Playa Blanca (Spanish for "White Beach") is the southernmost town of the Spanish island of Lanzarote. It is the newest resort on the island, and is part of the municipality of Yaiza.
Approximately a 40-minute drive (45km) from the airport, it has a state school, a private school (teaching the English educational curriculum),[1][2] a notary, the bustling Rubicon Marina, church, harbour with ferries to Corralejo on the northern tip of Fuerteventura and an industrial area on the entrance to the town. A public library was opened in April 2012.
The bus and coach station ("Estacion de Guaguas") is the northern edge of the commercial area of the town, at the corner of Av. de las Canarias and Calle los Calamares. Direct or connecting services are available from here to all parts of the island. The building is also the location of the local police station and the local government administration (Ayuntamiento).
In early October 2008, Playa Blanca became the first town on the Island to have a dedicated local bus service,[3] rather than through buses only. The price is a flat-rate €1.30 per journey for an adult, regardless of distance traveled around the town. The route follows a continuous loop from Faro Park in the west of the town, to Las Coloradas in the east. Frequency is every half an hour throughout the day and evening.
The coastline around Playa Blanca is essentially one large 9 kilometre wide bay which is then broken up into three smaller, but still large, bays. From East to west these are Playa Dorada, Playa Blanca and Playa Flamingo. This basic geography means that the beaches in and around Playa Blanca are sheltered and ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
The Atlantic Ocean is to the east, west and south. From the inland edge of the town to the interior, the landscape is level and volcanic. The main road route to Playa Blanca is the LZ2, heading north from the town then eastwards to the capital Arrecife. The second significant road route is the LZ 702 mountain road heading north-east from Playa Blanca via Maciot and Femés, connecting to the LZ72 at an interchange near Uga.
Marina Rubicon, one of the biggest ports on the Canary Islands, is situated about a 15-minute promenade walk from the town itself. It has 550 berths with finger system for monohull and multihull boats of up to 50 meters, in addition to an area for large length on the dock (up to 90 m) and a courtesy dinghy-dock located in anteport. All berths have turrets with water and electricity. The floating boarding pontoons have an aluminium structure, covered in tropical wood and anchored using berthing dolphins. It has markets twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays (both in the morning). The goods sold range from handcrafted gifts to local wines.[4]
Two hundred meters to the east of Marina Rubicon, Castillo de las Coloradas stands on the headland of Punta del Aquila. This watchtower was built between 1741 and 1744. It offered good protection through its robust circular construction and through its drawbridge. Its bell was sounded to warn that pirates were approaching the coast.
The Underwater Museum
The Atlantic Museum is an underwater museum located off the coast of Playa Blanca. The museum was designed by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor and opened in 2016. The museum consists of a collection of over 300 life-size sculptures, most of which are located at depths of 12 to 15 meters underneath the water. The sculptures are made from pH-neutral materials that are environmentally friendly and designed to encourage the growth of marine life. The sculptures are spread out over an area of 2500 square meters and are set in a variety of positions and poses, representing scenes from everyday life as well as social and political issues. Some of the sculptures include a woman taking a selfie, a group of people taking a group photo, a man in a suit sitting at a desk with his head buried in the sand, and a group of children holding hands in a circle. The aim of the museum is to create a unique and sustainable way of engaging tourists and locals with the underwater environment and to provide a new habitat for marine life.
By creating an underwater gallery, the museum contributes to the protection and conservation of the marine ecosystem through oceanic art. To access the museum, visitors can take a guided diving or snorkeling tour led by experienced instructors, allowing them to explore the collection of sculptures firsthand. The underwater museum is also visible from a glass-bottom boat, offering a unique perspective for those who do not wish to dive. The Atlantic Museum has received international recognition for its unique concept and innovative approach to marine conservation. It has been featured in numerous publications and is considered one of the top attractions in Lanzarote.
Beaches
Playa Blanca bay
In the centre of the town is a small beach called Playa Blanca (White Beach). It is a mix of sand and rocks, and is the quietest of the resort's 3 main beaches. There are lifeguards here. In the evening, there are groups practising Canarian Wrestling (children).
Half an hour's walk to the west of the town along the sea-front walkway, is the Playa Flamingo beach. Although it is outside of the town centre, there are still a number of shops and restaurants. This is the nearest sandy beach to the newer developments around Montaña Roja and the lighthouse at Pechiguera, such as Faro Park, Carlos Park and Shangrila Park. Playa Flamingo was virtually destroyed in November 2005, during Tropical Storm Delta. The sea wall was eventually rebuilt in early 2011. There are no lifeguards on this beach.
Playa Dorada is literally translated as The Golden Beach, and is to the east of the town centre. The sea around Playa Dorada is generally very calm because it is encased within a manmade cove. It is a 10-minute walk from the centre of Playa Blanca and is well served by shops and cafes att Centro Comercial Papagayo behind it. This is the most popular beach in Playa Blanca for enjoying water based activities. Banana boats, pedalos and parascending are available here. There are lifeguards on this beach
Perhaps the most well known of all the beaches around Playa Blanca are the Papagayo coves. In reality this is a collection of smaller beaches that are separated by high cliffs, forming a number of sheltered bays. This area has been protected and is now a national park which can be accessed by a rather bumpy dirt road. There is a small fee for all cars entering of €3 (price correct of 2023). The coves can also be accessed on foot, via Los Coloradas. Signs point from next to the Papagayo Arena hotel, traversing over a sandy path down to the first of the coves.
Ferries to Fuerteventura
There are three ferry lines to choose from in which to make the journey. Firstly there is the Fred. Olsen Express ferry, called the 'Bocayna Express' which makes the trip in 20 minutes. The second ferry is the Naviera Armas, called the 'Volcan de Tindaya', which makes 7 daily crossings each way, each one being of 35 minutes duration. The third is the 'Princesa Ico Glass Bottomed Boat'.
There has been emotive local discussion for some time about enlarging the harbour to allow it to take larger cruise liners such as the Queen Elizabeth 2 which has visited the port, but which had to moor just off the coast.
Surrounding area
Ajache Grande
Playa Blanca is overlooked by the dormant volcano Montana Roja. The walk up to and around the rim of the mountain is not too difficult and there are views over Playa Blanca, to the North of the island and across to Fuerteventura. Within the crater itself, many people have arranged rocks into names and messages.
To the north and east of Playa Blanca, there is a protected area named Los Ajaches. It is a triangular area of some 3,000 hectares bounded by: the mountain village of Femés, the small coastal fishing village of Playa Quemada and the Papagayo beaches. The highest point is the Ajache Grande (aka Hacha Grande) at 562 metres, which affords views of the whole island and also of Fuerteventura. There are defined paths when entering the area from Femés. The walk to the ridge start from a track to the south-east of Femés. Los Ajaches was declared "Natural space" of the Canaries on June 19, 1987. The volcanic landscape of Los Ajaches has an impressive beauty. It includes areas of scientific interest with the presence of fossils of the Pliocene period.
Just a 20-minute drive north of Playa Blanca is El Golfo. The beach at El Golfo is within a half-submerged cone of a volcano, which over time has been eroded by the sea, leaving behind only the striated wall of the crater. At the foot of the crater wall is Lago Verde, a half-moon-shaped lagoon of a striking green colour, said to be caused by the volcanic minerals and micro-organisms that are believed to be unique in this lake. The beach itself is made of black volcanic pebbles spattered with fragments of the semi-precious olivine. The scenery is further enhanced by the large finger of rock which sits just off the beach and causes the sea to crash around it. This was used as a filming location for the 1966 adventure film One Million Years B.C.
The lagoon is adjacent to El Golfo village, separated only by a steep cliff with loose scree. El Golfo’s fish restaurants are plentiful and serve a selection of fresh fish and meat dishes.
About 8km north of Playa Blanca is the Laguna de Janubio, a large, saltwater lagoon, location of the Salinas de Janubio, the commercial salt works only still operating on the island. At its height the Salinas produced around 10,000 tons of sea salt per year, with the water originally being pumped into the lagoon by wind power, which has been replaced by electrically driven pumps.
The main part of the salt production was used in the fish industry for preservation and processing but with the invention of the refrigerator, the production decreased considerably and reaches around 2,000 tons per annum today. A small part of the production is still sold as high quality table salt. Each year, during the Corpus Christi festival in June, tons of dyed salt are traditionally used in the creation of magnificent decorations in the streets and squares of Arrecife, the capital.
Weather
The sun shines 300 days per year in Playa Blanca. It is located east of the Canary Islands, closest to Africa, with little rainfall and an average annual temperature of around 21°C.
Because Playa Blanca lacks high mountains, there are few clouds to provide a natural barrier, resulting in lower evaporation and a more manageable humidity level.
Rain is extremely rare, resulting in a dry climate with an average of 16 days of rain per year, most of which falls between December and February.
Lanzarote's coldest month is February, with an average high temperature of 18.2°C and a low temperature of 16.6°C.
The windiest months in Lanzarote are July and August, followed by April and June. In September, the winds usually die down a little. During the summer, daytime temperatures rarely rise above 32°C. Playa Blanca also has little wind because it is protected by a cove.[5]
The Canary Islands, also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are 100 kilometres west of Morocco and the Western Sahara. They are the southernmost of the autonomous communities of Spain. The islands have a population of 2.2 million people and are the most populous special territory of the European Union.
Fuerteventura is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, geographically part of Macaronesia, and politically part of Spain. It is located 97 km (60 mi) away from the coast of North Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 2009.It is ruled by democratic party. Current mayor : Andreeas Istrate
Lanzarote is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 125 kilometres off the north coast of Africa and 1,000 kilometres from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.92 square kilometres, Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the islands in the archipelago. With 158,798 inhabitants at the start of 2023, it is the third most populous Canary Island, after Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Located in the centre-west of the island is Timanfaya National Park, one of its main attractions. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1993. The island's capital is Arrecife, which lies on the eastern coastline. It is the smaller main island of the Province of Las Palmas.
Yaiza is a municipality on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Spain. It lies in the southwest of the island and forms part of the province of Las Palmas. The municipality is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, south and east. To the north, the Timanfaya National Park is partly within the municipality. The eastern part of the municipality is mountainous and, south west of the mountains, the Rubicon plain stretches to the coast.
Arrecife is the capital city and a municipality of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It was made the island's capital in 1852. The city owes its name to the rock reef which covers its local beach. It also gives its name to the nearby Arrecife Airport. The population of the municipality was 64,645 in 2020. Its area is 22.72 square kilometres (8.77 sq mi).
Puerto del Carmen is the main tourist town on the island of Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain. It is part of the municipality of Tías. Most of Lanzarote's over 1 million visitors per year choose this town as their destination. As a result, almost all of the town's economy revolves around tourism.
Lobos is a small island of the Canary Islands (Spain) located just 2 kilometres north of the island of Fuerteventura. It belongs to the municipality of La Oliva on the island of Fuerteventura. It has an area of 4.68 square kilometres (1.8 sq mi). It has been a nature reserve since 1982.
Yaiza is a small town in the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Spain. It lies in the southwest of the island. The population in 2012 was 857. The town gives its name to the municipality of Yaiza, although it is much smaller than the largest settlement in the municipality, Playa Blanca.
Hacha Grande is a mountain on the Canary Island of Lanzarote, with an elevation of 562 m (1844 ft) above sea level. Its name is Spanish meaning Large Axe.
Corralejo is a town and resort located on the northern tip of Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands, facing the smaller islet of Lobos. It is in the municipality of La Oliva.
LZ-2 is one of the main roads on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It leads south from the island's capital, Arrecife, ending at the island's southernmost town of Playa Blanca. From here, ferries are available to cross the strait of La Bocayna, effectively connecting the LZ-2 to the FV-1 on the island of Fuerteventura. Lanzarote Airport is also accessed by the LZ-2.
Tourism is an essential part of the economy of the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean, 100 kilometres west of Morocco. Seven main islands and six islets make up the Canary Islands. They had 16 million visitors in 2023. Tourists seeking sunshine and beaches first began to visit the Canaries in large numbers in the 1960s. The Canary Islands are a leading European tourist destination with very attractive natural and cultural resources.
Charco del Palo is a naturist holiday village on the north-eastern coast of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands. The village was established around 1970 by the German entrepreneur Gregor Kaiser. In due course, it has developed into a popular naturist resort. It was the first official naturist resort established in the Canaries: nudity is permitted everywhere in the village, and practised universally. Its isolated location, at the end of a dedicated three kilometer long access road, helps to achieve privacy, while the village remains open to all. Visitors are mainly German, British, and Dutch. The village's population increased from 82 in the year 2000 to 229 in 2011, it has subsequently declined to 156 in 2013.
El Rubicón is a flat gravel plain located at the southernmost end of the island of Lanzarote in the Yaiza municipality. The plain is to the south of the 'Los Ajaches' range of hills and the lava fields of Timanfaya national park.
The Pechiguera or Punta Pechiguera Lighthouse is an active lighthouse on the Canary island of Lanzarote. It is the second lighthouse to be built at Punta Pechiguera, which is at the south-western end of the island.
La Bocayna or La Bocaina is a sea strait that separates Lanzarote from Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. The island of Lobos is situated on the southern side of the strait, close to Fuerteventura.
Salinas de Janubio are salt flats in Lanzarote of the Canary Islands. It is about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of Playa Blanca. In 1730, lava from volcano eruptions formed the walls of a natural lagoon. The salt flats were first created in 1895. The waters from the natural lagoon are evaporated to yield the salt. The waters of the lagoon were originally pumped in using wind power, but now electric pumps are used. Up to 2,000-15,000 tons of salt per year can be extracted from the salt flats.
Bocayna Express is a catamaran fast ferry operated by the Spanish-Norwegian shipping company Fred. Olsen Express between the Canary Islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote in the Atlantic Ocean. It was delivered to Fred. Olsen in September 2003 and has been operating the route between the towns of Corralejo (Fuerteventura) and Playa Blanca (Lanzarote) since then. The ship is named after the Bocayna strait which separates the two islands it serves.
The geology of the Canary Islands is dominated by volcanic rock. The Canary Islands and some seamounts to the north-east form the Canary Volcanic Province, whose volcanic history started about 70 million years ago. The Canary Islands region is still volcanically active. The most recent volcanic eruption on land occurred in 2021 and the most recent underwater eruption was in 2011-12.
The topographical relief of Spain is characterized by being quite high, with an average altitude of 660 meters above sea level, quite mountainous compared to other European countries and only surpassed by Switzerland, Austria, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and the microstates of Andorra and Liechtenstein. In peninsular Spain, the terrain is articulated around a large Meseta Central that occupies most of the center of the Iberian Peninsula. Outside the plateau, there is the depression of the Guadalquivir river, located in the southwest of the peninsula, and the Ebro river depression, located in the northeast.
↑ "Playa Blanca". Sunpool Villas Lanzarote. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
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