Surfing and water sports in Lanzarote: where, when and what it costs

Water sports in Lanzarote follow a simple rule: in winter the swells roll in from the north, and in summer the trade wind blows. That's why surfing centres on Famara from October to March, while windsurfing and kitesurfing come alive from March to September. The south, sheltered from the wind, is for the calmer stuff: kayaking, snorkelling and paddleboarding at Papagayo, and parasailing off Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca.

You don't have to pick just one place. The island is small: there's a direct "guagua" (local bus) from Costa Teguise to Famara, and Papagayo is a short drive from Puerto del Carmen. What does matter is choosing the right month and the right beach for your level.

Surfing in Lanzarote: Famara and its schools

Famara is the island's surf-school beach: more than 5 km of sand between the village of Caleta de Famara and the foot of the Risco cliffs, inside the Chinijo Archipelago Natural Park. There are lessons every day of the year, and Calima and Red Star have their premises in Caleta itself.

Websites: calimasurf.com, redstarsurf.com and surflanzarote.com. On GetYourGuide there are 2- and 4-hour lessons from €47.50, some with hotel pick-up and video; you'll find them in the cards further down. We compare the schools in our review of the Famara surf schools.

Surfing for beginners, children and intermediates

For your first lesson, summer beats winter: the waves are smaller and the white water easier to handle. From October to March the north and north-west swell arrives, and that's when intermediate and advanced surfers are in their element. There are beginner lessons in winter too, but the sea has more say.

With children, Calima takes pupils from age 8 and charges the same as the adult group, from €50. More ideas in Lanzarote with kids.

The tide changes the beach completely: at low tide it becomes a mirror of wet sand, and at high tide whole stretches disappear. The island's tourist board recommends walking the beach when low tide coincides with sunset. The Famara cliff path (Los Caleteros) has been closed since the rockfall of 12 May 2026; more in hiking trails.

Getting to Famara without a car

More options in Lanzarote without a car and in the guide to the north of the island.

Kitesurfing and wing foiling at Famara

In Lanzarote you learn to kitesurf at Famara, not in Costa Teguise. Calima offers kitesurfing lessons from €120, Red Star teaches it too, and Famaraíso, which is mainly a paragliding school, gives kite lessons on days when it's too windy to fly. Windfoiling is also done on the beach.

Famara isn't the easiest place to start kitesurfing: students' own reviews describe it as a spot with its complications for beginners. If it's your first time, go with a school and in the months of steadiest trade wind, June to August.

Windsurfing in Costa Teguise: Las Cucharas

Las Cucharas is Costa Teguise's main beach: golden sand sheltered by breakwaters, usually calm water and several windsurf schools on the seafront. The wind comes in cross-shore from the left, and the bay is where beginners learn. Wing foiling is taught as well as windsurfing.

Surf Lanzarote has its windsurf school and shop here, right on the beach. Other schools mentioned in the bay are Pro Center Antxon Otaegui, Lanzarote Windsurf (Windsurfing Club Las Cucharas) and Fanatic Boarders Center. As a guide, a 2-hour taster session costs around €70–90 and an 8–10-hour course between €250 and €320; Lanzarote Windsurf advertises 3 sessions of an hour and a half for €120 and 5 for €190. Confirm the rate with the school before you go.

The north-east trade wind blows from March to the end of September; in autumn and winter the wind is less frequent. June, July and August are the windiest months and the busiest at the schools; November to January, the quietest. To get there, route 1 links Costa Teguise with Arrecife and route 3 with Puerto del Carmen. Everything about the area in the Costa Teguise guide.

Paddleboarding (SUP) in Lanzarote

Paddleboarding works best in the south, in the lee of the trade wind. The most original option is the electric paddleboarding and snorkelling trip at Papagayo, 2 hours, from €55: the electric board takes much of the effort out of paddling. If you fancy something faster, you can also hire an electric surfboard for 30 minutes from €45.

The other usual way to get on a board is as part of a boat trip. H2O Sports' catamaran from Puerto del Carmen (4 hours, €100 per person, maximum 12) anchors at Playa Quemada and carries SUPs, kayaks and snorkelling gear on board. The "I Love Papagayo" catamaran from Líneas Romero includes kayaking at its Papagayo anchorage. We compare them all in boat trips.

Kayaking and snorkelling at Papagayo

The Papagayo coves, in the Los Ajaches Natural Monument, have white sand and calm water: a very rewarding place to paddle and watch fish. Kayak and snorkelling trips last about 3.5 hours and cost from €45; the best-rated one includes photos, from €50.

If you drive there yourself, the access track costs €3 per vehicle for non-residents and can only be paid by card. No lifeguard service is listed for these coves, so guided snorkelling makes sense if you're not a confident swimmer.

Snorkelling elsewhere on the island:

• Playa Chica, Puerto del Carmen: the dive centres' cove. Safari Diving runs 2-hour guided snorkelling for €39 (from age 6, Monday to Saturday at 15:00) and hires out mask and snorkel for €5.
• Costa Teguise: there's 2-hour guided snorkelling for all levels, from €50.

To explore the seabed in more depth, see the guide to diving in Lanzarote.

Parasailing in Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca

Parasailing means flying under a parachute towed by a speedboat, and in Lanzarote it's run by Paracraft (from Playa Chica and from Playa Blanca) and H2O Sports (from Puerto del Carmen); we compare them in our review of the jet ski companies. Don't confuse it with paragliding, which takes off from mountains such as the Risco de Famara: that's in the paragliding guide.

The flight lasts about 10 minutes at 80–100 m. Children can fly from age 8 with an adult, up to age 75; maximum weight 100 kg for a solo flight and 160 kg for a double. H2O sells it from €55 per person. Prices and conditions at watersports-lanzarote.com.

Banana boat, doughnut and wakeboarding

Towed rides are the cheap option for groups and teenagers. H2O has the banana boat from €15 and the doughnut from €20, and one hour of wakeboarding for €150 for a group of up to 4. Paracraft offers the Crazy Bull from €19.01 (10 minutes, from age 8). Its website gives two different maximum weights for some rides, so ask when you book. Jet skis have their own guide: jet skiing in Lanzarote.

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See all on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 5 October 2026

Our picks

1

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A 2- or 4-hour lesson at Famara with excellent ratings from students.

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Families and couples with no experience

Kayaking and snorkelling in the calm Papagayo coves, photos included.

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Views without getting too wet

Ten minutes of parasailing over Puerto del Carmen.

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Paddling without the effort

Electric paddleboarding and snorkelling at Papagayo, very highly rated.

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Wind and season: when to do each sport

The north-east trade wind blows on around 45% of days in January and 70% in July: summer is the wind season. The good waves come with the north and north-west swell, from October to March. The water is coldest in February and March (18 °C) and warmest in September (23 °C), so in winter you'll be glad of a wetsuit.

Coastal warnings for wind or swell mean boat trips get cancelled: leave a spare day in your plans. For the month-by-month detail, see Lanzarote weather.

Water sports in Lanzarote: frequently asked questions

At seaJet skifrom €55 At seaDiving & snorkellingfrom €50 At seaBoat tripsfrom €35 Whole islandBeachesfrom €29