Lanzarote Without a Car: How to Get Around

You’d planned your holiday perfectly, but your car hire company let you down? Some lucky people still managed to get their hands on those precious four wheels, but not everyone…
Stuck without a car on Lanzarote?
Don’t panic – here’s how to get by without ruining your holiday.
Want to share your experiences or ask questions about Lanzarote? Join our Facebook group dedicated to the island and connect with other passionate travellers. Click here to join the group!

How to do it:

1. Use public transport: a big saving

My secret? An app…

The main towns are fairly well served by buses, and like lots of smartphone users, I usually type my route into Google Maps and pick my mode of transport.
But there’s a catch! “No route found” pops up whenever I choose the bus, wherever I’m going or coming from…

So what do you do?
There is a bus company on Lanzarote, but it doesn’t share its data with Google, so you need another app to get the same convenience as Google Maps. That app is MOOVIT, available on iPhone and Android – you can also click here to visit the website.

Top tip: if you can get hold of bikes, here’s a really fun idea: take the bus on a Sunday with the bikes in the luggage hold (it’s free), ride up to Teguise market, have a wander, then cycle home – it’s downhill all the way to Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise and so on…

2. Get your food delivered – and support local producers!

Your shopping in just a few clicks…

Travelling by sailing boat, I often get stuck when I’m in port and want to do my weekly shop. I have no transport on land, one backpack doesn’t carry much, and I’m fussy about the quality of my fruit and veg…

How does it work?
I quickly noticed that in the Canaries it’s generally easy to get good produce delivered, often free when you spend over €20 or €30. Of course, the money-hungry supermarket giants couldn’t care less about your logistics problems or your health (just look at the “food” they sell), but get in touch with the good fruterías and small organic shops on the island. Sure, compared with something tasteless, pumped full of water and chemicals, it’s a bit more expensive – but in return you get healthy, locally grown food.

Top tip: here’s the link to Maja’s business, which delivers excellent produce to me at great prices every week – click here to see her website.

Marco, from “Biotienda La Villa” in Teguise, can also offer this service.

Don’t hesitate to ask at small local shops – I’ve sometimes been pleasantly surprised.

3. Choose activities with a shuttle service: the customer is king

Your only job: enjoy the moment.

Staying in Puerto del Carmen and fancy exploring the north of the island by buggy, but the tour starts in Costa Teguise? Several of the companies I work with can offer a shuttle service – and very often it’s free!

How does it work?
Visit my website here to discover my adventure-planner concept. Contacting me commits you to nothing, so go for it. Based on what you want and any constraints – like not having a car – I’ll do my best to find you something tailored to you.

Top tip: the shuttle is a real bonus offered by activity operators on Lanzarote, but it can’t be everywhere at once. If you can find a way to get there yourself, that’s always better, as you’ll have a wider choice of available time slots.

4. Book excursions to the main sights – and let someone else lead the way!

After all, why not?

Let’s be honest: when someone mentions organised excursions, I feel 30 years older and picture myself crammed into a coach with a guide flashing a toothpaste-advert smile.
But you need a solution, because there’s simply no public transport to places like Timanfaya or Mirador del Río!

Is it really what I imagine?
I’d say a big NO! Some tour companies are clearly modernising to attract new customers. The vibe is completely different in a 15-seat minibus – much friendlier – and if you meet other nice people who’ve had the same car-hire woes as you, you might just make some new friends.

Search online for “Lanzarote minibus tour” and you’ll find plenty of options. I haven’t tried enough of them yet to point you towards one in particular.

Top tip: look for small local operators running tours in small groups – they’re usually much more personal. And if you try one, let me know what you thought!

5. Rent something different: a Ryker!

A whole new thrill with a standard car licence…

Think it’s impossible to combine the freedom of a motorbike with the stability of a car? Canadian company Can-Am is out to prove you wrong. Picture yourself at the handlebars of one of these machines on Lanzarote’s stunning roads… Doesn’t that sound like a little slice of paradise? Be aware, though, that it doesn’t come cheap: allow €150 a day plus a deposit.

How does it work?
You can drive one with a standard car licence, as long as you’re at least 21 and have held your licence for over 2 years. They’re rented by the day. As I’m partnered with the company that runs them, feel free to contact me if you’d like to know more.

Top tip: even though Lanzarote’s weather is, let’s face it, almost always kind, make sure it’s sunny and not blowing a gale – it would be a shame not to have perfect conditions for this UFO on wheels. To find out more about the vehicle, visit the official page here.

To wrap up:

We can all agree that having your own car is a real comfort. However, the Covid crisis meant car hire companies all over the Canary Islands had to sell off part of their fleets to stay afloat. Fleets are getting back to their former size, but even when companies want to buy, 500 cars can’t be delivered overnight. This problem, the number one issue of the summer, still leaves people feeling their holiday is ruined when things don’t go to plan with their hire company. Also try social media to organise a car share – it can work, and our Facebook group is a great place to start.
I hope this article helps you still enjoy the holiday you were hoping for…
If you’d like to discover my concept and find activities for your stay in the Canaries, head this way.
Want to share your experiences or ask questions about Lanzarote? Join our Facebook group dedicated to the island and connect with other passionate travellers. Click here to join the group!