Puerto del Carmen

Party capital of Lanzarote 

The lively Puerto del Carmen is just 14 km south of Sands Beach Resort - 40 minutes on a number 3 bus or 22 euros in a taxi. A magnet for those chasing after Lanzarote's nightlife, it has many facets and by day offers large sandy beaches, rocky diving coves, a wealth of shops and a small port ringed with fish restaurants.

Coming in along the sea front, the beaches of Matagorda, Los Pocillos and Grande all combine sweeping sands with rocky outcrops. And the intriguing rock circles among the shady palms are just big enough for you to form your own personal space.

Lanzarote’s grand casino in Puerto del Carmen overlooks Playa Grande and from slot machines in the day, it ups the stakes to the gaming tables every evening until 4am.

The many shopping centres in Puerto del Carmen will satisfy your shopping frenzies and the ultra modern Biosfera Centre, just before the port, has excellent supervised play areas where the children can work up an their appetites before joining you in one of the many fast food restaruants or snack bars. Biosfera Centre is also a good reference point and has a taxi stand and bus stop.

A walk down the charming narrow streets of the Puerto del Carmen's old town will bring you to a winding cliff path where the fish restaurants defy you to pass them by. The port below has more surf and turf food on offer and a small shingle beach where ducks and geese snooze among the fishing boats.

If you want to get active, Playa Chica, a small rocky cove, is the centre for scuba and snorkel fans. Any water sports or beach football you indulge in, pale in comparison to the annual Ironman competition held on May 24 when 1,200 competitors converge on Puerto del Carmen to swim 3.8kms, cycle 180 kms and run 42.2 kms.