FAQs · Destination Guide
Volcanic shore dives, angel sharks, and lunar-landscape rest days in the Canary Islands
Updated Apr 20, 2026 • 26 sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers sourced from research and local operating patterns.
Lanzarote can be dived year-round, so the best month depends on your priority. For the easiest all-around scuba holiday, target April to June or September to November, when the island balances good weather, manageable crowds, and comfortable topside days. July to November usually gives the warmest water, often around 22°C to 24°C. November to April is better if adult angel sharks are your main wildlife goal, but winter divers should expect cooler water, thicker suits, and occasional wind or swell-driven site changes.
Lanzarote is very good for beginners when you choose the right base and operator. Playa Chica in Puerto del Carmen is the standout because training areas, shallow reefs, deeper routes, and night-dive options are close together. New divers can start around 6 m to 12 m and progress without long boat rides. The caution is that the island also has deeper walls, lava tubes, and current-sensitive northern sites, so beginners should not self-select advanced dives such as Blue Hole, Cathedral, or La Graciosa without suitable certification and guidance.
Stay in Puerto del Carmen if diving is the main reason for the trip. It places you beside Playa Chica, the island's most convenient cluster of shore routes, training dives, macro life, night dives, and deeper lava features. Stay in Playa Blanca if Museo Atlantico, Papagayo beaches, a quieter resort mood, or mixed non-diver comfort matters more. Costa Teguise works for families and windsurf-focused travelers, but it is usually less efficient for the classic Lanzarote dive week. A rental car makes any base easier.
Adult angel shark encounters are most often planned for the cooler season, roughly November to April, especially over sandy margins near established dive areas such as Puerto del Carmen. Juvenile sightings may occur in warmer months, including July to September, but neither window is guaranteed. Treat angel sharks as protected wildlife, not a chase target. Keep your fins off the sand, approach slowly if your guide allows, never touch or block the animal, and leave space for it to move. A good sighting is a privilege, not a promise.
Yes, recreational scuba in the La Graciosa and Chinijo Archipelago marine reserve is subject to authorization, zoning, quotas, and no-dive integral areas. Visiting divers should not try to handle this independently. Book through a licensed local operator that knows the current reserve process and can adjust for wind, current, and permitted sites. The reserve is best for experienced divers who are comfortable with boat logistics and possible current. If La Graciosa is a must-do, schedule it early in the trip so there is room for a weather backup.
Freedivers can visit Museo Atlantico only through the right supervised setup and operator rules. The sculpture park sits near Playa Blanca in about 12 m to 15 m of water, which is achievable for certified freedivers but not appropriate for casual snorkelers or solo breath-hold diving. Expect minimum age, certification, comfort-depth, safety-buddy, and guide requirements. If you are not already trained, book a freediving course or coached session first, then ask whether a museum trip is realistic for your level and conditions.
Lanzarote is good for confident snorkelers who choose sheltered coves rather than exposed surf beaches. Playa Chica, Playa Flamingo, Papagayo, Caleton Blanco, and La Graciosa's calmer beaches are the best planning names. The experience is Atlantic lava, sand, fish, and occasional rays rather than tropical coral reef. Check flags, ask locals about wind direction, and avoid Famara for beginner snorkeling because it is a surf beach. In winter, a 3mm to 5mm suit or shorty can make longer swims much more comfortable.
Most divers are happiest with a 5mm wetsuit in winter and shoulder months, especially for repetitive dives, night dives, or long guided profiles. In late summer and early autumn, many warm-tolerant divers use a 3mm to 5mm suit as water approaches about 22°C to 24°C. Cold-sensitive divers should add a hooded vest or thicker suit when water is closer to 18°C. Freedivers often need more warmth than scuba divers because repeated surface intervals and breath-hold sessions can chill the body quickly.
Fly into Cesar Manrique-Lanzarote Airport (ACE). Puerto del Carmen is the easiest transfer, roughly 10 km away and often 10 to 15 minutes by car. Playa Blanca is farther, around 35 km, and Costa Teguise sits about 15 km from the airport. Rental cars are best for divers with gear and early check-ins, while taxis, resort transfers, and buses can work for simple resort stays. For La Graciosa, travel separately to Orzola and take the ferry to Caleta de Sebo.
For recreational scuba, plan within your certification, use a buddy, carry appropriate surface signaling, maintain accident and liability insurance, and follow your operator's weather and depth limits. Standard Spanish recreational rules include a 40 m maximum depth framework, conservative no-decompression planning, and equipment expectations such as buoyancy control, gas monitoring, and surface marking. Divers may be asked for certification, insurance, and a health declaration. Do not dive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and accept cancellations when wind, swell, or exit conditions make a site unsafe.
Non-divers have more than enough to fill a week. From Puerto del Carmen or Playa Blanca, they can plan Timanfaya, La Geria wineries, Papagayo, Arrecife, Teguise, Famara, Jameos del Agua, Cueva de los Verdes, and a La Graciosa ferry day. Many activities are half-day friendly, so a group can reunite after morning dives. The main planning advice is to keep wine tasting after water activities, reserve cars and attractions during school holidays, and use cooler mornings for lava walks or viewpoints in summer.
Lanzarote is best planned as a land-based destination, not a liveaboard trip. The core experience is local dive centers, shore dives at Playa Chica, short boat dives, Museo Atlantico access from Playa Blanca, and operator-led La Graciosa days when conditions and authorization allow. A liveaboard elsewhere in the Canary Islands or Atlantic might exist as a separate product, but it is not the normal way to experience Lanzarote's signature diving. Book accommodation ashore, choose a dive hub, and use local operators for the right sites each day.