Let's get straight to it, no messing about: you can visit Lanzarote any month of the year. There's no bad season. The island lives in an eternal spring where temperatures rarely drop below 18°C in winter or climb above 29°C in summer, and where it rains so little that a good year is measured in litres.

But that doesn't mean it makes no difference when you come. It means the right question isn't "when's the weather good", but "what are you coming to do". Because the sea isn't the same in March as it is in September, the wind doesn't blow the same in August as it does in November, and prices in January bear no resemblance to those in May.

Here's Lanzarote's climate month by month, and an honest answer to what the best time for you really is.

Volcanic coastline at El Golfo with waves crashing against lava cliffs
Volcanic coastline at El Golfo with waves crashing against lava cliffs

Lanzarote's climate month by month

Rough averages. The island has microclimates: the north (Haría, Famara) is cooler, greener and windier; the south (Playa Blanca, Papagayo) is drier, warmer and more sheltered.

Month Max. Min. Sea What it's like


January~21°C~14°C~19°CWinter sunshine. The odd shower. Packed with Europeans.February~21°C~14°C~18°CSame again, plus Carnival. The sea, at its coldest.March~22°C~15°C~19°CDays start stretching out. Possible calima (Saharan dust haze).April~23°C~15°C~19°CGreat for walking. Watch out for Easter week (Semana Santa).May~24°C~17°C~20°COne of the best months. Gentle heat, few crowds.June~26°C~18°C~21°CVery good. The alisio (trade wind) starts to build.July~28°C~20°C~22°CHeat and strong wind. Grape harvest time.August~28°C~21°C~23°CThe busiest, windiest month. Festival season.September~28°C~21°C~24°CThe sea at its best. Our favourite.October~26°C~19°C~23°CLate summer without the crowds. Just right.November~24°C~17°C~22°CThe secret month: warm sea, low prices.December~22°C~15°C~20°CSunshine at Christmas. Demand goes through the roof.

What jumps out straight away

there are only seven degrees between the coldest month and the warmest. That's it. Winter as you know it simply doesn't exist here.

The four things that really decide your month

1. Sea temperature (not air temperature)

Here's the classic mistake. In February and March you get a glorious 22°C day… and the sea is sitting at 18°C. You can swim, but you'll pull a face going in.

Lanzarote's sea lags behind the air: it isn't at its best in August, but in September and October, once it's soaked up the whole summer's heat. If you're coming to swim, come between June and November. If you're here for anything else, the sea temperature won't matter to you.

2. The wind (the factor nobody tells you about)

The alisio blows almost non-stop, and it's exactly what stops the heat here from ever becoming unbearable. It's the island's natural air conditioning, and a real blessing.

But in July and August it really picks up. On the north coast and in Famara it can turn a beach day into a full sand-exfoliation session. That's why surfers adore this island, while sun-worshippers head for the sheltered coves in the south (Papagayo, Playa Blanca) during those months.

The best beaches in Lanzarote

3. Calima

A couple of times a year, dust blows in from the Sahara: the sky turns yellowish, the temperature rises, visibility drops and your car ends up coated overnight. It's most common between January and April, though it can happen at any time.

It won't ruin your trip, but it will ruin one particular day. If you get caught in a calima: forget the Mirador del Río (you won't see a thing) and switch to plans that are indoors or underground — Cueva de los Verdes, the wineries of La Geria, the Centro de Visitantes de Mancha Blanca (visitor centre).

4. The crowds (and the prices)

This is the factor that will change your trip the most:

  1. High season: December to March (Europeans fleeing the cold) and July–August (families). Plus Easter week.
  2. Low/mid season: May, June, September, October, November.

Notice the paradox: winter is high season here, the exact opposite of mainland Spain. Lanzarote fills up in January with people in short sleeves.

So, what's the best time for you?

If you're coming for… Go in…


Swimming and beachesSeptember and October. Sea at 23-24°C and fewer crowds than in August.Escaping the European coldDecember to March. 21°C and sunshine while your home city sits at 4°C.Hiking and volcanoesNovember to April. Walking across lava fields in August is a bad idea.Spending lessMay, June and November. Flights and accommodation prices plummet.Avoiding crowdsMay, June, October and November.SurfingOctober to March, when the best swells hit Famara.Wine and harvestLate July and August: Europe's earliest grape harvest.The perfect balanceMay, October and November. If you force us to pick just one: October.

Lanzarote out of season: why visit in winterBudget for a week in Lanzarote

The calendar: what happens each month

Dates change every year: check the current year's calendar before planning your trip.

  1. January: pruning season in La Geria and the fiestas of San Antonio Abad, deeply rooted in rural Lanzarote life.
  2. February–March: Carnival, led by Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen. One of the most fun times of the year.
  3. May: the island fills up with triathletes and cyclists. If that's not your thing, you'll barely notice; if it is, you already know.
  4. June: San Juan night, with bonfires on the beaches.
  5. July–August: the grape harvest and the Fiesta de la Vendimia in La Geria, with grape-treading and tastings. Wineries and wines of La Geria »
  6. August: the fiestas of San Ginés, patron saint of Arrecife. The capital is transformed.
  7. September: the romería (pilgrimage-festival) of Los Dolores (Mancha Blanca), the island's biggest popular celebration — born, fittingly, from the promise made when the lava finally stopped.
  8. Autumn–winter: music, art and cultural events, like the Lava Live Festival, which we've already covered on the blog.
  9. All year round, every Sunday: the Teguise market. Teguise and its market »

Frequently asked questions

What's the best month to visit Lanzarote?
October, if you make us pick just one: the sea is at its best, the heat is comfortable rather than intense, there are fewer crowds than in summer and prices are reasonable. May is its twin, though the sea is a touch cooler.
When is the sea warmest in Lanzarote?
In September and October, around 23-24°C. It drops to about 18°C in February and March.
Can you visit Lanzarote in winter?
Yes, and in fact it's high season: an average of 21°C, sunshine almost guaranteed, and an island full of Europeans in short sleeves in the middle of January. The only catch is that the sea is on the cool side.
Does it rain a lot in Lanzarote?
No. It rains very little, and almost always between November and February, in the form of quick showers that pass fast. A full day of rain is a genuine anomaly.
What is calima and when does it happen?
Suspended dust that blows in from the Sahara. It raises the temperature, turns the sky yellowish and cuts visibility. It's most common from January to April, and usually lasts a few days.
When are the crowds smallest?
May, June, October and November. Avoid Christmas, Easter week and August if you're after a quiet trip.
Is it very windy?
The alisio blows almost constantly, which is exactly why the heat stays bearable. It picks up in July and August, especially in the north and in Famara.

Lanzarote is one of the few places in Europe where the question "when should I go?" has an open answer. There's no month when the island shuts down, dims or turns gloomy. There are months for swimming and months for walking, months for the grape harvest and months for stealing sunshine from winter. Pick yours and come: the volcanoes have been waiting three hundred years, and they're in no hurry.

Already know when you're going? Here's the 3-day itinerary, ready to copy.