Snorkeling And Scuba Diving In Lanzarote Snorkeling And Scuba Diving In Lanzarote

Snorkeling And Scuba Diving In Lanzarote

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Lanzarote

In Lanzarote, you can technically snorkel all year round, but from December to April the water temperature dips to about 18ºC, so you might prefer visiting later in the year, but you can always star on a wetsuit.

In May, the water temperature slowly begins to rise and reaches about 25 degrees by August and maintains the temperature until October. On land, temperatures range between 20 degrees in winter to 30 degrees in summer.

Underwater visibility in Lanzarote is fantastic. In particular, from May to October you can see up to 15 meters in front of you.

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Best Snorkling Tours in Lanzarote

Our Top Pick

This is the best snorkeling tour you will find on Lanzarote. It is the best way of exploring the gorgeous waters off the coast of the island. Whether you’re a beginner or have kayaked before, you’ll have a blast on this active tour. You will be provided with all the equipment you need to enjoy a three-hour adventure at sea. Kayak around some of Lanzarote’s most beloved beaches, stopping at Papagayo Beach for snorkeling and a picnic. An ideal half-day excursion for families.

Snorkeling Tour from Playa Grande

A wonderful snorkeling tour, right off the famous Playa Grande beach. Explore the underwater world of the Canary Islands on a snorkeling tour from Puerto del Carmen. Guides ensure your safety and help you spot marine life, including fish, seahorses, rays, and much more. With a convenient starting point at Playa Grande, it’s easy to combine your snorkeling adventure with a relaxing day at one of Lanzarote’s best beaches.

Best snorkeling spots in Lanzarote

Snorkeling and scuba diving in Lanzarote is an activity that is an absolute must if you are visiting the tropical island.

Lanzarote belongs to the Canary Island archipelago and is located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 115 kilometers off the coast of Morocco.

Lanzarote is a volcanic island and features breathtaking, otherworldly landscapes. The best example of its unique ecosystem is the Timanfaya national park, located in the southwest region of the island.

The coastline of Lanzarote is equally unique offering excellent conditions for snorkeling and scuba diving a like. As we have mentioned in a previous article, the waters surrounding the Canary Islands present pristine conditions for a wide array of marine life are a protected resource. 

Lanzarote is home to a wide variety of fish, seahorses, octopuses, sea slugs, and crabs that all can be experienced snorkeling. Among the different species you can see, two of the coolest and most emblematic of the Canary coast are stingrays and angel sharks

The coastline and the beaches of Lanzarote are very varied. There are rocky bays with lava stones and pebbles and there are sandy beaches. Most of the coastline offers easy breezy snorkeling experiences, but on the northern coast, things get a little bit dicier. Winds get more intense in this region and consequently, waves and currents are also stronger. There is also the fact that the northern coast is rockier and has more cliffs. In general, the northern coast is just not optimal for snorkeling.

The best snorkeling spots are on the south coast of the island, but this is also where most of the tourists that visit the island concentrate. So finding a good snorkeling spot, isn’t as straightforward as you might think. Here are our expert’s local guides’ top picks: 

Puerto del Carmen

Puerto del Carmen is one of the largest places on the island with wide sandy beaches like Playa Grande and Playa Blanca. Beautiful beaches with many facilities, but they are not really suitable for snorkeling. To snorkel in Puerto Carmen it is better to go to the smaller beach of Playa Chica. This bay to the west of Playa Grande offers very clear and calm waters.

Papagayo Beach

The most beautiful beaches where you can snorkel from the coast of Lanzarote are the Papagayo beaches. These beaches are located in the extreme south of Lanzarote. The southernmost beach, Punta de Papagayo, is the most suitable for snorkeling. There are no facilities in this area, except for a small restaurant and bar high on the rocks. to get there you will have to traverse an unpaved road, at the end of which you will find a parking lot (it costs about 3 euros). Once you leave your car it is a short walk to the beach, a beach that feels as secluded as a beach can feel.

La Graciosa Island

The island of La Graciosa is a small island off the northern coast of Lanzarote. From the town of Órzola in Lanzarote, you can take the ferry to La Graciosa. The journey takes about half an hour. La Graciosa is home to only about 700 permanent residents and feels completely untouched. There are no paved roads and barely any cars. Absolutley gorgeous. On La Graciosa head to either La Francesca Beach, Montana Amarilla or Playa De Las Conchas.

Suba diving in Lanzarote

The crystal clear waters and underwater life of Lanzarote make this island the ideal place to practice diving. This experience makes it easier for you to become familiar with the sport and discover if you like it without having to take a long course. After an introductory talk on diving and practices in shallow waters, you will enjoy a dive in Playa Chica to learn about the marine world of the island. A PADI instructor will accompany you throughout this small-group experience.

Lanzarote is considered by many divers to be one of the best areas in Europe to practice scuba diving, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned vet, Lanzarote has something for you.

Lanzarote is well known in the scuba diving world because of the many whales and dolphins you can encounter during a submersion, and because of its unique underwater topography.

There are more than 50 outstanding dives to experience and over 100 immersion points. The shallows are home to dozens of species that will have you entertained for hours as you discover all of them. Many of the species of Lanzarote are smaller and skiddish, so finding them is part of the fun. You will find Canarian stars, orange coral, the Romero Capitán fish (a protected species) and swarms of shrimp that hide in the many caves submerged from the island.

The underwater topography is scarred and potted from the volcanic activity. There are deep underwater cliffs, which drop over 200m not far from the beach, extensive platforms between islands, caves, arches, basins, sunken ships, artificial reefs, volcanic tubes, encounters with large animals, deep coral forests, large colonies of sharks, … you name it, Lanzarote has it.

The waters offer great visibility for scuba diving: up to 40 m on a sunny day.

Best scuba diving sites in Lanzarote

According to our expert local guides, the best diving sites on the island are:

Playa Chica

Playa Chica is the perfect place for a night dive in Lanzarote. Playa Chica is easy to reach and surrounded by a tourist resort in the southeast of the island. The water is shallow waters, no more than 10 meters deep, crystal-clear water and two sea walls that keep the waves at bay.The rocky reefs in this area are home to a spectacular variety of marine life including garden eels, iridescent cuttlefish, sole, and octopus.

The “Waikiki” wreck

“Waikiki” is great for exploring caves and see coral. It is located near Puerto del Carmen, in the southeast of Lanzarote.

Diving is usually done from a boat and divers go down to the edge of the cliff. In this area you will find a cave with a large colony of orange coral. Those wishing to go down to the limit of 35 meters can explore the vertical marine landscape of nooks and crannies and caves in the cliff.

Veril de Playa Chica

Veril de Playa is perhaps the best scuba diving spot on the island of Lanzarote. There is a big sloping sand platform which ends in a cliff which goes from 15 to 40 metres deep in an instant. 

The drop off features shelves, caves and small hollows. This coast enjoys crystal clear water which is usually calm.

Beginners will find a sand platform and the top of the cliff and experts can explore a small wreck 30 meters down. If you descend another 15 meters you will find schools of bream and grunt fish and you will reach the Shrimp Cave, home to hundreds of thousands of shrimps.

La Burrera

La Burrera, one of the best dives in the Canary Islands. It is perfect for experienced divers interested in marine life. It also features a breathtaking labyrinthine style landscape just 20 metres below the surface. It is a half an hour boat ride from the village of Caleta de Sebo, on the island of La Graciosa, to the north of Lanzarote.

This spot is home to shoals of horse mackerel and striped grunts as well as large specimens of grouper, Canarian lobster, sea bream and Bermuda chub.

timanfaya national park
Canary

Timanfaya National Park

Timanfya national park is the 4th national park on this list located in the Canary Island Archipelago, on the island of Lanzarote. The landscape on the island is truly unlike anywhere else on the planet. The island is desolate and looks more like what you would think Mars looks like.

The wildlife that can be found has adapted to this harsh environment. At the center of the park you can visit the active volcano and even enjoy a meal cooked only with the heat that seeps out from the crater. 5.107 hectares of otherworldly beauty. … Read More