Yaiza | Car or organised tour on the LZ-2 north, about 10 km (6.2 mi) to YaizaCar or organised tour on the LZ-2 north, about 6.2 mi (10 km) to Yaiza | About 20 min to Yaiza; park entrance time check |
| Puerto del Carmen | Bus 161 towards Arrecife, or car on the LZ-2 | About 30–40 min |
| Arrecife | Bus 60 or 62 from the bus station, or car on the LZ-2 | About 45–60 min |
| La Geria wine country | Car on the LZ-30 towards Yaiza and Uga | About 25–35 min |
Sleep
- Town centre (Playa Blanca beach and Av de Papagayo)
- Walk to the central beach, supermarkets, restaurants and the bus station; best for a short stay without a car.
- Playa Flamingo and Montaña Roja (west)
- Calmer, near the lighthouse and the western hotels; 20–30 min walk or a short taxi to the centre.
- Playa Dorada and Papagayo side (east)
- Bigger hotels and the eastern beaches; the far east end is 2 km (1.2 mi) from the centre, so a car helps.Bigger hotels and the eastern beaches; the far east end is 1.2 mi (2 km) from the centre, so a car helps.
- Marina Rubicón
- Marina restaurants, shops and the castle; quieter at night, 3 km (1.9 mi) east of the centre.Marina restaurants, shops and the castle; quieter at night, 1.9 mi (3 km) east of the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syas |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the beach? | ¿Dónde está la playa?DON-deh es-TAH la PLAH-yah |
| Two beers, please | Dos cervezas, por favordos ser-VEH-sas por fah-VOR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- The resort is long and low-density: check the walk from your hotel to the beach and to restaurants before booking.
- Papagayo coves sit behind a toll road (about €3) and the last stretch is a dirt track; the track past the abandoned hotel is closed to vehicles.
- Los Charcones rock pools are exposed to swell and urchins: only enter in calm conditions.
- Beachfront restaurants face the midday sun and get stifling at lunch; eat there at dusk instead.
- The Canary Islands run one hour behind mainland Spain.
The main risks here are the Atlantic: rip currents and swell at the open beaches and rock pools, sunburn in the middle of the day, and uneven ground on the lighthouse and Montaña Roja paths. Crime and night-safety details: check.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Playa Blanca yet. Suggested stay: 3–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Playa Blanca, Playa Flamingo and Playa Dorada beaches
- Papagayo coves
- Marina Rubicón
- Ferry to Corralejo, Fuerteventura
- Montaña Roja
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Turismo de Lanzarote — official island tourism site: www.turismolanzarote.com/en/
- Ayuntamiento de Yaiza — municipal site: www.yaiza.es/
- Arrecife Bus — Lanzarote bus network timetables: arrecifebus.com/
- Fred Olsen Express — Lanzarote–Fuerteventura ferry: www.fredolsen.es/en
- Líneas Romero — ferry operator: www.lineasromero.com/
- Wikivoyage: Playa Blanca, revision 5152214 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5152214
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Playa Blanca
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Playa Blanca; the US has a consulate in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and embassies are in Madrid. UK, Irish and most EU nationals can get consular help via their embassy in Madrid.
Tipping: optional, round up or 5–10% for good table service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/playa-blanca). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.