Papagayo Beach (Lanzarote) – Tips + access + photos

Papagayo Beach, Lanzarote is considered one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.
It is located on a wilder area in the southern tip, where you can find stretches of golden sand and turquoise water.
To enjoy the wilder Papagayo beaches, access is on a bumpy track, walking or by boat.
Below is my guide you to plan your visit with photos, tips and map.

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Papagayo and its neighboring golden sand stretch are considered some of the best beaches in Lanzarote and one of the top attractions on the island.
Their large sandy areas have remained mostly untouched with no paved roads leading to them. 
Only at the last one, the cove that is Papagayo beach can you find a couple of buildings. 

Have a look:

Papagayo Area History

• The beaches are along the Papagayo-San Marcial del Rubicon Trail
• It is a historical site of the island's conquest - you can find wells and cross commemorating this history of the Norman conquerors (Jean de Bettencourt) who built a chapel and castle at the beginning of the 15th century
• It is located on Macizo de los Ajaches (Natural Monument), the oldest territory on the island which formed around 14 million years ago (hence the rounded peaks and deep ravines)
• Indigenous artefacts have been found in the area

As I said, there is not paved road to get there. You can either drive on a bumpy track, take a boat or enjoy the hiking trail. Here is a video to give you an idea of what the Papagayo beach walk looks like:

Many more photos after the practical information

Papagayo beach by car - Map

• There is no paved roads, but you can get on a track to reach the parking of Playa Mujeres or the parking of Papagayo beach.
• Several km of bumps and holes (and an entrance fee of around 3€)
• Note that you are normally not allowed on unpaved roads with rental cars, even 4WD (check the agreement). So if you have a problem on those tracks you will have to pay for towing and everything
• Despite the limited access, the large carparks fill up quickly. Don't visit to late!

By boat

Another option during the week is to take a water taxi from the center of Playa Blanca to Papagayo beach

On foot

My favorite option is the hiking trail

• 2km walk
• Generally easy walk, just when going down to a beach and up on the other side is it sometimes sightly more difficult (but not much)
• No shade - bring water and sunscreen
• see photos further down in the article

Where to stay near Papagayo Beach

If you want to enjoy those beaches frequently, the best is to stay at the nearby resort town of Playa Blanca. There is a large choice of accommodations, shops and many restaurants.
Check out the best accommodations in Playa Blanca
Or have a look at my Guide on where to stay in Lanzarote.

The term Papagayo beach is often used to describes the whole area. The it is actually the last beach in the corner which is a beautiful cove that seems to be closing, creating a protected area (which is great when it is windy).

What is great is that you can easily walk around to admire it from different perspectives.
See below the path on the East side:

And here are the views with the peaks of Los Ajaches behind. I love it!

You can also walk on the other side, past the restaurant for a better view of the Papagayo beach sand.

It is a really great place to take pictures!

Then you can walk down to the beach to enjoy the protection from the wind.

Contrary to the other beaches there are stairs to get down because the cliffs are very steep.
The sand is golden and the waters are emerald green.
You can relax on the sand, soak in the bay or play on the rocks.

However during high season, you might have difficulty finding a spot for your towel.

Tempting isn't it?

There are no facilities at the largest beaches before, bu at Papagayo you can find 2 buildings. They are bars and provide food as well. 
The view is quite enjoyable but the music from both establishments was too loud for my taste. 

It was nice to enjoy a little bit of shade and a refreshing drink.

Above I introduced the official Papagayo beach, but the whole series of beaches is referred to as Papagayo beaches.
In the picture below you can see several of them taken from the head at Papagayo:

And here you can see the whole water front from the beginning of the hiking trail all the way to Papagayo head:

So let me introduce some of the other famous Lanzarote beaches to you...

Close to papagayo, Playa del Pozo beach has a large golden sand area and beautiful rocks to photograph.
With the steep cliffs at both end, you can find area to be protected from the wind and find a little bit of shade.

What is a little different about this beach is that it has small sand dunes  in the back of it. You can see them in the photo below.
And in front of you, you can see the white buildings of Playa Blanca and the volcano of Montana Roja.

Note that you may cross path with nudists here.

Playa Mujeres beach is the second most famous beach in that area.
It is a 400m long stretch of golden sand with turquoise water. A carpark has been set up right by the beach.
And it is the closest one on foot from Playa Blanca.

As it is long and wide, there is more space for everyone to enjoy the sand and sun.

I think it is really worth it to do the hiking trail. The views along the water are great, especially with the hills of los Ajaches behind.

Papagayo Beach area map

Near the last resort in playa Blanca (the All inclusive Sandos Papagayo Beach resort), the beginning of the trail is clearly marked with information boards with a simple map of the area:

Beginning of the walk

Below you can see the Sandos Papagayo Beach resort and the beginning of the walk to the left.

Difficulty of the walk

The trail is mostly small gravel and sometimes sandy. I recommend to wear proper shoes for better adherence.
As you can see in the photo below there are many trails in every direction. But you can always see the direction you are going, so choose the path that looks the most direct.

See below the transition from sandy path to rocky path:

But most of the time the Papagayo walking trail is like that, so quite easy and enjoyable.

And along the way, you can enjoy beautiful views of the hills of the natural monument of Los Ajaches :

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