Lanzarote & Fuerteventura: A Canary Island Travel Guide

Thinking about visiting the Canary Islands? But not sure which ones to go to? Perhaps you’re trying to decide between two? Well, why not take the ferry from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura and enjoy a twin-island Canaries trip?

This guide will show you just how easy it is, and how to spend a few glorious days between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, two of the seven beautiful Canary Islands.

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura Travel Guide: Essential information

The Canary Islands are located off the coast of Africa, and are just a 4-hour flight from London. They offer year-round warm temperatures, soft sandy beaches, and landscapes that look like the moon. All seven offer something a bit different, but I really think Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are the two islands that I think are particularly underrated.

When to go to the Canary Islands

First things first, you might be wondering when the best time is to go the Canary Islands? Well fortunately, they’re a true year-round destination and a particularly great winter sun destination for those living in the UK. Temperatures don’t vary too much between the islands, but Fuerteventura is particularly known for being windy.

How to get there

Generally, you’ll arrive at the islands by plane. Direct flights connect the four main islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) daily through-out the year. Airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2 and British Airways connect dozens of regional UK airports directly with each islands, so they are very easy to get to.

Often known for mass-tourism package holidays staying at huge hotels, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura have received some flack. But these two islands are so much more than package holiday destinations, and actually offer a lot for the independent traveller! Taking the ferry from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura is remarkably simple, and opens up the two islands to a wonderful twin-centre Canary Islands trip.

Best Places to Stay

There are plenty of hotels in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura that aren’t designed for package holidays, including some beautiful boutique stays. Here are some of the best places to stay on each island.

Lanzarote

• Secrets Lanzarote (in Puerto Calero)
• H10 Lanzarote Princess (in Playa Blanca)
• Princess Yaiza Suite Hotel (in Playa Blanca)
• Villa VIK (in Arrecife)

Fuerteventura

• Gran Hotel Atlantis Bahía Real (in Corralejo)
• Barcelo Corralejo (in Corralejo)
• Avanti Lifestyle Hotel (in Corralejo)

Guide to taking the Ferry from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura (or vice versa)

As mentioned, this is pretty simple. The easiest way to do this is to book your ferry in advance, to guarantee a seat on your preferred day and time. This is particularly important in peak periods, such as the summer months, Easter or the winter break. I recommend booking on Direct Ferries which is a company offering the ability to compare several companies across the same route. The prices are always reasonable and the customer service is always really good.

The main option is to depart from from Playa Blanca in Lanzarote and arriving in Corralejo in Fuerteventura. This is a speedy ferry (between 35 and 45 minutes), and these are two destinations worth seeing and that tie in really well.

Although Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote, nearly all ferries departing from here go to other islands such as Tenerife.

There are three main ferry companies plying the route – Fred Olsen Express, Naviera Armas and Lineas Maritimas Romero. All three are fine, although Lineas Maritimas is cheaper at approximately £15 per person per crossing, as opposed to Naviera Armas and Fred Olsen which are around £25 per person. Fred Olsen Express is the quickest crossing at 25 minutes, but Lineas Maritimas is only 20 minutes longer – so there’s not too much in it.

Book your one-way ferry here!

• From Lanzarote to Fuerteventura one-way
• From Fuerteventura to Lanzarote one-way
• Or book a return ferry journey from Lanzarote to Tenerife here.

Other options are to visit each island as a day trip. I’ve putted some tour suggestions for this below:

• Fuerteventura to Lanzarote Ferry Crossing with Bus Service
• From Lanzarote: Fuerteventura Day Trip

Best Things to Do in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura

So you’ve made it to these islands, and you’ve got your ferry booked in advance. Now you can plan your time on each of these islands. Here’s my guide to some of the best things to do on each island:

Hit the beach in Fuerteventura

The beaches in the Canary Islands are of course one of the main draws. Each island offers completely different beaches and experiences. Corralejo in Fuerteventura, and where the ferry comes in from Lanzarote, offers beautiful stretches of sandy beaches with little development.

The beaches in Fuerteventura are the perfect place to learn several watersports, particularly surfing or kiteboarding. For sunbathers, there is plenty of room to sunbathe including wind breaks made from rocks.

Visit the amazing Timanfaya National Park, Lanzarote

The Timanfaya National Park is awesome. It’s home to the incredible Fire Mountains, a land feature so unusual that I’ve only seen this kind of lunar landscape before in Hawaii.

I think it’s pretty amazing you can see this relatively close to the UK.

The volcanos here are dormant, but this 50sq km park offers the opportunity to get up close to the scenery and drive on the paths through the park. You can even ride camels in the park!

Book a day tour to Timanfaya National Park here!

Experience a volcano meal or some of the local wine in Lanzarote

This is one of my favourite things to do in Lanzarote.

Why not enjoy a delicious meal prepared by your guides. They love to show off the heat potential of the volcano and will happily cook up some meat BBQ-style to try.

Another expected gem of the area is the local wine and vineyards. From the black volcanic soil, grape vines peek out and the island has become home to some delicious wines.

Interestingly, grapes thrive in the soil here, and the island’s relatively high slopes offer ideal elevation for the vines. This, together with the cool steady breezes from the Atlantic and the warm temperatures from the African mainland give the vineyards the kind of weather variation that grapes need!

Book a wine tasting tour in Lanzarote here!

Whale-watching

The Canary Islands in general are an amazing place to go whale watching all year-round. More than 26 species of whales and dolphins reside in these warm waters, so any day could be your lucky day! Make sure to look out for the whale on the ferry from Lanzarote to Fuerteventura, or vice versa.

Book a whale-watching tour here!

Take a drive through Corralejo National Park, Fuerteventura

This beautiful National Park consists almost entirely of sand dunes and the pristine beaches are unmissable.

Book a trekking tour through the park here or an e-bike adventure!

Learn a new watersport

As mentioned earlier, both kiteboarding and surfing are well-established in Fuerteventura. The warm waters and reliable conditions make it an excellent location to learn or practice year-round.

Book a 3-hour surf class here

Explore the old town of Arrecife, Lanzarote

Although Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote, and where the international airport is, many people skip Arrecife for the beach resorts. However, its old town actually dates back to the 17th century and there are some really gorgeous buildings to explore.

Explore Lanzarote’s black sand beaches

Black sand beaches are dotted around some of Lanzarote’s coastline, including those at El Golfo, featuring the green lagoon forming part of a submerged volcano.

Visit Playa Blanca and Yaiza

These two towns in the southern part of Lanzarote offer two vastly contrasting landscapes, but make a for a great twin-stop on a drive. Playa Blanca is fairly relaxed with a few bars in the harbour and town, and Yaiza is at the start of volcano land but offers a lovely insight into local life.

Twin-Island Stay: Lanzarote to Fuerteventura

I hope this guide on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura is useful for planning your trip to the Canary Islands.

Feel free to ask me any questions below if there’s something I haven’t covered here.

If you’re looking for other destinations in Spain, why not consider Marbella or other beautiful destinations in Andalusia?

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Disclaimer: This Canary Islands trip was paid for by myself. There was no involvement from any local companies or the tourist board.

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