Costa Teguise

Costa Teguise is a beach resort on the east coast of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It's about 7 km east of the capital Arrecife and 15 km from the island's airport. In 2022 the resident population was 8949, but this is greatly swelled by visitors, as it's a popular spot for budget package holidays. It was built as a planned resort in the 1970s, which must have been exciting times here, as the bedrock is tough lava and the developer was Rio Tinto Explosives.

Get in

Arrecife Airport (ACE ^IATA) is 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest: most visitors are on package flights and are bussed straight to their hotels. By public bus, you need to ride into Arrecife and change. A family group will find it simpler to grab a taxi.

By bus

• Bus 3. Runs from Arrecife to Costa Teguise taking 20 min, every 20 minutes in the daytime and hourly at night. Westbound it continues past the city to Playa Honda and Puerto del Carmen, another 40 min. (updated Dec 2023)
• Bus 11. Takes 30 min from Costa Teguise to Teguise Market, with five runs on Sunday morning, returning early afternoon. (updated Dec 2023)
• Bus 31. Takes 45 min from Caleta de Famara on the north coast, daily every 90 min. (updated Dec 2023)

1 Hotel Salinas is how the bus turnaround in Costa Teguise is shown on timetables. It's just a turning loop with no facilities, by the entrance to Paradisus Salinas.

Get around

The village is spread out but level going and walkable. Buses from Arrecife and elsewhere pass through to the Salinas turnaround. The minimum fare in 2023 is €1.40.

Costa Teguise, Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen and Playa Honda are covered by Superpedestrian Link Scooters and can be used with their app. You can take and leave one e-scooter anywhere. Some beach promenade areas excluded them. In 2023 one ride costs €1 to unlock and €0.30 per minute.

Over a dozen car rental firms cluster along the main hotel strips of Av del Jablillo, Av de las Islas Canarias and C las Acacias. There's no need to hire from the airport for a full week if you only plan 2 or 3 days sightseeing round the island.

See

• Town is a modern sprawl, with no real centre to it.
• 1 Goleta Jetty is the best of the town jetties and breakwaters, as it has a broad paved surface - several others are rough rocks. The view is better in morning light, and of course this coast doesn't get the sunset. Two weird towers stand at its end, as if Max Ernst had designed receiver masts for FM Radio from Uranus.
• 2 Aquarium Lanzarote, C Las Acacias (Centro Comercial El Treból), ☏ +34 928 590069. Daily 10:00-18:00. Well-stocked aquarium with walk-through tunnel. Adult €15, conc €12, child €10. (updated Oct 2023)
• 3 Residencia Real de La Mareta is a closely-guarded luxury mansion, so you'll have to make do with a distant view. It was built for King Hussein of Jordan in the 1970s, taking its name from a nearby mareta, a water cistern. Hussein never stayed here himself and in 1989 he gave it to King Juan Carlos I who in turn gave it to Patrimonio Nacional, the body that looks after Spanish heritage buildings. It's still occasionally used by Spanish royalty and other VIPs.
• 4 Tahiche Cave, C Bravo Murillo, Tahiche. 24 hours. A lava tube cave set in volcanic scenery. You need a flashlight to go any distance inside, and it's trash-strewn. A 15 min hike brings you to the rim of the caldera. Free. (updated Oct 2023)
• 5 Fundación César Manrique, C Jorge Luis Borges, Tahiche, ☏ +34 928 843138. Daily 10:00-18:00. César Manrique (1919-1992) was an artist, sculptor and nature activist. His later home was burrowed out of the volcanic rock here, and turned into a museum of his life, art and times. He campaigned for sustainable tourism and against samey high-rise hotels. Adult €10. (updated Oct 2023)

Do

Town turnoff from main island highway

• Scuba diving is year-round. Centres in town include Daivoon (below), Aquatis, Native Diving, Prodive, Active Scuba Divers, Dive Shop Lanzarote and Calipso. They pick up from town hotels and offer training plus kit hire and dives for all levels.
• Daivoon, C las Conchas (next to Galeón Playa Hotel), ☏ +34 629 508100. M-Sa 08:30-18:00. Slick dive operation offering training, kit hire and guided dives. Two tank dive €95. (updated Nov 2023)
• The promenade is a pleasant stroll. Beyond the beaches, sharp-edged lava cliffs make swimming hazardous.
• 1 Playa Bastian and the smaller Playa del Jablillo beneath Grand Teguise Playa are sandy family-friendly beaches, but rocky by the waterline.
• 2 Playa de las Cucharas is the main resort beach, a long sandy stretch with a breakwater midway.
• 3 Playa de los Charcos is quieter, sandy with stones at the waterline.
• 4 Aqua Park, Av del Golf, ☏ +34 928 592128. Daily 10:0-17:00. Waterpark best suited to pre-teens, mostly clean. Direct buses run from Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca. Adult €26, child €18. (updated Oct 2023)
• 5 Costa Teguise Golf, Av del Golf (C Jarama), ☏ +34 928 590512, info@lanzarote-golf.com. Lush 18-hole course, white tees 6109 m, par 74. May-Sept €88, Oct-April €108. (updated Oct 2023)

Buy

• Supermarkets are found near concentrations of self-catering accommodation and are typically open daily 08:00-22:00. The main chains are Hiperdino and Spar.
• The handicraft market is held F 17:00-22:00 on Plaza Pueblo Marinero.

Eat

Towers at the end of the jetty

Budget

• Erik's Bar, C la Goleta (opposite Grand Teguise Playa), ☏ +34 928 273016. Daily 08:30-23:30. Good place for breakfast, grills and Med fare. (updated Oct 2023)
• 1 Peskera, C la Corvina, ☏ +34 928 592044. Daily 10:00-23:00. Beachfront seafood restaurant on Playa de las Cucharas. (updated Oct 2023)
• Muellito, Av de las Islas Canarias 22 (Opposite Apts Celeste), ☏ +34 928 592060. Tu-Sa 09:00-00:00, Su 09:00-18:00. Very good value for light meals and beer. (updated Oct 2023)
• 2 Bar Moon, Av de las Islas Canarias 15, ☏ +34 928 825026. M-F 13:00-22:30. Pub grub and tapas. (updated Oct 2023)
• The Welcome, C de los Geranios 1 (opposite Sausalito). Tu 10:00-14:00, W-F 10:00-14:00, 17:00-22:00, Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 10:00-23:00. Cheap and cheerful cafe for English breakfast and other trad fare. (updated Oct 2023)
• Kitty's (formerly Boat Yard), Av de las Islas Canarias 21 (north side of Apts Celeste). Daily 09:30-00:00. Pub fare, breakfasts and bingo. (updated Oct 2023)

Mid-range

• Indian: the choice includes Masala Lounge, Star India and Spicy Affair all opposite Grand Teguise Playa, Namaste Indian Playa south end of Playa de las Cucharas and Namaste Indian Cucharas at the north end.
• Chinese: along Av de Jablillo are Golden City, New Century, Tiananmen buffet, Chu Lin and Shanghai. Emperor is west by Playa Bastian and Beijing is north end of Playa de las Cucharas.
• Mexican: La Hacienda on C las Olas is a Tex-Mex in the Cesar chain. Juanita Mumbai almost next door can only be described as "fusion".
• 3 Restaurante El Navarro, Av del Mar 19, ☏ +34 928 59 2145. M-Sa 18:30-22:00. Standard Med fare, but good reviews for this place by the Radisson. You need to book. (updated Oct 2023)
• 4 Restaurante Sausalito, Av del Mar 28, Playa Bastian, ☏ +34 928 590867. Tu-Sa 18:00-22:00. Good casual restaurant for pizza, pasta and steak. (updated Oct 2023)
• 5 La Vaca Loca, Av de las Islas Canarias 2, ☏ +34 669 047220. Th-Tu 12:15-22:30. Serving pizza and grills. (updated Oct 2023)
• 6 El Maestro, C las Olas 2, ☏ +34 669 826001. Daily 11:00-00:00. Part of the Cesar chain, this is a classy place for Med food. (updated Oct 2023)
• 7 Restaurante Doña Lola, Apartamentos Neptuno, Av del Jablillo, ☏ +34 928 591113. Daily 12:00-22:00. Consistently great reviews for this restaurant on Bonanza headland. (updated Oct 2023)

Drink

Golfers on the green

• British: Keg & Kilt, The Snug, Abbey Road, The Black Bull, Kitty's (below), The Red Lion and more, all vie to reassure the punters that what they're experiencing is just a hot day in Weatherfield circa 1985.
• Irish: or a balmy evening in Tallaght, at The Irish Bailey, Claddagh Bar, The Shamrock, Ireland's Eye...
• Late night: Lively Lady is open M-Sa 20:30-02:00, Nightclub 55 daily 21:00-04:00, Jesters daily 20:00-04:00, and Valhalla Tu-Sa 19:00-03:00.
• Wine: The island vineyards are west of the mountain where they get more rain.

Sleep

• 1 Grand Teguise Playa Hotel, Av del Jablillo, ☏ +34 928 590654. Great reviews all round for this big hotel on the town headland. B&B double €180. (updated Oct 2023)
• Galeón Playa Aparthotel, Av del Jablillo (200 m east of Grand Teguise Playa), ☏ +34 928 591928. Clean welcoming mid-price hotel. B&B double €100. (updated Oct 2023)
• Be Live Experience Lanzarote Beach, Plaza el Janubio 2 (200 m north of Grand Teguise Playa), ☏ +34 911 360606. Comfy hotel by beaches, food offerings are samey. B&B double €180. (updated Oct 2023)
• 2 Radisson Blu Resort, Av del Mar 26, ☏ +34 928 826640. Smart slick hotel by Playa Bastian. B&B double €160. (updated Oct 2023)
• 3 Apartments Celeste, Av de las Islas Canarias, ☏ +34 928 591720. 85 spacious apartments with one or two bedrooms, with pools, 100 m from Playa de las Cucharas. Double (room only) €120. (updated Oct 2023)
• 4 Paradisus Salinas, Av de las Islas Canarias, ☏ +34 928 590040. Plush adults-only all inclusive hotel by Playa de las Cucharas. (updated Oct 2023)
• 5 Hotel Beatriz, C la Atalaya, ☏ +34 928 590828. On the slopes north edge of town, this is a good mid-price place though some facilities look tired. (updated Oct 2023)

Connect

As of Oct 2023, Costa Teguise and its approach roads have 5G from all Spanish carriers.

Go next

• Arrecife the capital is 15 km west, reached by frequent bus.
• Puerto del Carmen tourist resort is also linked by bus.