Playa de Papagayo
The reward for driving the dirt road. Bring water and shade — there's nothing there but the beach, which is the point.
A string of protected turquoise coves at Lanzarote's southern tip, reachable by a rough track through a national park. The best beaches on the island.
At a Glance
- — You don't have a car — it's a dirt road in
Crystalline turquoise water laps against golden-brown sand, cradled by weathered, bronze-hued cliffs that protect these coves from the island's persistent, cooling trade winds. Accessible only by a rough, unpaved track that snakes through a barren national park, these beaches offer an escape into the raw, unadorned beauty of the Lanzarote coast. There are no high-rises or paved promenades here, just the persistent sound of the surf, the heat of the white sand, and a horizon that stretches unbroken toward the neighboring island of Fuerteventura.
How it got here
These coves fall within the Los Ajaches Natural Monument, a protected volcanic massif that forms the oldest part of Lanzarote. The geological formation dates back some fifteen million years, marking the initial emergence of the island from the Atlantic floor. While human occupation of the southern tip proved difficult due to the arid climate and lack of freshwater springs, the broader island history traces back to the arrival of the Majorero people. European contact followed in the early fifteenth century when Jean de Béthencourt claimed the island for the Castilian crown. Today the landscape retains its prehistoric character, preserved from the mass development that transformed the northern coastline.
Where it sits
The terrain consists of sun-scorched, ochre-colored volcanic scrub that meets the sea in a series of protected inlets. Wind patterns dominate the coast, as the prevailing northeasterly trade winds strike the northern slopes of the massif, leaving these southern coves relatively sheltered. A track of volcanic dust and loose gravel provides the only access from the village of Playa Blanca. The light shifts sharply during the day, turning the water from deep indigo to translucent emerald as the sun rises overhead. In the peak summer months, the lack of shade and persistent heat make the early morning the only time to experience the stillness.
What to eat and drink
The culinary traditions here draw from the scarcity of the desert soil and the bounty of the surrounding deep-sea fishing grounds. Papas arrugadas, small wrinkly potatoes boiled in heavily salted water until a crust forms, arrive at the table with mojo rojo, a piquant sauce of garlic, cumin, and dried picon pepper. Fresh line-caught fish such as cherne or sama dominate the plates, often grilled simply with sea salt and local olive oil. To finish, diners drink Malvasía volcanica, a crisp white wine grown in the unique black ash pits of La Geria, a practice that allows vines to survive in the arid volcanic terrain.
Canary Islands: the whole region
Eight islands, four of them worth a trip and each one a different landscape: Tenerife with the highest mountain in Spain, Gran Canaria with its green interior and dunes, Lanzarote with lava fields and a landscape designed around them, and…
Minimum 7 days · better 10-12 days · deep 2 weeks
Pair It With
In Canary Islands
In Canary Islands
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Appears In
Experiences worth booking ahead
- Catamaran Sailing in Lanzarote4.9 (848)4 hrsFrom €85
- Tour to Timanfaya, Jameos del Agua, Cueva de los Verdes and viewpoint from the cliff4.8 (1,521)9 hrsFrom €90
- Lanzarote: La Graciosa island cruise with lunch and water activities4.5 (599)5 hrsFrom €59
- Lanzarote Winery & Tapas Tour: 4 Local Bodegas4.9 (69)6 hrsFrom €149
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