Lanzarote has long been a tourist hotspot for singles holidays as it offers polar opposites for any solo tourist. The stunning volcanic landscapes, beautiful beaches and the traditional Spanish feel combine to make Lanzarote a unique destination. It can allow you to relax and disconnect or to make friends and party late into the night. Singles holidays in Lanzarote are affordable. With multiple travel agencies catering for single travellers and hotels no longer charging supplements, it is time for you to enjoy Lanzarote solo.
Depending upon your interests and hobbies, you will find a vast range of activities to re-energise you. But should you want a quiet, battery recharging time, there are plenty of fascinating, contemplative spaces for the mind and soul to enjoy. Maybe you might prefer to join other singles on your travels in Lanzarote. In that case, there are Facebook groups dedicated to this and can offer help and advice and possible companions with similar interests. A great way to enjoy a holiday and make new friends.
We have put together a few ideas for themes of things you can do to enjoy a singles holiday in Lanzarote.
Landscapes
Lanzarote has the most incredible landscapes due to its volcanic history. You can explore volcanoes, volcanic plains, massive caves and rock formations. Lanzarote is awash with places of interest for anyone who enjoys a scenic view.
No singles trip would be complete without a visit to the Timanfaya National Park. The unworldly colour scheme invokes the feeling of an alien world. As you cannot wander these wastelands on your own, it is best to visit with an organised tour. There are organised walking tours which you could join if you fancy some company and new friends.
Get yourself to the best view in Lanzarote at Mirador del Rio. Designed by revered local architect and designer César Manrique, it offers incredible views over La Graciosa.
Head to Haria and visit the incredible mix of raw nature and art known as Jameos del Agua. Again designed by César Manrique, it is an oasis lake with natural underground caves.
Walk to the viewing platform of the beach of Charco de Los Cocos and be amazed by the Green Lagoon. Unusually for Lanzarote, César Manrique had nothing to do with it. It is a natural lake turned green by the algae. Still, it is extraordinary due to the strange colour mix of green water, black sand and red cliffs.
Art & Culture
Lanzarote has a rich cultural history due to influencers such as César Manrique and a litany of writers and artists who have influenced Lanzarote. There are many museums on the island catering for everything from pirates to the incredible Tanit Ethnographic Museum, a shrine to the indigenous people and their history. It is based in one of the oldest villages on the island. It exhibits traditional tools, folklore, customs and how they worked.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Castillo San José in Arrecife. Built as a fortress against the Spanish in the 1770s, it was eventually abandoned. Then up popped, you got it, César Manrique, who convinced the authorities to convert it into an International Contemporary Art Museum. It opened in 1976 and has exhibited works from revered abstract artists, including Picasso.
The Jameos del Agua is a mecca for art and culture lovers. Created by César Manrique, he was a busy bee, wasn’t he? This space is designed to mirror the synchronisation between nature and art. It is a stunning concept and encompasses a natural auditorium which is used for regular concerts and has phenomenal acoustics from the natural rock. Why not book a ticket to an event, and have a meal of local delicacies in the restaurant before the show.
The Underwater Museum is populated by sculptures created by Jason deCaires Taylor. It is Europe’s only underwater museum, so visit it whilst you are in Lanzarote. If you do not know how to dive, you can buy an inclusive tour and dive training session to enable you to view this unique installation.
Relaxation
I can’t mention relaxation in Lanzarote without mentioning that Lanzarote has over 100 beaches. So if you sunbathed 8 hours a day and spent only one hour per beach, you will not have time to visit them all during your fortnights holiday, makes you think. With such a vast range of beaches to choose from, two stand out as where to go to enjoy a singles holiday in Lanzarote, Playa de Papagayo and La Graciosa.
Playa de Papagayo is one of the top-rated beaches in Lanzarote, and for a good reason. It has no facilities and can get crowded at peak times. Still, the sand and crystal clear waters make up for any deficiencies. The beach is big enough to find a quiet spot or let the waters embrace you, a very cathartic experience for a solo traveller.
La Graciosa is the epitome of relaxation. You will need a short ferry to get you there, but with no roads or vehicles, the island is as if it came from another time. Enjoy the beaches, the solitude and the lack of tourism to the island.
Haria is the perfect town to relax in. It isn’t like most other Lanzarote towns as it has an Arabic feel to it, and it is within the valley of 1000 palms which enhances the desert-like feeling. This rustic town is not known for tourism and has craft shops, cafés and restaurants, but not much else. It is perfect for whiling away the hours wandering the back streets or enjoying a book in one of the quaint cafes’
How about immersing yourself in old-style Lanzarote? At El Charco de San Gines in the central city of Arrecife, you will find a stunning seawater lagoon. Known as the “Venice of the Atlantic”, you can immerse yourself into Lanzarote traditions. Take a walk over the pretty pedestrian bridge and enjoy the calm of the fishing boats gently swaying with the sea. The whole area oozes tranquillity and charm, a superb place to enjoy lunch and some people watching.
There are also many group yoga classes, meditation and other mindfulness workshops. These can easily be found on social media; many are free, and most are conducted on the beaches.
Sports and Activities
Lanzarote being an island is crammed with water sports activities. Many of these can be done as groups or, if preferred, as individuals. There is every type of water sport available: superb surfing, sailboarding, underwater diving, snorkelling, parasailing, jet skiing, you name it, someone will offer it.
Quite often, land-based activities get forgotten because of water sports’ dominance. The most obvious and helpful way to get around is to hire a bicycle. Even if your fitness levels are not at their best, you could hire an ebike and explore the island at your own pace.
There are so many options to enjoy the island using motorised transport, and most are organised in groups allowing the opportunity of meeting new people. How about a buggy tour, a jeep safari, quad bike tours, motorcycle trike tours, or if you have a licence, hire a motorbike and travel freestyle?
If you have a particular sport you enjoy, say running or tennis, you could contact established groups in Lanzarote to see if you can join the group temporarily.
Most groups actively encourage this as it increases memberships and expands the group’s reach.
Lanzarote also has a very active calendar of organised sporting events to support, follow or partake in during your stay. You can find out more on the Lanzarote government site.
Food and Drink
Now on to my favourite part, eating and drinking! Lanzarote has culinary influences from Spain, North Africa, Portugal and South America.
This blend of cultures is seen within the food, with spicy and robust flavours of Portugal and South America being tempered by sweet and fruity flavours of Spain and North Africa. It makes the cuisine unique and incredibly interesting.
The easiest way to explore Lanzarote gastronomy is by using tapas. These small snacks will lead your taste buds in the direction of the flavours to choose when eating out.
There are plenty of organised tours for tapas and gastronomy, including vineyards and wine tasting. But immersing yourself in traditional culture through cuisine is a beautiful experience whether holidaying in a group or as a single traveller.
Go it alone, practice your Spanish when engaging with the waiters and enjoy pushing your gastronomic boundaries.
Fun
Fun is subjective, and on an island like Lanzarote, it is not too hard to find something you like to do.
But there are other things you can do than just hanging around the tourist areas. How about a night stargazing without light pollution and learning more about the universe or visiting an open-air cinema?
Local government and charity groups always need help, so speak to animal charities about dog walking or horse grooming if that is your thing.
The Spanish are very proud of their beaches and shallow waters and regularly organise beach clean-ups. These are a great way to integrate, do something positive, and the council will generally get you the first beer as a thank you.
Conclusion
How to enjoy a Singles holiday in Lanzarote? The answer to this question is; any way you are comfortable with, you will have a massive choice of experiences to enjoy.
Lanzarote is a fantastic island for single travellers with open spaces and quiet corners, but it has a busy heart.
Whatever you want from your singles holiday in Lanzarote, be it solitude or fun-filled partying, the island will deliver; it is up to you to embrace it.
