Lanzarote looks like a very simple island to cover by campervan: barely 60 kilometres separate north from south, and almost anywhere is under an hour away. But travelling well here has more to do with knowing where you can park overnight, where to get water, when to switch coasts because of the wind, or which tracks aren't worth taking, than with clocking up kilometres. This guide is about that: not what to see, but how to move around.
Last reviewed: September 2026, based on DGT Instruction PROT 2026/04.
Lanzarote is about 60 kilometres from north to south and 25 kilometres from east to west. In a campervan, that means almost any point on the island is under an hour from any other. This changes how it's worth planning the trip: you don't need a classic loop that returns to the same spot every night, or long strings of driving.
Think of the campervan almost as a mobile base. If Famara is unworkable one day because of the wind, you can switch coasts that same afternoon without wrecking the rest of the itinerary — something that isn't as easy on a larger island, or when travelling by rental car with a fixed hotel. That flexibility is the real advantage of travelling this way here, more than the accommodation savings.
It's the question we get asked the most. The short answer: parking and sleeping inside a correctly parked campervan is legal anywhere another vehicle could park, unless a local ordinance, a protected area or the Coastal Law says otherwise. Camping — putting out a table, chairs, an awning, or deploying anything outside the campervan — is a different matter, and that's where fines start.
Under the Spanish traffic authority's rules (DGT Instruction PROT 2026/04, in force since 11 March 2026), a vehicle — including a campervan — is considered correctly parked, not camping, when all three of these conditions apply at once:
Whether you and your travel companions are inside sleeping, cooking or just sitting doesn't change anything: the DGT explicitly states that the presence of people inside a correctly parked vehicle is irrelevant to traffic regulations.
That said, there's an important nuance: each town council can restrict or prohibit campervan and motorhome parking through its own local ordinance, and Spain's Supreme Court (ruling of 13 March 2018) has confirmed those ordinances are valid. So the DGT's general rule is the starting point, but the signage at each specific spot takes priority over it. If a sign says motorhomes can't park there, they can't, even though you'd technically only be "parking".
Since 2025 there's a specific official sign for this, the S-128, which marks a waste-water disposal point for caravans and motorhomes. If you see it, it's an authorised point and that's where you should empty your grey water tank — never on the street, in the countryside, or into a storm drain.
There are two exceptions worth knowing clearly, because they don't depend on any local ordinance but on specific regulations that don't vary from town to town:
The park's management plan (Real Decreto 1621/1990) expressly prohibits free camping and overnight stays within its boundaries, as well as parking outside the designated areas. You also can't drive or walk outside the authorised routes: the park is visited by the Ruta de los Volcanes bus tour or the guided Experiencia Insólita, with the campervan parked in the designated areas.
Spain's Coastal Law prohibits parking vehicles on the shoreline. This is easy to miss because many beaches in Lanzarote have tracks or open areas right next to the water that look like informal car parks, and you'll sometimes see other campervans there. Neither of those things makes it legal. The penalties are steep: from 40€ per square metre occupied per day for camping, up to 50-150€ for unauthorised parking.
Three practical rules that will help you avoid most problems:
We're not going to give you a list of coordinates that could be outdated in a few months. We'd rather explain what to look for and with which tools, so you can check it yourself when the time comes.
Petrol stations are generally your best bet: many on the island have a water point, and some — not all — also offer grey or even black water disposal for a token price. For example, the Tahíche service station (LZ-1, PK 2, open 24h) has grey and black water disposal for 1€, plus a raised platform designed to let you wash the campervan's roof, which isn't common at all. Don't assume every petrol station has this service: ask before you need it, not once the tank is already full.
To find disposal points elsewhere on the island, the Park4night app has a specific "dump station" layer with recent reviews from other travellers — useful as a first reference, but always check the date of the most recent reviews before trusting a point. Large supermarkets (Hiperdino, Mercadona, Spar) usually have plenty of parking for a short stop, though they're not overnight spots.
Knowing the campervan has a 50-litre tank doesn't tell you much on its own. What matters is how long that lasts in practice, and it depends entirely on how you travel:
Lanzarote has little natural fresh water and relies largely on desalination, so it's worth being mindful of consumption beyond just how long your tank lasts. Top up whenever you get the chance instead of waiting until you're empty — that way you're never depending on finding a specific point at the exact moment you need it.
In Lanzarote, "it's windy" isn't enough of a description. The trade winds blow fairly consistently from the northeast, which means some parts of the island are usually sheltered and others usually exposed — and this can change your day's plan more than anything else.
Famara is the clearest example: it's a recognised surf, windsurf and kitesurf spot precisely because the wind there is constant, especially between May and September. Great if you're there to practise one of those sports, less comfortable if you just want to cook outside or sit with the doors open.
Some practical consequences of the wind worth keeping in mind:
A simple trick: if the west coast (Famara, La Santa) wakes up very windy, the east or south coast (Puerto del Carmen, Playa Blanca) is often calmer, and vice versa. Switching coasts depending on the day's wind is often a better plan than forcing the route you had in mind.
A Ford Transit Custom, like ours, isn't an off-roader. Google Maps and other GPS apps sometimes suggest shortcuts along dirt tracks or volcanic paths that look passable on the map but turn out to be loose sand, potholes or terrain meant for 4x4s.
Since 2026, access to Montañas del Fuego requires a mandatory online booking with a time slot, managed by the Cabildo's Centros Turísticos (CACT) through cactlanzarote.com. Tickets are no longer sold at the gate, so book ahead, choose your slot and arrive 15 minutes early: outside that time, the ticket is no longer valid and there's no refund or exchange.
Combining Timanfaya with a stop in La Geria the same day works well: both are in the southwest of the island, relatively close to each other, and a winery visit after Timanfaya is a good way to close out the day.
La Graciosa doesn't allow private vehicles: you leave the campervan parked in Órzola and cross by ferry to Caleta del Sebo, with frequent departures throughout the day (up to 18 in high season) and a crossing of about 25 minutes.
Once on the island, there are no paved roads — every trip is on foot, by bicycle (rentable in the village) or with the local 4x4 taxis that are authorised to drive on the sand and volcanic rock tracks. Seeing it in a day is perfectly doable, but don't rush: it's a small island meant to be taken slowly.
Beyond the typical "must-try products" list, here's what's practical: large supermarkets (Hiperdino, Mercadona, Spar) cover the basics in any medium-sized town. For local produce, it's worth seeking out the weekly markets — for example, Haría's craft market runs on Saturdays, and Teguise's on Sundays from 09:00 to 14:00, with cheese, gofio, palm honey, La Geria wine and seasonal fruit and vegetables.
Fresh fish is usually best found at the fish markets or halls in coastal towns (Playa Blanca, Arrecife, Órzola), and majorero cheese (though it's actually from Fuerteventura, it's widely sold here) and La Geria malvasía wine are the purchases most worth making locally rather than at the supermarket. If you'd like specific food recommendations, check out the gastronomy section of our island guide.
A few things almost no one tells you, that make a real difference day to day:
We're not going to give you a list of coordinates — their legality changes over time, and what's a good spot today might have a new ordinance tomorrow. We'd rather give you the criteria so you can learn to find your own spot, wherever you are:
You don't need 25 apps — these few will get you well equipped:
A mini emergency guide, just in case you need it:
If you rented with us and aren't sure about something, message us before improvising. We'd rather sort out a doubt on WhatsApp in two minutes than have you run into an avoidable problem.
This guide summarises, for informational purposes and not as legal advice, the content of DGT Instruction PROT 2026/04, the Timanfaya National Park management plan and Spain's Coastal Law. Local ordinances vary from one town council to another and can change; if in doubt about a specific spot, always check the on-site signage or consult the relevant town council.