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Workation in Lanzarote

I love the Canary Islands, as a tourist there are loads of things to do here from Climbing Mount Teide (the highest mountain in Spain, no less) to simply chilling on the endless beaches across the islands. But more than that, with the rise of digital nomadism, it offers something even better. The opportunity for a workation in Lanzarote.

What is a workation?

There have been whispers of ‘workations’ for about 10 years now. I started blogging full-time way back in 2010, on my Cape Town to Cairo overland trip, and once I started making money as a blogger, I was essentially free to work anywhere with an internet connection.

This movement grew and grew. With places like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Bali, and Tiblisi forming digital nomad hotspots. Then COVID struck and WFH became an acronym. ‘Working from home’. Except ‘home’ doesn’t have to be home, now does it. If you’re capable of working from a laptop, and checking in on a video call, then the world (COVID-permitting of course) is once again your oyster. And so the workation is now part of common-day lexicon. Bored of working from home? Hit up Lisbon, or Copenhagen, or Rio and work from there for a bit. Me? I’ve been on a workation in Lanzarote for 3 weeks now. And it’s been wonderful.

Workation in Lanzarote?

I flew to the Lanzarote for my expedition rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, and I knew we’d be here for a few weeks. So rather than fly straight to the Canary Islands and start rowing to Antigua, I thought I’d fly in a few works early and workation in Lanzarote and soak up the Canary Islands atmosphere and the winter sun.

Where to stay during your Workation

Lanzarote isn’t a huge island, it would only take a couple of hours to drive across the entire island. That being said, ideally you want to be in a bit of a hub if you’re here to work. Access to restaurants, coffee shops, possibilities to shop, and all without the headache of having to get from A to B. For that reason, both in Lanzarote and any workation I do, I never choose villas in the middle of nowhere. Sure they’re great value when on holiday with friends, but when you’re working, you need to be more central.

Arrecife

Holidaymakers generally don’t stay in Arrecife, but for my money, it’s the best spot for digital nomads in Lanzarote. I’ve ‘worked from home’ in 3 places in Lanzarote now, and Arrecife was my favourite. Hands down.

Why? It’s the genuine heartbeat of Lanzarote. And the Capital of the island. Real life is going on here, with or without tourists.

Where To Stay

You want to be downtown Arrecife. Ideally on the waterfront. And ideally 2 minutes from the beach. At least that was our thinking. With that I organised Habitat Avenida for my first workation in Lanzarote. Rooms start around $100 a night. And with that you get super fast wifi, a brand-new apartment complete with a rooftop terrace and you’re right on the beach. It was great, and a bit of a heartbreaker to leave to be honest!

Where To Work

Of course, you can work at Habitat Avenida, but sometimes I need to get out of my apartment to focus on work. Lanzarote doesn’t go in for the franchised coffee shops like Starbucks or Costa, so that’s a no-go.

There were 2 coworking space in Arrecife. One has now closed due to lack of use, which is tragic as Lanzarote is such a great spot for a workation. But a new one here is open. So that’s great for digital nomads. I’m sure in months and years to come there’ll be more than enough demand for it to return.

In the meantime though, your best bet to work is any of the coffee shops along the main promenade, they all have WiFi. Or the little hotspot of cafes and bars between Castillo de San Gabriel and Arrecife bahía. They are spectacular spots though, so try to avoid the people watching and the gorgeous architecture and focus on your work!

Where to Eat

The BEST restaurant in Arrecife is a beautiful little place called ‘The V Factor’ – it’s actually just a 5 minute walk behind our apartment in Lanzarote. La Minorca Cafe is a great spot for afternoon, or weekend beers. As are all the restaurants overlooking Playa Del Reducto.

Puerto Del Carmen

Puerto Del Carmen is the main tourist hotspot on the whole of Lanzarote island. It’s the place where you’ll find the main beaches, and the most tourists. If you prefer a faster pace of life during your workation in Lanzarote, then this is the place for you. Active nightlife, constant flows of people, food from every corner of our planet and ample places to hunker down and work (just don’t expect much quiet time!).

Where To Stay

As a tourist, Suite Hotel Fariones is your best bet. But we were here to work, so after we left Arrecife, we moved to Apartamentos Fariones. Same owners, but a much cheaper price, and the place is complete with a living/working area, kitchen area, and a twin set-up to mitigate costs.

Places to Work

I spent a lot of time working in Apartamentos Fariones to be honest. Because Puerto Del Carmen is such a hot-spot, it’s a super fun place to be based, then working within your apartment may be the best bet. For me, as soon as I’m around that fun energy, I get dragged into the atmosphere and my work takes second place!

Other nice spots to work though are Cafe Berlin Lanzarote, Cafe Parisienne and Dosmil Market Cafe.

There are HUNDREDS of restaurants in Puerto Del Carmen, and I mean HUNDREDS! The entire front-water strip is packed neck-to-neck with bars and restaurants. Knock yourself out.

Playa Blanca

It’s a great spot for a digital nomad. It’s quieter than Puerto Del Carmen, and a little higher end (which also means higher prices too, so beware).

Where To Stay

There aren’t any long-stay places, so AirBnB is your best bet.

Where To Work

Cappuccino Grand Cafe, Bar Terraza and Cafe Contin. All 3 have super strong WiFi, they don’t mind you hanging around on your laptop and their coffees are amazing.

Where to Eat

At the Marina Rubicon. Simple as that. It holds a place dear to my heart because it’s the place I started my trans-atlantic row, but aside from that there are endless restaurants, bars and cafes. And the views of the marina, the ocean, the people and the boats are all beautiful. Great vibes.

Other places to base yourself on the island?

Puerto Calero 

The 3rd place I set up was Puerto Calero. Located on the south coast of Lanzarote, Puerto Calero always seems to be bathed in warm sunshine. It is a beautifully designed private marina, with good restaurants, good places to walk, catamaran sailing with Catlanza. You can get there by car, lots of parking, by local bus, or you can walk from Puerto del Carmen.

Things to do in Lanzarote during your Workation

There are so many things to do in lanzarote! But when you’re hear, even if you’re here for a workation, make sure you find time for the following:

• Check out Puerto Calero and it’s beautiful marina for lunch (at Natural Nada Mas – AMAZING but closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
• Party in Puerto Del Carmen at least once
• Timanfaya National Park and theMontanas Del Fuego (the mountains of fire). The landscape is like something from another planet!
• Jameos del Agua – a famous volcanic tunnel restaurant
• Mirador del Rio view point
• And then the beaches, sunbathing, surfing, and scuba-diving are all awesome in Lanzarote.

Final thoughts on a workation in Lanzarote

It’s the new kid on the block. Lesss than $50 to fly to, sunshine all year round, cheap prices, beautiful beaches and friendly locals. I can see Lanzarote blowing up with the ‘working from home’ crowd in the upcoming years, so get ahead of the curve. It’s brilliant.

Personally, I prefer to base myself in Arrecife. The hub of the city. But if you want the tourist buzz, then Puerto del Carmen is a great choice. And then for the quieter, higher-end life perhaps Playa Blanca or Puerto Calero.

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