I can see a lot of organised tours and they seem very interesting.
I like independence (but not car hire as drive enough at home) and I am wondering whether it is possible to visit some of the most popular sites by public bus? Would the buses be frequent enough and punctual or would I be best to opt for the organised tours? We will be visiting in September.
Thank you.
https://www.arrecifebus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1235&Itemid=228&lang=en
Never been there but going next december so find this. We will rent car and bicicles.
Paul, many of the top attractions (timanfaya etc) are tricky to reach by bus, nowhere near bus stops etc.
Coach trips can soon add up, and you’re committed to arriving and leaving with a group rather than at your own pace.
I can understand your reluctance to drive abroad, but car hire from a good local firm like Cabrera Medina is cheap, roads are quiet, and distances are short. The island is only 1 hr by car from one end to the other.
One coach trip for 2 people could easily cost the same as one week’s car hire.
If the thought of the gear stick “on the wrong side” makes you nervous, hiring a slight more expensive automatic can make a difference.
The bus service is good, frequent, cheap and punctual, between the three main resorts, PB, PDC,CT, Arrecife and the Airport. However depending on where you want to go from you may find the buses maybe full by the time they get to your stop. Market days in Teguise and Playa Blanca can be an issue.
There are many of the main tourist attractions are in the north of the island and the buses hear are less frequent and fewer in number. However the number seven bus does travel through some of the nice small towns and villages in this area such as Haria, Punta Mujerez, Arrieta and Teguise.
It does stop near jardin de Cactus which is worth a visit. Also in my opinion Teguise is worth visiting on a non market day in any case. Though there are service buses to Teguise market on a Sunday from all the main resorts. Haria has a market on Saturdays and also one of Cesar Manrique houses.
Mirador del Rio, Jameos de Agua and other main attractions in the north are difficult by service bus.
Timanfaya National Park is only possible by car or tour operator.
https://arrecifebus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1265&lang=en
https://arrecifebus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1235&Itemid=228&lang=en
The above links to the number seven bus and intercity website maybe of assistance.
I know you said you didn't want to,drive, but hiring a car is cheap, just back from two weeks on the island and two week car hire, C3 Citroen only 121 euro. Great island to drive on and you can do all the tourist attractions and other parts of the island easily . Autoreisen is a good cop at and the one we use. Avoid Goldcar and Orlando.
Hope you enjoy Lanzarote.
Is it fair to say all the main tourist sites have ample car parking and you can then arrange a tour or visit on your own depending on the attraction? Also, are there good car parks well sign posted at the towns and villages and beaches and parking spots should one wish to pull in and stop to admire views?
I am sure this is self-explanatory when one has visited the island but would be good to know in advance. Pictures I have seen seems to show most roads in good order and easy to drive on. I have driven in Orlanda, USA and Tuscany, Italy - Italy was a challenge but gave freedom.
Any advice much appreciated.
If you can drive in Italy, you can drive anywhere! Driving in Lanza is easy - the only real issues are the other tourists who dither about! You will miss out on so much of the island if you do not hire a car. I know you may drive a lot in the UK, but a leisurely drive through the vineyards at your own pace is nothing like slogging around the M25.
Yes there are plenty of parking at the main tourist sites for cars. The road signage is good and it's a very easy island to get around. If you have driven in the countries state you will find Lanzarote very straightforward. Arrecife is the only place at certain times of the day that can come anywhere close to being similar to the UK etc, around 1pm and 5pm when the shops etc close for siesta and then reopen for example.
The main tourist sites are well signpost, even if your in PB in the south of the island, you can be in Orzola at the north end of the island in a little of an hour. So it's not a big island and you can see a lot in a day if you want.
Plenty of places to stop and admire the views.
As I said in my earlier post car hire is cheap, stick to Autoreisen, Cabrera Medina, PlusCar etc at around 120 euro for two weeks, this would easily cover a your transfers dependent on where you are and a couple of tours on the island you then have the flexibility to do what you want at your pace.
Really worth considering hiring a car it's a wonderful island hope you enjoy it whatever you decide.
Hi Paul,
Yes, roads are well maintained and there isn’t much traffic. The island is small so you can’t really get lost. All the attractions have good car parking, and yes, there are plenty of places to stop and admire the view as my ex (a photographer) would confirm!
A tip re timanfaya - get there early. Queues on the approach road build up quickly.
Once you’ve parked up in the car park you will transfer on to an official park bus for the tour as no cars are allowed to drive round the tour route.
This website is a really good one for helping you plan what you want to see and where everything is.
https://www.lanzaroteguidebook.com/information/sightseeing
Good car hire firms are Cabrera Medina and autoreisen.
There are a few options for the different tourist attractions including public buses which, depending on your location, can take you to places like the César Manrique foundation house museum and similar attractions.
You can also get taxis for a reasonable price in most areas. From Costa Teguise to the César Manrique house it was 11 euros and the service was very good.
If visiting Timanfaya National Park however, definately go on a coach trip as people with car rentals or going independently we’re waiting in 3 hour queues and that seems the norm. We went with a company called first minute travel who have many shops around the island, they had priority at the park and so just drove past all of the queues; we had no problems with them in our ‘South Tour’ which we had booked.
Ps another sight seeing tip.
If you are intending to visit several of the CACT attractions such as jameos Del agua, cuevas verdes, mirador, timanfaya, and the cactus garden, you can save money by buying one of the “Bono” multi site passes at the first attraction you visit. Unfortunately the Cesar manrique foundation isn’t run by CACT so isn’t in the deal, but it’s well worth the money regardless.
