Is Lanzarote Safe in January 2026?

Lanzarotes resort areas of Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise, and Playa Blanca have a high concentration of timeshare and holiday club promoters. They approach tourists on the seafront offering free gifts, meals, or excursions in exchange for attending a short presentation. The presentations are high-pressure sales events lasting two to four hours with rotating closers and manufactured urgency to sign contracts.

How to avoid: Refuse all unsolicited offers of free gifts or excursions from strangers in resort areas. If you do attend a presentation, know you have a 14-day cooling-off period under Spanish law and may cancel any contract signed.

Standalone ATMs in Puerto del Carmens tourist strip and inside resort shopping centres consistently offer dynamic currency conversion, prompting tourists to accept a conversion rate in their home currency that is 5 to 12 percent worse than their banks rate. The machine presents this as a convenience but it is a fee extraction mechanism.

How to avoid: Always select euros when an ATM asks you to choose a currency for the transaction. Never accept the machines conversion rate. Decline dynamic currency conversion every time.

Quad bike and buggy rental operators, particularly around Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca, are known for claiming damage on return that was pre-existing or minor. Renters who did not photograph the vehicle carefully before leaving find themselves facing demands for hundreds of euros in repair costs. Some operators retain credit card details and charge without warning days after the rental.

How to avoid: Photograph the entire vehicle from every angle before driving off, and have the operator sign a condition report. Never hand over your credit card for an open authorisation — insist on a fixed deposit amount clearly stated in the contract.

Restaurants in tourist areas of Puerto del Carmen and Yaiza charge a cubierto cover per person plus separate charges for bread, olives, and dips placed on the table automatically. These charges are rarely explained to tourists and can add 5 to 10 euros per person to the bill. Some restaurants only list these charges in small print at the bottom of the menu.

How to avoid: Ask about cover charges and cubierto fees when seated. Return any unrequested items to the waiter and confirm you do not want them. Read the full menu including the small print before ordering.

Freelance ticket sellers in Puerto del Carmens tourist strip sell boat trips to Papagayo Beach, camel safari packages, and volcano tours at prices similar to or slightly below official operators. The trips may be substandard, overcrowded, or fail to depart as scheduled. In some cases the printed tickets are not accepted by actual operators and tourists have lost the full amount paid.

How to avoid: Book tours only from official operator offices or your hotel activity desk. Verify the tour company name and look them up online before paying. Be wary of anyone selling from a folding table or bag on the street.