The village of Playa Blanca in Lanzarote

Playa Blanca is a fairly quiet resort, popular with families and older travelers, but no nightlife with bustling streets and many shops and restaurants.

The town has about 8000 inhabitants, most of whom work in tourism-related services, and many of them foreigners. The former fishing village that remains is a small fishing despite the increasing demand for fish sparked by tourism. Economic activity is also supported by the maritime line linking the port of Corralejo in Fuerteventura, the port of Playa Blanca. Playa Blanca is part of the municipality of Yaiza.

This coast facing the island of Fuerteventura and the island of Los Lobos, including Lanzarote is separated by the Strait of La Bocaina (Estrecho de La Bocayna) wide by about 16 km. Several daily maritime connections are provided with the port of Corralejo on the island of Fuerteventura which can be seen from Playa Blanca.

On the side of the earth Playa Blanca is located at the tip of a vast plain naked, the plain El Rubicón, bordered to the east by the mountainous and desert massif of Los Ajaches, which culminates at Mount Hacha Grande (561 m). To the west of Playa Blanca stands the volcano Montaña Roja (194 m).

There are two roads to get to Playa Blanca: the fast road LZ-2, which doubles the former LZ-701 road, and the LZ-702 mountain road passing by a neck in the village of Femés (361 m).

By LZ-2 road Playa Blanca is 15 km from the capital of the municipality, Yaiza; 30 km from the airport Guasimeta of Lanzarote (40 minutes drive); 38 km from the island capital, Arrecife. 10 km north of Playa Blanca are the salt of Janubio and the cliffs of Los Hervideros and 9 km to the north, the village of El Golfo and its green lagoon.

The development of the tourist resort of Playa Blanca has not always done in perfectly legal conditions: the eastern side several luxury hotels were built in violation of the Land Development Plan Islander (Plan Insular de Ordenación del Territorio, PIOT) in inconstructibles areas since 1991; Hotel located further east, the hotel “Papagayo Arena” even encroaching on the protected natural area of Monumento Natural de Los Ajaches and prevents access to the sea. The architecture of some of these hotels respects not the ideal order desired by César Manrique for construction on the island. These buildings have been classified as illegal in 2007 and are likely to be demolished, but the economic and social importance of tourism is so important to Lanzarote that this is highly unlikely.

However the urbanization Playa Blanca is more successful than elsewhere on the island with hotels in impressive architecture and lush gardens, such as the five-star " Volcán Lanzarote ", designed by architect Andrés Piñero, inspired by the traditional architecture of the island: the hotel complex - located behind the marina Rubicón near the Castillo de Las Coloradas - recalls a typical village of the island with an artificial volcano and a church - which is a replica of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Teguise - which serves the hotel entrance. The hotel lobby is a magnificent room with arches supported by columns of reddish stones. But paradoxically, true traditional houses were demolished to build the hotel. The hotel " Princesa Yaiza " located at the rear of the Playa Dorada, also has style, but violates the rules of construction of the island by its number of floors. However the four-star “Papagayo Arena” is widely criticized for its architecture that makes it look like a great set of suburbs.

The resort of Playa Blanca is the station that even the fastest expansion. If development is to the east - in principle - prevented by the protected area of Los Ajaches, its development to the west - toward the lighthouse Pechiguera - is already prefigured by few streets that serve still empty plots. The hinterland also offers large areas for development of the resort.

The village center is well ordered, with pedestrian streets and a church, the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen); the resort also has its own local bus network. The waterfront is covered by a beautiful promenade of several kilometers in length.

The Promenade is a pedestrian path in large part, full of cafes, restaurants, boutiques and hotels; it offers beautiful views to the neighboring island of Fuerteventura. The Promenade is especially nice in the evening when the setting sun illuminates the facades, with, in the background, Mount Hacha Grande that rises above the rooftops.

From the Point of Pechiguera the Paseo marítimo along the Playa Montaña Roja, the Playa Flamingo, the Punta Limones, Old Fishing Port and ferry to Playa Blanca, the Playa Dorada, Marina Rubicón and Punta del Águila where stands the Castillo de las Coloradas.

The port is protected by a breakwater of rocks against which moor the ferries that make the connection between Corralejo (Fuerteventura) and Playa Blanca.

On the platform a large building houses the Guild of Fishermen Playa Blanca (Cofradía de Pescadores) where is the outcry which has a fish restaurant.

All around the Old Port settled the first apartment complexes or holiday bungalows, made up of small buildings that do not exceed two storeys.

At just over 2 km east of the Old Port was built a new marina, the Marina Rubicón.

The Marina Rubicón is located between the Old Port of Playa Blanca and the beaches of Papagayo, about 15 minutes walk from the city center.

At the back of the marina a new neighborhood was built on the site of the old district of ’ El Berrugo and the beach of ’ El Berrugo. The area looks like a traditional village, with small buildings, whitewashed, home to shops, some restaurants and bars; the center is located ponds and a swimming pool; Wooden bridges cross a saltwater canal. Further back are a shopping center and playgrounds. To the east of the marina was built the "Hotel Volcán Lanzarote."

In the midst of this new upscale neighborhood survive some old houses of fishermen old quarter Berrugo whose inhabitants express their anger by protest banners against expropriation “Sí luchamos podemos perder.Sí no lo hacemos estamos perdidos!”(“If we fight we can lose. If we do not, we are lost! ”).

The Punta de Pechiguera has two lighthouses, the old, now out of service, the other more recent and still in operation; the role of these lighthouses is, or was, to report the Strait of La Bocayna that separates the islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, in relation to the lighthouse Tostón, on the island of Fuerteventura, and the lighthouse La Punta de Martiño on the island of Lobos.

Former Faro de Pechiguera was built as part of the Plan of Lighting 1856 Canary Islands; it was inaugurated in 1866. It is a rectangular building, organized around a central courtyard and topped by a cylindrical tower 12 meters high built in volcanic basalt stones. The focal height is 16.5 meters above the sea, which gave it a range of 12 nautical miles; the old lighthouse was visible from the headlights of Tostón and Martiño. The building was the home with three bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and an office.

The old lighthouse Pechiguera worked 120 years until 1988, when it was replaced by the new lighthouse. In 2002 the old building was classified as a Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural, BIC) of the Province of Las Palmas; However, it is in pretty bad shape, walls and fittings being eaten away by the sea air.

The new flagship is an automatic lighthouse built in 1986 next to the old lighthouse. It is a concrete tower 50 m high, painted white. This is the third tallest lighthouse in the Canary Islands after the lighthouse of Morro del Jable in Fuerteventura, 59 meters high, and the lighthouse of Maspalomas in Gran Canaria, 56 m. With a focal height of 55 m above the sea, its light can be seen at a distance of 17 nautical miles, and consists of three flashes of white light every thirty seconds.

A stamp shows the two headlights Pechiguera in a series devoted in 2008 to six lighthouses by one of the Spanish companies of postal service, Correos.

The walk to the volcano and around the volcano is not too difficult; the climb to the crater rim (194 m) is a little harder; it is - in half an hour - from the area of Montaña Baja. From the top you have a panoramic view of Playa Blanca, on the plain of El Rubicón and to the island of Fuerteventura. It is the red color of the volcano which gave its name to the region Rubicón.

• the westernmost beach is the Playa de la Montaña Roja; it is a set of beaches located at the foot of Montaña Roja; most of the beaches in front of the hotel Rubicón Palace.
• the next track is the Playa Flamingo (“Flamingo Pink Beach”), located outside the city center, 800 m west of the Old Port, just west of Punta Limones; it’s a totally artificial beach that was almost completely destroyed in November 2005 during the tropical storm “Delta”. After much work, the Playa Flamingo has been restored and protected by dikes in 2011. This beach is equipped with sun loungers and umbrellas for rent, but is not monitored; It is surrounded by shops and restaurants. It is used especially by customers from neighboring hotels, the Timanfaya Palace and Lanzarote Park.
• the central beach of Playa Blanca is the beach which gave its name to the resort, the Playa Blanca (“White Beach”); it is a small sandy beach which is 500 meters east of the old port. This beach is supervised; restaurants and shops are close by.
• 1300 m west of the old port and 700 m west of the Marina Rubicón is the Playa Dorada (“Golden Beach”), located in front of hotels Princesa Yaiza and Playa Dorada. This beach is protected by dikes and supervised and equipped with sun loungers and umbrellas for rent. The Playa Dorada is the most popular beach and there are many water activities are: pedal boats, jet skis, parasailing. At the back of the beach there are cafes, shops and the Centro Comercial Papagayo.
• the easternmost range of the town is the Playa de las Coloradas (“Red Beaches”) which is located east of the marina Rubicón and Punta del Águila. It is a black pozzolan beach that is mostly used by the hotel guests Papagayo Arena; this hotel was built too close to shore and prohibits access to the beach and the continuation of the Promenade.

The first tower was destroyed a few years later in 1749 by Algerian pirates. The tower that we can see today is the tower rebuilt in 1769 by the military engineer Alejandro de Los Ángeles (born Alexandre Des Angles and Dangles, Marseille). It is a circular tower and robust, whose entrance is protected by a drawbridge. The outer wall has loopholes and on the platform, stands a tower whose bell was rung when pirates approached the coast.

" Reinando el señor don Carlos III mandando estas yslas el excelentísimo señor don Miguel López Fernández de Heredia, Mariscal de Campo, se reedificó esta Torre de San Marcial, Puerto de las Coloradas, Punta del Águila.Año 1769.”

"Reigning Don Carlos III, being mended in these ysles the Most excellent Sir Don Miguel López Fernández de Heredia, Field Marshal, has rebuilt the Tower of Saint Martial, Port Rouges, Pointe de l’Aigle. Year 1769. "

The tower is located on the headland of Punta del Águila 200 m east of the marina in Playa Blanca; the tower is also named Torre del Águila. The tower is now surrounded by luxury hotels.

Since the platform of the Tower of the Eagle was a wide view of the southern coast of Lanzarote, on the Marina Rubicón and the beaches of Papagayo, and - on a clear day - on Fuerteventura and the small island of Los Lobos in the Strait of La Bocayna. It is also the best place to watch the races that take place in Playa Blanca. Unfortunately, the tower is open to visitors only very irregularly.

The beaches of Papagayo are made ​​of white sand, crystal clear waters and warm, turquoise, and safe. The closest of these beaches is 4 km east of the center of Playa Blanca.

• The westernmost beach is the Playa de las Mujeres (“Women’s Beach”); an unlikely legend, the women came there to wash their clothes. The Playa de las Mujeres is the longest beaches Papagayo, with a length of about 400 m. It is a beautiful beach of fine white sand, lined with small dunes; it has parking.
• Further west are two tiny beaches in small coves background, Caletón del Cobre and Caletón de San Marcial; it is located near the Château Saint-Martial of Rubicon (Castillo de San Marcial del Rubicón).
• The next beach is Playa del Pozo (“Well the Beach”), 300 m in length; it is less crowded than the Playa de las Mujeres, but is quite popular with nudists; a track leading to it but there is no parking; we can go there on foot from the beach of Mujeres. The Playa del Pozo is located below the old wells built by the Norman conquerors in the early fifteenth century. There is another beach called Playa del Pozo located on the east coast of Lanzarote, near Playa Quemada.
• The next track is a small beach nestled in a cove.
• The last beach is the Playa de Papagayo itself, at the foot of the Punta del Papagayo. It is 120 meters long and protected by high craggy headlands.

The beaches of Pozo and Papagayo are accessible from a parking lot, next to which is a small restaurant; from the car park trails lead to the beaches.

Access to the beaches of Papagayo can be done on foot, by car or boat:

• from the east end of the Promenade, in front of Hotel Papagayo Arena, a coastal path a little difficult, which initially runs along the Playa de Las Coloradas, lets walk to the Playa de Las Mujeres in 15 to 20 minutes. From the Old Port takes about 45 minutes; from the Marina Rubicón, 30 minutes.
• drive from Playa Blanca, take the LZ-703 road to Femès; 2 km after the exit of Playa Blanca, at the first roundabout, take the first right. At the entrance to the Natural Monument of Los Ajaches have to pay an entrance fee of € 4 per vehicle. After the toll gate the road becomes unpaved track, bumpy and dusty, but even passable for passenger cars; the main trail leads through a desert landscape, to the parking lot of the Punta del Papagayo, about 6 km.
  If you want to go to the parking lot of the Playa de Las Mujeres, one must turn right after only 3 km. With an all-terrain vehicle can be fun to get lost and end up in the maze of side tracks that crisscross the Cape Parrot. The busy days the track is very crowded and the car column takes the form of a rally through the desert in a cloud of dust; adventure loses some of its charm.
• the most enjoyable way to travel to the beaches of Papagayo is perhaps the boat: water taxis leave from the old port four times a day (10 h, 11 h 30, 13 h and 15 h 30, 30). The ride to Punta del Papagayo lasts an hour, with a stop at the Marina Rubicón, and costs about 18 €.

The archaeological excavations have unearthed the foundations of these buildings, which are protected by walls and iron gates.

A large iron cross, erected in 1862, marks the site of the chapel. July 7, 2004, a commemorative plaque was laid at the base of the cross, to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the diocese. Saint-Martial chapel was destroyed March 2, 1593 during an attack by English privateers. A new church dedicated to Saint Martial was built, 140 years later, in the village of Femés, away from the coast, safe from hacker attacks. The Playa del Pozo is sometimes called Playa de La Cruz.

The Punta del Papagayo is inside the Monumento Natural de Los Ajaches: no construction was allowed, with the exception of a refreshment bar with terrace and a campsite, Camping Puerto de Muelas located above the beach of the same name. You can see also some ruined walls which are the remains of the ancient village of fishermen Papagayo.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 am to 12 pm 30 30 and 14 pm to 17 pm; Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm 30 30.

Phone: 00 34 928 518 150

Site on the Web: www.playablancaturismo.com

There are two bus stops in Playa Blanca: the main stop is Avenida del Varadero, near the gas station; The second stop is the Old Port; there are 5 minutes between the two stops.

The line No. 60 connects Arrecife to Playa Blanca, from Monday to Friday every hour from 5 am to 21 pm 45 (duration 60 minutes); of Playa Blanca to Arrecife from 6 am to 21 pm 55 35.

Lines No. 161 and 261 connect the airport to Playa Blanca (from Puerto del Carmen, Puerto Calero and Yaiza), every half hour from 6 am to 22 pm 30 (duration 60 minutes).

Line 13 connects Playa Blanca to Teguise for the Sunday market; go to 9 pm; return to 13 h 30 (duration 70 minutes).

Detailed schedule of bus lines: www.arrecifebus.com

Phone: 00 34 928 811 522

The Fred Olsen shipping company provides its customers free buses between Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen. Schedules of buses fitted on the ferry timetable between Playa Blanca and Corralejo in Fuerteventura :

Phone: 00 34 902 100 107

Site on the Web: www.fredolsen.es.

Map and detailed timetable of the bus line # 30 on: www.arrecifebus.com

The Naviera Armas has a classic ferry, the “Volcán de Tindaya” which 6 round trips per day (five on Sunday); departures Playa Blanca at 7 am, 9 am, 11 am, 15 h, 17 h and 19 h. Departures from Corralejo an hour later. Crossing time: 35 minutes.

Phone: 00 34 902 456 500

Site on the Web: www.navieraarmas.com

Round trip fare: € 53 for a pedestrian; € 72 for a vehicle and its driver.

Fred Olsen has a catamaran, the “Bocayna Express”, which is 6 round trips per day (five on Sunday); departures Playa Blanca at 7 am 10, 8 h 30, 10 h, 14 h, 16 h and 18 h. Departures from Corralejo 40 minutes earlier. Crossing time: 25 minutes.

Phone: 00 34 902 100 107

Site on the Web: www.fredolsen.es

Price one way: 30 € for a pedestrian; € 59 for a vehicle and its driver.

Address: Calle la Tegala, 13, near the church of Our Lady of Carmel.

Phone: 00 34 928 349 861; mobile phone: 00 34 606 109 765

Site on the Web: www.papagayobike.com

Address: Shopping center El Pueblo to Las Coloradas.

Phone: 00 34 657 557 190

Site on the Web: www.movingsegwaylanzarote.com

Price examples: 2 hours initiation to diving: € 60; During two days of snorkeling: 290 €; During four days of sea diving 410 €.

Address: Avenida Papagayo, 18 - Centro Commercial El Papagayo, Local 65-66, 50 m from the beach of Playa Dorada.

Phone: 00 34 928 519 040; mobile phone: 00 34 607 301 230

Site on the Web: www.calablancasub.com

Address: Calle La Tegala 20

Phone: 00 34 928 519 141; mobile phone: 00 34 667 967 940

Site on the Web: v-errens.wix.com/2012-bbs

Diving Centre located in the Marina Rubicón, Local 77B.

Price example: introduction to diving: € 65; 6 dives with rental equipment 255 €.

Phone: 00 34 928 349 346

Site on the Web: www.rubicondiving.com

Site on the Web: www.kayakdelmar.com

Address: Urbanización Montaña Roja

Phone: 00 34 928 518 500

Site on the web of H10 Group: www.h10hotels.com

Address: Calle Gran Canaria, 1 - Urbanización Montaña Roja

Phone: 00 34 928 517 676

Site on the web of H10 Group: www.h10hotels.com

Address: Avenida Archipielago 7, on the headland of Punta Limones, near the beach of Playa Flamingo.

Phone: 00 34 928 517 048

Site on the Web group Iberostar: www.iberostar.com

Price: 160 € 200 € depending on season.

Address: Calle La Tegala, 56

Phone: 00 34 928 519 191

Site on the Web: www.casadelembajador.com

Address: Calle Maciot de Bethencourt, 1

Phone: 00 34 928 517 108

Site on the web of H10 Group: www.h10hotels.com

Address: Avenida de Papagayo, 22; the hotel is at the back of the Playa Dorada which it is separated only by the seafront promenade.

Phone: 00 34 928 519 222

Site on the Web: www.princesayaiza.com

Address: Urbanización Costa del Papagayo

Phone: 00 34 928 517 120

Site on the Web: www.nh-hoteles.es/hotel/hesperia-playa-dorada

Address: Calle El Castillo 1 - Urbanización Castillo del Áquila

Phone: 00 34 928 519 185

Site on the Web: www.hotelvolcanlanzarote.com

Address: Urbanización Las Coloradas

Phone: 00 34 922 970 970

Site on the Web group Dream Place: www.dreamplacehotels.com

The campsite is open from June to September; he then fills with Spanish holidaymakers.

Price: about € 3 for a small tent, or € 5 for a large tent, caravan or motorhome.

Book in advance at telephone number: 00 34 928 173 724

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 13 am to 16 h and 18 h h 30-23. Close on Sunday.

Address: Calle La Laja, 1 - a street parallel to the Promenade.

Phone: 00 34 928 349 691

Address: Avenida Marítima, 77

Phone: 00 34 928 517 965

Site on the Web: www.casapedroplayablanca.com

Address: Calle Palangre, 1

Site on the Web: www.restaurantecasabrigida.com