Lanzarote is not only for all-inclusive holidays.
It is an amazing playground for photographers and nature seeker! The Lanzarote landscapes are stunning.
Let me show you some of the best Lanzarote photo spots.
You won't be disappointed, there is beauty (and colour) everywhere!
Before all my tips + photos, here are my favourites for Lanzarote:
My favorite platform to rent a car in Lanzarote: Discovercars
My favorite boat tour: Papagayo beaches by catamaran
My favorite day trip in Lanzarote: Timanfaya + El Golfo + Los Hervideros + Wines
My favourite places to stay to explore the island :
- Playa Blanca, close to Papagayo - my favourite hotel: Princesa Yaiza Resort or see best-rated hotels
- Costa Teguise, convenient for exploring - my favourite hotel: Barcelo Teguise Beach or see best-rated hotels
- Puerto del Carmen, the most active - my favourite hotel: Aqua Suites or see best-rated hotels
// In this article, no ads, no sponsored posts. Just some affiliate links.
If you purchase through them, I get a commission at no extra cost to you (Disclosure).
Photographing Lanzarote - General Info and Tips
Lanzarote is an absolute pleasure to photograph. Before I tell you all about my favorite places in Lanzarote to take pictures, here are a few tips:
- Best time to visit Lanzarote - it is great all year long. The busiest months are Summer and Winter. Shoulder seasons are the best (less crowds) and conditions are great. The orange colours of the vine are interesting in autumn.
- Getting around - for the freedom of stopping anywhere and getting to places at anytime, renting a car is essential. Check out my guide
- Where to stay to photograph Lanzarote - I recommend you spend 2/3 of your trip in a place more central/north and one third in the South -
- For area ideas and advice, check out my detailed guide of the best places to stay in Lanzarote
- Wear Sunscreen - even if there are clouds, the sun is very strong
- Wear hiking shoes - the ground is volcanic and not flat paths + Do no walk on lava, it is very fragile and dangerous (there can be caves under)
Weather and Conditions
- Generally there is a big blue sky, so don't forget your polarizing filter!
- The Northern cliffs are often covered in clouds but weather can change quickly during the day
- Sometimes a fog covers the sky, coming from the Sahara. On those days, photography is difficult, but it usually does not last more than a couple of days.
- There can be strong wind - it that case I recommend to protect your camera with a raincover to avoid sand or dust entering it.
Best Lanzarote Photo Spots - My top 5
It is not easy to pick favorite photography locations in Lanzarote because the whole island is stunning and scenic. But below are the 5 areas where I was the most inspired for photography:
1. Montana Cuervo
This was my favorite volcano and my favorite walk on Lanzarote. This is an easy walk around a full caldera (although some area are like gravels, so ti is a little harder to walk). I think the best part is the beginning as you approach the volcano. However the other great path is that you can walk inside and you have fantastic views of the surrounding volcanoes.
This volcano is not in Timanfaya National Park but in the surrounding Parque Natural Los Volcanes.
Best time to photograph: For the beginning of the walk with the whole volcano, morning is better. However for some of the views around it, afternoon would be best (they are in every directions...). Great place for night photography.
2. Tremesana Walk of Timanfaya National Park
Timanfaya National Park is the most famous area in Lanzarote. It is a fantastic world of volcanoes and lava, fully protected. There is just one road going around and you can only enter in a bus. There is sadly no stop to get out of the bus and take photos.
However, rangers offer a few walk a week in other section of the national park. Not many open spots, so book well in advance! I really loved the Tremesana walk just North of Yaiza.
My favorite landscapes were on the second half of the walk. There were mixes of textures and colours. It was like being on another planet (with 8 other people)
Best time to photograph: When the tour runs... Book one of the tours here.
3. El Grifo winery
To learn about wine in Lanzarote, most people go to La Geria. I get it, the valley is impressive all covered with those circles. But personally, I thought El Grifo was a lot more photogenic. They have charming white buildings, a museum, a cactus garden and a great colourful volcano near the vines.
My favorite spot (where that photo was taken) is actually outside of the ground of the winery (GPS coordinates and info in my eBook: Explore + Photograph Lanzarote)
Best time to photograph: Summer or Autumn to have vivid contrast between the vines and the black ground.
4. Famara Beach
Located on the West Coast of Lanzarote, Famara beach is not the best for swimming (big waves and strong current). But it is one of the best Lanzarote beaches for Photography. It is located at the foot of the Famara Cliffs (highest point 672m). And on the other side, a village with white houses and a volcano in the background. Add to that some small white sand dunes, surfers and reflection, and you have a photographer playground 🙂
Best time to photograph: Definitively at Sunset - the reflection of the cliffs changing colours, and the silhouettes of the surfers with the sun and a volcano behind are great. I took way too many pictures!!!!
5. Teguise
I am not satisfied with my own pictures of Teguise, but it is a really fantastic place to capture the traditional architecture of the island. It used to be the capital of Lanzarote.
Lots of white houses, with colourful rocks, contrasting doors and small decor elements. Plus, just outside you can find a colourful hill with a small castle right at the top!
I really recommend to take you time and stroll the side streets of Teguise looking for interesting angles.
Best time to photograph: Don't visit on Sundays, there is touristy market so it gets crowded. And the market does not have many traditional craft anymore.
Map of Lanzarote Top 5 Photography Spots + More ideas
Map of Lanzarote
To give you an idea, I have located the 5 photography spots I recommended above on this Lanzarote map:
More amazing places to Photograph Lanzarote
It was really really difficult to reduce to only 5 spots. There are so many amazing places to explore and capture. This is why I have written an eBook with all my favorite locations to photograph Lanzarote.
Plan your perfect trip around Lanzarote!
- 7 easy-to-plan maps
- 55 Scenic locations in Lanzarote
- 19 Scenic locations in Fuerteventura
- Planning tips + Best times
- 140+ large photos to decide where to go
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
Below you can get an idea about many of the locations inside the eBook.
Other Lanzarote Volcanic Landscapes to photograph
One of the main landscapes to photograph in Lanzarote are, of course, the volcanoes. There are hundreds of them. Some bigger than other and with different shapes and colours.
Timanfaya National Park
Timanfaya is the most beautiful area in Lanzarote. The volcanoes and lava seas are protected and you can't enter alone.
It would be wonderful to photograph but the main area is only accessible in a coach. So you have to take pictures through the windows.
It is still worth doing and if you sit on the right and put your lens against the window, you can still take a few cool shots.
The only way to walk in the park is my booking one of the tours with the rangers. But there are only a few spots every week. Info here.
Volcano Walks (Parque Natural Los Volcanes)
Surrounding the Timanfaya National Park are more volcanoes in Lanzarote. There are easily accessed and many offer amazing hikes to go around or walk to the top. From some of them you get great views of Timanfaya from the distance.
You can enjoy different texture of lava, many shapes and different colours of volcanoes: Red, Black, green...
As I said my favorite is Montana Cuervo (alias Caldera de los Cuervos). But you also have Montana Colorada, Montana Negra, Los Rodeos, Caldera Blanca...
Need to rent a car in Lanzarote?
Other Stunning Lanzarote Landscapes
But there are many more types of scenery to capture in Lanzarote...
Photographing Beaches
Lanzarote and its neighbour La Graciosa, have some scenic beaches to photograph - White, gold or black sand... Turquoise waters and volcanoes in the background make for interesting compositions.
Capturing Volcanic features
Because of the volcanoes and their eruptions, you can also capture a lot of interesting lava formations. Sometimes it has flowed all the way to the sea and you get an explosion of colours with the intense blue of the water of the white of the sand.
The most famous location is Los Hervideros where a path has been set up to get down inside those basalt shapes.
Lanzarote Viewpoint
Hard to write an article about the best Lanzarote photography locations without mentioning the most famous viewpoint: Mirador del Rio.
And old military fort at the top of the northern cliffs has been transformed by Cesar Manrique. 2 viewing platforms have been set up to admire the cliffs and the island of La Graciosa.
It is beautiful and worth a visit, but it is not the easiest landscape to photograph because of the scale...
Other stunning Landscapes in Lanzarote
But there are a lot more options to consider on the island. It is not as repetitive as one might think. You can even find a valley with palm trees to the North.
And it the South West coast, you can discover the Janubio salt pans. So much colours and shapes to play with!
I don't drink coffee
But I like other drinks and foods!
Do you enjoy the free content you find on my blog? All my tips and practical information, without intrusive advertising...
Best spots to photograph Lanzarote's Architecture
Charming Villages in Lanzarote to take pictures
I mentioned Teguise earlier as a great example of local architecture to take photos. But you have many other small villages away from the tourist stops that are great too. Inland or by the see, you find those small white houses with green, brown or blue stripes. They contrast a lot with the dry brown orange landscape.
Cesar Manrique's work
The most iconic photography locations in Lanzarote are the work of Cesar Manrique. He was a very influential architect and artists. Thanks to his dedication to integrate architecture with nature, you can't find many tall ugly buildings on the island.
For example, you can visit the Cactus garden, Jamaeo del Agua (with the famous swimming pool) and the house museum of LagOmar.
Read my article about the Attractions in Lanzarote by Manrique.
Off the beaten path photography opportunities
And of course, there are all the amazing views and volcanic features that are not tourist attractions and that you find by exploring side roads where only the locals go, or by going off-road with a 4WD...
Below are some of the Lanzarote photo spots I found.
Learn more on my article about hidden gems in Lanzarote.
Where to stay in Lanzarote?
My tips:
- Most enjoyable Resort Town - Playa Blanca - see best rated accommodations
- Main resort town (without car & nightlife) - Puerto del Carmen - see best rated accommodations
- Best location to be able to explore Lanzarote - Costa Teguise - see best rated accommodations
- Coastal Charm and Quiet - Punta Mujeres - see best rated accommodations
- Scenic Views - Famara Beach - see best rated accommodations
- Original & isolated - La Graciosa - see best rated accommodations
More tips on my article about where to stay in Lanzarote
Further photo opportunities in Fuerteventura
Plus you can take 1 or 2 or 3 days to go explore the neighbouring island Fuerteventura. You have more mountains and amazing white sand beaches to capture. Something a little different from Lanzarote. Below are a couple of shots to tickle you.
The island is quite big, so you need to plan your time wisely, but it is also a great experience.
See the ferry schedule from the 3 companies.
And one of my favorites was the little island between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura (but closer to the latest): Lobos island.
You take a ferry from Fuerteventura and can spend all day walking the island.
See departures and options
Want to see more of the best Lanzarote has to offer?
- 21 Best things to do in Lanzarote - read article
- Lanzarote Attractions by César Manrique - read article
- Best Beaches in Lanzarote - read article
- 10 secret places in Lanzarote - read article
- Lanzarote or Fuerteventura - which island to visit? - read article
- Best Lanzarote Volcanoes - Tours & Photos - read article
- Timanfaya National Park Lanzarote - read article
- Lanzarote in Winter - read article
Planning a trip to Lanzarote?
Check out my travel guide to help you plan:
Plan your perfect trip around Lanzarote!
- 7 easy-to-plan maps
- 55 Scenic locations in Lanzarote
- 19 Scenic locations in Fuerteventura
- Planning tips + Best times
- 140+ large photos to decide where to go
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
And keep track of your own trip!
Want to see more of the CANARY ISLANDS?
Inspired? Share it on your favorite platform!