This guide to Lanzarote best nightlife destinations runs through five of the most happening resorts and towns on the dusty, desert-covered easternmost member of the Canarian chain. It’s essential reading if you’re keen to let loose and hit the dancefloors on your trip to the Atlantic archipelago this season…
Yep, from the buzzy strips of the largest resort around, Puerto del Carmen, all the way to the more refined party venues of family-friendly Playa Blanca in the far south, there’s plenty to get through here. We’ll take a look at each in turn, outline what sort of atmosphere you can expect, and even showcase some of the best bars and clubs on the menu.
One thing that’s worth bearing in mind is that Lanzarote – like most of the Canary Islands around it – sees major peaks in tourist numbers around New Year’s and the midsummer. That, in turn, will make the Lanzarote best nightlife resorts even livelier. The takeaway? Trips in shoulder seasons like autumn and spring could be a touch quiet for the most dedicated hedonists out there.
Puerto del Carmen
Puerto del Carmen is the de facto king of all the Lanzarote best nightlife. Yep, like Kuta is for Bali and San Antonio is for Ibiza, this strung-out resort on the southern coastline of the island represents the beating heart of its after-dark scene. That’s why we’d recommend you stay down this way if partying in beer-sloshing, shot-slamming bars is your idea of a top holiday.
The whole place is strung together by one long and wiggling promenade. That goes from east to west through the main beaches of Playa de los Pocillos, Playa Grande, and Playa Blanca, conveniently linking up many of the top places to let loose once the sun has disappeared. In fact, a great way to put together a night on the tiles here is to begin in the east and work your way towards the center of town. There’s a tailor-made pub crawl that can include some seriously fun drop-ins, including:
- 67 Bar & Grill – Sat in the midst of a whole cluster of bars behind Playa El Barranquillo, 67 Bar & Grill is a local’s fav and a great place for a casual beer with some footie on the TV. Don’t worry if it’s too full, Hot Spot is a fine alternative and sits right next door.
- Tiny Bar – Doing exactly what it says on the tin, Tiny Bar really is tiny. Little more than a single room and a single table, it perches above the black-rock reefs and serves up cold beers and fruity cocktails.
- Tequila Lounge – Get some slammers down you before you hit the main heart of Puerto del Carmen courtesy of this Mexicana shot bar. Truth be told it’s more of a casual sports bar but it’s still great fun.
As you move further west along the coastal promenade, you get nearer and nearer to the main nerve center of nightlife in Puerto. That’s anchored on the intersection of Juan Carlos I and Calle Renia Sofia, where there’s all manner of all-night venues. The best-known include the sleek gin purveyor of Hatton Garden Bar and the rollicking Gaelic sports outlet of The Irish Rover but there’s oodles more besides.
Playa Blanca
The second-largest resort conurbation on the island beckons down on the very far southern coast with Playa Blanca. The vibes here are noticeably more chilled and family friendly than up in raucous Puerto del Carmen, but there’s still plenty going on after the golden hour. Just don’t come this way for pumping EDM and reps wagging free shot deals in your face. It’s a bit more refined than all that.
Once again, it’s the coastal promenade that reigns supreme on the nightlife front. Here, it stretches about 3.5 miles in all, going from Playa de las Coloradas in the east to beyond Playa Flamingo in the west. As it does that, the walkway links up all of the major neighborhoods and bars, helping you walk from A to B with ease during your night on the town.
There are some key areas to know about. They are:
- Marina Rubicón – One part shopping mall, one part yacht port, the Marina Rubicón is a buzzy district on the eastern side of Playa Blanca. At night, it transforms into a bit of a dining hub but also has some pretty chic bars like the Oasis Marina Bay.
- Playa Dorada – A stomping ground for big resorts, this section of the Blanca strip is mainly for hitting high-class cocktail venues in large hotels. The likes of Bar Soho and the Waikiki Beach Club come to mind.
- Puerto de Playa Blanca – It can get a bit industrial around the main Puerto de Playa Blanca, which is where the boats come in from Fuerteventura. Still, there are some good bars, like Yum Yum and the Irish Anvil. They are especially excellent for watching the sunset.
For later partying, the action tends to move to one of a handful of music bars and discos that are tucked deeper into the town center. You could head for Bikers Beach Club to listen to headbanging rock tribute acts. Or choose the Golden Beach Club for pool parties that sometimes get serenaded by DJ acts.
Playa Honda
You can be off the plane and living it up in Playa Honda in a matter of minutes. Mhmm…this resort cluster on the east coast of Lanzarote is right on the doorstep of the main international airport. That means it gets a regular through-flow of summertime travelers who don’t want to work too hard to get to their hotels, something that’s only bolstered by local crowds thanks to the proximity to the island capital in Arrecife (more on that later).
A purpose-planned grid of streets and rectangular blocks make up the bulk of Playa Honda. They filter of the big motorway of LZ-2 and spread all the way to the beachfront. Basically, the closer you get to the sands the more bars and nightlife choices you’ll encounter. With that in mind, we’d recommend staying as near to the shoreline as possible.
There’s a good variety of venues down there on the promenade. At last count, we saw something in the region of 20 establishments. Some serve Canarian tapas. Others are casual beer joints that get bustling at the sunset hour. The ones that stand out are the uber-cool, Bali-style beach club of La Orilla, a boho mix of wicker seating that specializes in cocktails, and Casa Tere, an authentic buot of Spanish dining with great house wine.
Arrecife
No list of the Lanzarote best nightlife options could possibly skip out on the sole city on the island: Arrecife. A mix of gritty industrial quarters, workaday port areas, and vibey local neighborhoods, the town probably can’t be beaten if you’re after real, authentic, local venues that aren’t aimed at the tourist hordes.
Upwards of 62,000 people live, work, and play in these parts, you see. That breathes some natural energy into certain areas; energy that doesn’t rely on the forever coming and going of Ryanair planes and easyJet connections to keep it alive. The upshot? You can party just as hard here in December as you can in the peak of the high season in July. Nice.
The key part of the town to know about is the historic quarter that centers on Plaza de la Constitución. That spreads west to the port and south to the Jose Ramirez Cerda Park on the seafront. As it does, it offers up umpteen casual beer bars and brewhouses, along with more tapas kitchens than you can shake a bowl of mojo sauce at.
Most of the proper clubs that go on until later are located a few blocks in from the shoreline and the historic castles and parks. They come in the form of EDM-specialty La Roca and the dance bar of Disco Pub H.
Caleta de Famara
We wouldn’t actually recommend a trip to Caleta de Famara if you’re after nothing but partying. This town on the less-trodden northwestern coast of the island is actually about one thing and one thing only: Surfing. It’s risen to become the main place to learn the watercraft in the eastern Canaries thanks to its long sweep of cinnamon sand that gets ceaseless waves virtually all year round.
Thing is, the growing mix of surf clubs and surf camps has nurtured a bar scene on the side. Today, you’ll catch long-hailed wave riders sharing tales of their favorite rides in any number of little beer taverns around the sandy – and it really is sandy – main square of the village. Plus, there are a handful of backpacker surf hostels that have their own vibey evening events to enjoy – think mini pub crawls, beer pong, and shared meals.
The surf-rental-bar mashup of Las Bajas and the Surfer Bar are two of the favorite haunts of the locals. You might also want to try La Bartola pizzeria for casual dining with drinks, or Lanzarote GASTRO for something a whole load more upscale.
Lanzarote best nightlife guide – our conclusion
Our Lanzarote best nightlife guide is all about showcasing the finest places on the island to party. We’ve managed to whittle that down to five in total. Leading the way is the undisputed kingpin of hedonism in these parts: The large southeastern resort of Puerto del Carmen, followed closely by the more eclectic town of Playa Blanca. On top of that, you’ve got wave-washed surf towns with chilled hostel parties and even a buzzy port city to get stuck into.
