In short
Lanzarote: ships berth at Arrecife, mostly at the Los Mármoles quay 3–4 km from the centre, with a shuttle into town; some use the closer Naos terminal, a 15–20-minute walk. Four hours covers Arrecife, or Manrique's house and Jameos del Agua; Timanfaya takes a full day and timed online tickets. Canary time is one hour behind the Netherlands.
Where do cruise ships berth in Lanzarote, and how do you get into Arrecife?
In the port of Arrecife, the island's small capital, on the east coast. Most ships, and all the large ones, tie up at the Los Mármoles cruise quay, 3–4 km north-east of the centre; from there a shuttle usually runs into town. Some ships use the new Naos terminal by Marina Lanzarote instead, a 15–20-minute walk from the centre. There are no tenders.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where the ship berths | Port of Arrecife. Los Mármoles is the long cruise quay in the commercial port, with a terminal opened in 2025 that can handle three ships at once. Naos is the new terminal at the mouth of Puerto Naos, next to Marina Lanzarote, and is used less often. Your berth is in the daily programme. |
| Into town from Los Mármoles | A shuttle usually runs to the edge of the centre — Marina Lanzarote or the Charco de San Ginés lagoon — in 10–15 minutes; whether it is included depends on your cruise line. On foot it takes 40–60 minutes along busy roads with no shade. Taxis wait at the terminal. |
| Into town from Naos | 15–20 minutes on foot past Marina Lanzarote to the Charco de San Ginés; the seafront and the Castillo de San Gabriel are about 10 minutes further. |
| Typical call | Usually 7–10 hours. Most calls are from October to April, when the Canaries are a winter-sun route; some ships call year-round. Exact times are in the daily programme. |
| Time, money and language | Canary Islands time — the same as London and Lisbon, and one hour behind the Netherlands, Belgium and mainland Spain. Euro; cards are taken almost everywhere, but intercity buses often want cash for a single ticket. Spanish; English is spoken at the main sights. |
| Documents | The Canary Islands are Spain — EU and Schengen. If the ship comes from a Schengen port (another island or Madeira), there is usually no separate check; if it comes from Morocco or elsewhere outside Schengen, checks take place on board or at the port. Carry the document your cruise line asks for (what to check). |
| All aboard | Usually 30–60 minutes before departure. From the centre back to Los Mármoles, allow for the queue at the shuttle stop; from Timanfaya or the north of the island, the drive alone is 40–50 minutes. |
What can you fit into a day in port in Lanzarote?
Arrecife itself is small: its lagoon, the seafront and a fort on an islet fill 2–3 hours. Lanzarote's real sights — the Timanfaya volcanoes and César Manrique's works built into the lava — are 20–50 minutes away by road. For those you need a taxi, a hire car or a ship's excursion: no public bus goes to Timanfaya.
Arrecife on foot
Start at the Charco de San Ginés, a tidal lagoon in the old fishermen's quarter, ringed by white houses and cafés, with San Ginés, the town's main church, just behind. Then follow the seafront and cross the Puente de las Bolas, a little drawbridge with stone balls on its pillars, to the 16th-century Castillo de San Gabriel on its islet, home to a small history museum. The shopping street, Calle León y Castillo, leads back to the water. The town beach, El Reducto, is 15 minutes west; check the signs before swimming, as bathing there has been restricted at times.
César Manrique: his house and Jameos del Agua
César Manrique (1919–1992), the artist and architect behind the look of modern Lanzarote, built his home at Tahíche inside five volcanic bubbles in a lava field. It is now the César Manrique Foundation, about 15 minutes from Arrecife by taxi. From there it is about 30 minutes north to the Jameos del Agua, a collapsed lava tube he turned into gardens, a white pool and a concert hall, with an underground lake where tiny blind white crabs live. Next door, the Cueva de los Verdes is a guided walk through the same lava tube; its tickets are sold online only, for a set time.
Timanfaya and La Geria
The Montañas del Fuego in Timanfaya National Park are about 40 minutes from the port. The lava fields come from the eruptions of 1730–1736, and a few metres down the ground is still hundreds of degrees hot. You cannot walk or drive around the park yourself: from Islote de Hilario a park coach runs the 35-minute Ruta de los Volcanes, and staff show how water poured into a pipe in the ground shoots back out as steam. Tickets are sold online only, for a set time. On the way back, stop in La Geria, where vines grow in hollows dug into black volcanic ash, each sheltered by a low half-moon stone wall; the El Grifo winery has a small wine museum.
Mirador del Río and Teguise
At the island's northern tip, Manrique's Mirador del Río is built into a cliff 475 metres above the strait, about 50 minutes from Arrecife. From its windows and terraces you look straight down on the island of La Graciosa. On the way, stop in Teguise, Lanzarote's old capital, with cobbled streets and white houses. On Sundays a big market fills the old town, and the roads around it are busier.
Places on the map
The places from this guide, ready for your phone. The numbers on the map match the list. “Map” opens Google Maps; “Walk from the pier” shows the walking route from where ships usually dock.
Map images are loaded from OpenStreetMap servers. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
- ⚓Cruise pierMap
- 1Charco de San GinésMapWalk from the pier
- 2Castillo de San GabrielMapWalk from the pier
- 3Castillo de San José (MIAC)MapWalk from the pier
- 4César Manrique FoundationMap
- 5Jameos del AguaMap
- 6Mirador del RíoMap
- 7Timanfaya: Montañas del FuegoMap
- 8La Geria: El Grifo wineryMap
- ⏱Will I make it back?Plan your day here by the minutePlan →
- 🧭On your own or a ship excursion?Check what you can see here without a tourCheck →
Which pier your ship uses depends on the day: check the daily programme.
Los Mármoles or Naos — and what should you book before going ashore?
Your berth shapes the first and last half hour of the day; tickets shape the rest. Lanzarote's volcano and Manrique sites belong to the island council's network of art, culture and tourism centres (CACT), and two of them only let you in with a timed online ticket.
- Los Mármoles. Where most ships berth: a long quay in the commercial port, north-east of the centre beyond the Castillo de San José. The walk into town is long and exposed, so take the shuttle or a taxi — and in the late afternoon expect a queue at the shuttle stop.
- Naos. The closer terminal, at the mouth of Puerto Naos next to Marina Lanzarote. From here you walk into town in 15–20 minutes along the marina; 10–15 minutes the other way is the Castillo de San José, a fort Manrique turned into the museum of contemporary art, MIAC.
- Timed tickets. The Montañas del Fuego in Timanfaya and the Cueva de los Verdes sell tickets online only, for a specific date and time. For the Jameos del Agua, the Mirador del Río and the Jardín de Cactus, buying ahead saves queuing too. Pick a slot that leaves at least two hours before all aboard.
- The queue into Timanfaya. Between the park entrance and Islote de Hilario you must stay in your vehicle, and at busy times cars and taxis queue on this road. Go early in the morning if you can.
On your own or on a ship's excursion?
Arrecife is easy on your own: the shuttle or a short walk brings you into town, and everything in the centre is walkable. For the rest of the island you need wheels. Taxis wait at the terminal, and many drivers offer half-day or full-day island tours — agree the route and the return time before you get in. A hire car works too, but the car parks at Timanfaya and the Jameos del Agua fill up quickly on busy days.
A ship's excursion makes more sense for Timanfaya on a short call: it is the longest drive of the day, and the organisers handle the park tickets. It also suits you if you want Timanfaya with La Geria or the north of the island in one go. The ship generally waits for its own excursions if they run late — it does not wait for independent passengers.
How do you make sure you are back on board in Lanzarote?
- Check the time. The Canaries are one hour behind the Netherlands, Belgium and mainland Spain. Your phone usually switches on its own; your watch does not. The daily programme says which time the ship keeps.
- Remember your terminal. Los Mármoles and Naos are different places, and a taxi driver needs the exact name.
- Timanfaya is further than it looks. About 40 minutes each way, plus the queue at the entrance and your ticket time. Plan to be back with at least an hour to spare.
- Agree the return with your taxi. On a half-day taxi tour, tell the driver when you need to be at the terminal — with half an hour in hand before all aboard.
- What to take. Your cruise card, the document your cruise line asked for, sun cream and a hat — the sun is strong even in winter, and there is no shade on the lava fields — a windproof layer for the Mirador del Río, comfortable shoes for the cave, some cash for buses and small bars, and a phone with the ship's emergency number.
Where do cruises calling at Lanzarote start?
Lanzarote is a port of call: ships stop here for the day on Canary Islands cruises, on longer sailings from northern Europe to the Atlantic islands and on transatlantic crossings, and you board in another port. Departure ports:
- Cruises from Tenerife — week-long Canary Islands cruises, usually calling at Lanzarote.
- Cruises from Gran Canaria — the same island circuits, starting on the neighbouring island.
- Cruises from Southampton — 10–14-night Canaries and Madeira sailings in autumn and winter.
- Cruises from Lisbon — the Canaries and Madeira in autumn and winter, and Atlantic crossings in November.
- Tenerife or Gran Canaria? — which island to start a winter cruise from.
Often on the same itinerary: Tenerife in a day, Gran Canaria in a day, Fuerteventura in a day, La Palma in a day and Funchal in a day.
Common questions
Where do cruise ships dock in Lanzarote?
In the port of Arrecife, the island's capital. Most ships berth at the Los Mármoles cruise quay, 3–4 km north-east of the centre, where a shuttle usually runs into town; some use the closer Naos terminal next to Marina Lanzarote. There are no tenders. Your berth is in the daily programme.
Can you walk from the Lanzarote cruise port into Arrecife?
From the Naos terminal, yes: 15–20 minutes past Marina Lanzarote to the Charco de San Ginés. From Los Mármoles the walk takes 40–60 minutes along busy roads with no shade, so most passengers take the shuttle or a taxi, about 10–15 minutes.
Can you visit Timanfaya on your own from the ship?
Yes, by taxi or hire car — there is no public bus. It is about 40 minutes each way. Inside the park you cannot walk or drive around on your own: a park coach runs the Ruta de los Volcanes from Islote de Hilario. Tickets for the Montañas del Fuego are sold online only, for a set time, so book before your call.
What can I see in Lanzarote in 4 hours from a cruise ship?
In 4 hours you can walk Arrecife: the Charco de San Ginés lagoon, the seafront and the Castillo de San Gabriel. Or take a taxi to the César Manrique Foundation and the Jameos del Agua. Keep Timanfaya for a call of 7 hours or more.
What time zone is Lanzarote in?
Canary Islands time: the same as London and Lisbon, and one hour behind the Netherlands, Belgium and mainland Spain. If you joined the ship in another time zone, check your watch and confirm in the daily programme which time the all-aboard refers to.
Do I need my passport to go ashore in Lanzarote?
The Canary Islands are Spain — EU and Schengen. If the ship comes from a Schengen port, there is usually no separate passport check; if it comes from Morocco or elsewhere outside Schengen, checks take place on board or at the port. Take ashore the document your cruise line asks for.
How the club fits in
Cruises calling at Lanzarote that are available in the club work on the same terms as any other route. You choose one way to pay per booking: the member price (INsider Pricing), roughly 17% below the listed price, or your Reward Points, which can cover up to half of the cruise price. They do not add up. To pay up to 100% with points, you need to have accumulated enough points and book 270 days or more before departure.
Not every cruise line can be booked through the club: check the specific sailing in the club's search, or ask us and we will tell you which itineraries calling at Lanzarote are available in the month you have in mind.
How booking with points works →
Practical port information is summarised from public sources as of October 2026: berths, call times, timetables, entry rules and visiting arrangements may change. Before you travel, check the ship's daily programme and the requirements for your passport. Percentages describe the club's rules and are indicative. Reislite is an independent information site run by partners, not a website of inCruises.