Where can you go snorkeling in Lanzarote?

The best spots are El Jablillo in Costa Teguise (protected bay, ideal for beginners), Playa Chica in Puerto del Carmen (the highest concentration of marine life), the natural pools of Punta Mujeres, Charco del Palo in the north, and the rocky sides of Papagayo coves in the south.

What's the best place for snorkeling with kids?

El Jablillo, in Costa Teguise. It's a shallow lagoon, with sandy entry, protected by a rock barrier and almost no current. The natural pools of Punta Mujeres at low tide also work very well with children.

What is the water temperature in Lanzarote?

Between 18 ºC in February and March and 24 ºC in September and October. In winter, a thin 3mm wetsuit is welcome if you plan to be in the water for more than 30 minutes; in autumn, you can swim without a wetsuit without a problem.

What fish can you see while snorkeling in Lanzarote?

The most common are black fulas, salemas, sargos, parrotfish, green wrasse, and boga. With some luck, octopuses, cuttlefish, moray eels, and sand rays appear. In winter, it's possible to encounter angel sharks, an emblematic protected species of the Canary Islands.

Is snorkeling in Lanzarote dangerous?

No, if you choose the right place and day. The real risk is currents and waves on exposed coasts like Famara or the north. Always enter protected bays, check sea conditions, swim with company, use a surface buoy, and swim diagonally if you feel a current.

Do I need to bring my own equipment?

All you need is a mask, snorkel, and fins. If you come without anything, our guided sessions include all equipment, including wetsuit. We recommend silicone masks with a good seal: renting cheap gear often results in leaky masks.

How much does a guided snorkelling session in Lanzarote cost?

Our snorkelling and freediving session at the Museo Atlántico costs from €65 per person (minimum 2 people, maximum 6) and includes a certified instructor, mask, snorkel, long fins and wetsuit. The full two-and-a-half-day Level 1 freediving course costs €360.

Which are the best beaches for snorkelling in Lanzarote?

El Jablillo in Costa Teguise, Playa Chica in Puerto del Carmen, Playa Flamingo in Playa Blanca, Caletón Blanco in Órzola, the Papagayo coves, Playa de la Garita in Arrieta and the natural pools of Punta Mujeres. Famara is not suitable for snorkelling because of its swell and currents.

Can you snorkel in Lanzarote in winter?

Yes. The water drops to 18–19 ºC between February and April, so a thin 3 mm wetsuit helps, but visibility is usually excellent and there are many calm days. Winter is also the best season to spot angel sharks.

Can you do guided snorkeling with Benty?

Yes. Our freediving and snorkeling experience in Lanzarote departs from protected waters with a certified instructor, including equipment and very small groups. You learn breathing techniques, basic freediving, and how to read the sea before entering.

Editorial guide

Snorkeling in Lanzarote

Woman snorkeling in crystal clear turquoise water in Lanzarote

Lanzarote hides an underwater landscape as volcanic as its surface: black lava flows, arches, shallow caves, and clear sandbanks where the Atlantic light filters to the bottom. The water is crystal clear most of the year, and visibility can reach 25 meters.

Just a mask and snorkel are enough to discover schools of salemas, black damselfish, impossible-colored parrotfish, octopuses camouflaged among the rocks, and cuttlefish changing their hue before your eyes. The Atlantic here is refreshing — between 18 and 24 ºC depending on the season — and that touch of coolness is precisely what makes you exit the water feeling energized.

But it's open water: the trade winds and tides generate currents that must be respected. In this guide, we tell you the best spots on the island, when to go in, what you'll see, and how to do it safely.

See guided snorkelling from €65

Why Lanzarote is a snorkeling destination

Water between 18 and 24 ºC all year round

Lanzarote's Atlantic is refreshing, not cold. In winter, it's around 18–19 ºC (better with a thin 3mm wetsuit), and in September and October, it reaches 23–24 ºC, the best time of year for long swims.

Very varied marine life

Sea bream, salemas, sargos, parrotfish, ornate wrasse, octopuses, cuttlefish, moray eels, sand rays, and, in open waters, angel sharks in winter. The rich volcanic and sandy seabeds mean each spot has different fauna.

Visibility up to 25 meters

Without rivers or sediments, the water is crystal clear for much of the year. Visibility mostly depends on the waves of the previous two days, not on rain.

Beware of currents

Trade winds and tides generate lateral and rip currents, especially on open coasts and in Famara. Always enter protected areas, swim parallel to the coast, and never go alone.

Two people snorkelling in crystal-clear turquoise water in Lanzarote

Woman with mask and snorkel underwater in the Atlantic

Seabed with fish and underwater life visible while snorkelling

Best beaches for snorkelling in Lanzarote

If you are looking for a specific beach to get in with mask and snorkel, this is the short list we give our guests, from the easiest to the most demanding.

Playa de El Jablillo (Costa Teguise)
The best snorkelling beach for beginners and kids: a sheltered lagoon, sandy entry and almost no current.
Playa Chica (Puerto del Carmen)
The beach with the richest marine life on the island. A rocky drop-off just metres from the sand.
Playa Flamingo (Playa Blanca)
A very calm man-made bay. Easy snorkelling along the breakwaters, ideal on windy days.
Caletón Blanco (Órzola)
White sand between lava flows and very shallow water. Perfect for children's first snorkelling.
Playa del Papagayo and the Los Ajaches coves
Turquoise water; the good snorkelling is at the rocky ends of each cove.
Punta Mujeres natural pools
Volcanic rock pools with crystal-clear water. Only at low or mid tide and with a calm sea.
Playa de la Garita (Arrieta)
A family beach with a rocky area on the right: sea bream, damselfish and octopus close to shore.
Playa de Famara — NOT recommended
Constant swell and rip currents. This is a surf spot, not a snorkelling one.

The best snorkeling spots in Lanzarote

El Jablillo (Costa Teguise)

Protected bay · Ideal for beginners and children

El Jablillo is the easiest snorkel spot on the island. A natural barrier cuts the waves, leaving a shallow, clear water lagoon with almost no current, accessible from the sand. It's where almost everyone in Lanzarote puts on a mask for the first time.

You'll see black parrotfish, large schools of ornate wrasse, seabream, and, with luck, octopuses hidden among the rocks at the edge. The best time to go is first thing in the morning when the water hasn't been disturbed yet, and visibility exceeds 15 meters.

Playa Chica (Puerto del Carmen)

The classic · Abundant marine life from the shore

Playa Chica is Lanzarote's best-known diving and snorkeling spot. From a small sandy beach, you can access a rocky drop-off full of life within a few meters: parrotfish, small groupers, moray eels, schools of boga, and, in summer, young barracudas near the surface.

This is a diver traffic area, so stay close to the wall and out of the boat entry channel. When there's a southerly swell, visibility drops and lateral currents appear: better to change plans that day.

Punta Mujeres

Volcanic natural pools · Crystal clear water

The white village of Punta Mujeres is full of natural pools carved into the lava, with water renewed by every tide. It's miniature snorkeling: small rock fish, crabs, sea urchins, and incredible clarity over a black volcanic bottom.

Perfect for families and for north windy days, provided the tide is low or medium. At high tide and with a swell, the water enters with force over the walls: in that case, it's not a place to go in.

Charco del Palo (Mala)

Wild coast · Dark seabed and large fish

Charco del Palo offers the most dramatic underwater landscape in the north: lava flows, arches, and shallow caves. On a good calm day, the contrast between the black seabed and the Atlantic blue is spectacular.

It's an exposed coast, without sand and with stair access. Only with flat seas, never alone, and always with a surface buoy.

Papagayo Beaches (Rubicon)

Turquoise coves · Rocky sides are the gem

The coves of Papagayo have the most turquoise water in Lanzarote. The center of the beach is sand, so the good snorkeling is at the rocky ends of each cove, where salemas, sargos, and cuttlefish congregate.

Go early: from midday, the northeast wind disturbs the surface, and the experience significantly diminishes. And respect the protected area of Los Ajaches: touch nothing, take nothing.

More Atlantic experiences

Would you like to try other water sports?

eSurf

from €70

Playa Blanca

Glide across the sea on a next-generation electric board and discover Lanzarote's coast from Marina Rubicón.

View dates & book

Windsurf beginner

from €60

Costa Teguise

Learn to fly over the sea with the wind of Costa Teguise. Classes for beginners with professional instructors.

View dates & book

Surf VIP private

from €155

Caleta de Famara

Stand up on your board, feel the wave, and live the essence of surfing on one of Lanzarote's most iconic beaches.

View dates & book

Regatta sailing with 5 people

€250

Puerto Calero

Become a regatta navigator and experience one of the most dynamic water sports on Lanzarote's stunning coasts.

View dates & book

When to snorkel: water and season

Season	Water	Detail
January – March	18–19 ºC	Fresh, very clear water. 3mm wetsuit recommended. Best time to see angel sharks.
April – June	19–21 ºC	Calm mornings before the trade winds pick up. Good visibility.
July – August	21–22 ºC	Windier season in the afternoon: you need to go early.
September – November	23–24 ºC	The best time of year: warm water, calm sea, and fewer people.

Safety: currents and common sense

The Atlantic doesn't forgive improvisation. These six rules summarize what we recommend to all our clients before entering the water in Lanzarote.

Check the sea and wind forecast before entering: with more than 20 knots or swell, choose a protected bay like El Jablillo.
Never snorkel alone and use a surface buoy: it makes you visible to boats and kayaks.
Always swim parallel to the coast. If you feel yourself being pulled out, don't fight directly: swim diagonally.
Famara Beach and the north coast are NOT snorkeling areas: strong currents and constant swell.
Protect your skin with a lycra shirt instead of cream: creams harm marine life.
Do not touch or lift stones, do not chase fish, and do not remove anything from the water.

Freediver in apnea underwater in Lanzarote, black and white photography

Our experience

Guided snorkeling and freediving with instructor

If you want to go a step beyond surface snorkeling, our freediving and snorkeling session teaches you to breathe, relax, and descend a few meters with total control. It's done in protected waters, in very small groups, and with a certified instructor.

Includes all equipment — mask, snorkel, long fins and wetsuit — and an introduction to reading the sea: tides, currents, and choosing the spot depending on the day. It's the safest way to discover Lanzarote's volcanic seabed.

From €65 per person · gear included

Certified instructor and groups of max. 6 people
Full gear: mask, snorkel, long fins and wetsuit
Spot chosen according to the day's sea conditions
Breathing technique, relaxation and your first breath-holds
Activity insurance and underwater photos

Book snorkeling and freediving

Frequently asked questions

Where can you go snorkeling in Lanzarote?: The best spots are El Jablillo in Costa Teguise (protected bay, ideal for beginners), Playa Chica in Puerto del Carmen (the highest concentration of marine life), the natural pools of Punta Mujeres, Charco del Palo in the north, and the rocky sides of Papagayo coves in the south.
What's the best place for snorkeling with kids?: El Jablillo, in Costa Teguise. It's a shallow lagoon, with sandy entry, protected by a rock barrier and almost no current. The natural pools of Punta Mujeres at low tide also work very well with children.
What is the water temperature in Lanzarote?: Between 18 ºC in February and March and 24 ºC in September and October. In winter, a thin 3mm wetsuit is welcome if you plan to be in the water for more than 30 minutes; in autumn, you can swim without a wetsuit without a problem.
What fish can you see while snorkeling in Lanzarote?: The most common are black fulas, salemas, sargos, parrotfish, green wrasse, and boga. With some luck, octopuses, cuttlefish, moray eels, and sand rays appear. In winter, it's possible to encounter angel sharks, an emblematic protected species of the Canary Islands.
Is snorkeling in Lanzarote dangerous?: No, if you choose the right place and day. The real risk is currents and waves on exposed coasts like Famara or the north. Always enter protected bays, check sea conditions, swim with company, use a surface buoy, and swim diagonally if you feel a current.
Do I need to bring my own equipment?: All you need is a mask, snorkel, and fins. If you come without anything, our guided sessions include all equipment, including wetsuit. We recommend silicone masks with a good seal: renting cheap gear often results in leaky masks.
How much does a guided snorkelling session in Lanzarote cost?: Our snorkelling and freediving session at the Museo Atlántico costs from €65 per person (minimum 2 people, maximum 6) and includes a certified instructor, mask, snorkel, long fins and wetsuit. The full two-and-a-half-day Level 1 freediving course costs €360.
Which are the best beaches for snorkelling in Lanzarote?: El Jablillo in Costa Teguise, Playa Chica in Puerto del Carmen, Playa Flamingo in Playa Blanca, Caletón Blanco in Órzola, the Papagayo coves, Playa de la Garita in Arrieta and the natural pools of Punta Mujeres. Famara is not suitable for snorkelling because of its swell and currents.
Can you snorkel in Lanzarote in winter?: Yes. The water drops to 18–19 ºC between February and April, so a thin 3 mm wetsuit helps, but visibility is usually excellent and there are many calm days. Winter is also the best season to spot angel sharks.
Can you do guided snorkeling with Benty?: Yes. Our freediving and snorkeling experience in Lanzarote departs from protected waters with a certified instructor, including equipment and very small groups. You learn breathing techniques, basic freediving, and how to read the sea before entering.