a rocky beach with a mountain in the background
|

Visiting Lanzarote in December

BySunMed Guide

Visiting Lanzarote in December

# Lanzarote in December: What It’s Actually Like

Look, December in Lanzarote is genuinely one of those “it depends what you want” situations, and anyone telling you it’s guaranteed sunshine is overselling it.

The weather sits somewhere around 18-20°C most days, which sounds lovely until you’re standing in a wind tunnel near Timanfaya and reconsidering every life choice. The Canaries get the Atlantic trade winds year-round, and December can feel sharper than the temperature suggests. Rainfall is genuinely unpredictable – some Decembers are bone dry, others bring several wet days that catch people completely off guard. You won’t know until you’re there.

What you do get is the island without the summer madness. Crowds are noticeably lighter through most of the month, right up until Christmas week when European families descend and prices spike accordingly. If you’re going, aim for early-to-mid December rather than the last ten days.

Most things stay open because Lanzarote runs tourism as a year-round operation. The César Manrique sites, the Jameos del Agua, Timanfaya National Park – all running normally. Restaurants in the main resort areas stay open, though some smaller family-run places take their own holidays around Christmas. Beach bars thin out but don’t disappear entirely.

Swimming is possible if you’re not precious about water temperature – it drops to around 19°C, which some people consider perfectly fine and others consider barbaric. The volcanic landscape walks and cycling routes are honestly better in December than August, when the heat makes anything active genuinely miserable.

**Who should go:** Walkers, cyclists, people who want to explore without queuing, couples after a quieter break, anyone escaping northern European grey without needing guaranteed pool weather.

**Who might struggle:** Sun-seekers who’ll be miserable in a fleece, families wanting children in the water all day, people who need buzzing resort nightlife to feel like they’re on holiday.

**One practical tip:** Pack a proper windproof layer regardless of what the forecast says. You’ll either use it constantly or be grateful you had it once.

Plan Your Trip

Similar Posts