Matagorda

The walk from Villa Rosa to Matagorda Centre is under 700 metres and takes less than ten minutes.  The north eastern end of Matagorda beach is only about 400 metres from Villa Rosa.

The drive to Matagorda shopping centre is via a one way system, so watch the signs!

The bars in Matagorda range from small establishments where you can go and have a friendly chat, to medium and larger premises with frequent live music and other entertainment.

Matagorda boasts a range of restaurants including English and Irish home cooking, Spanish grills as well as Chinese, Mexican and Japanese cuisine.

Matagorda fronts onto Playa Matagorda, which is one beach in many that in total stretch over six kilometres in the whole of Puerto del Carmen. Between the urbanizacion and the beach itself is the start of the Avenida de las Playas which becomes known as "The Strip" as it enters central Puerto del Carmen. Here in Matagorda, however, it's a much more sedate affair which, apart from the occasional police car, is restricted to cyclists and pedestrians.

As well as being a pleasant and popular place to walk, there is a play area for children in the immediate vicinity as well as exercise machines for adults!

In common with many other beaches on Lanzarote, including the adjacent Los Pocillos, the beach at Matagorda has been awarded the Blue Flag, a symbol of high environmental, sanitary and safety standards.  Playa Matagorda has held this award continuously since 2007.

The Avenida de las Playas starts (or, depending on your point of view, ends!) at Matagorda but the promenade and path stretches in both directions.

Playa Guacimeta - Playa Honda

If you walk or cycle (you can hire bicycles from Flinstons in Matagorda centre) to the north east, with the sea on your right, the pathway becomes truly a walk and cycle way and you'll soon reach the edge of the airport.

The path runs right along the end of the runway and then alongside the runway between the airport and Playa Guacimeta (sometimes spelt Playa Guasimeta) and then on to Playa Honda and beyond.  This path is a favourite spot for aircraft enthusiasts as the planes fly low and straight overhead as they land from the south west.  Don't be surprised if you come across the occasional naturist in the Playa Guacimeta area alongside the airport.

The walk to Playa Honda is around 3.5 kilometres and takes about one hour at a very gentle pace.  The path continues on to Arrecife if you fancy a longer walk.

Jameos Centre - Los Pocillos

In the opposite direction, from Matagorda the Avenida passes the Lanzarote Sol hotel and the isolated Aussie's Beach Bar, which during the day is a favourite spot to overlook the beach and watch the world go by.

The Avenida picks up a little one way traffic at the Jameos Commercial Centre, about 700 metres from the Matagorda Centre, where there are further bars and restaurants. It then goes on to Los Pocillos and towards central Puerto del Carmen.

Transport

Buses (known as guaguas - pronounced wahwahs) run every twenty minutes to half an hour between Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen, calling on the edge of Matagorda near the Lanzarote Sol.

Puerto del Carmen

Once a sleepy fishing village, Puerto del Carmen is now the liveliest and most popular resort on the island.  One kilometre from Matagorda, at Los Pocillos, the Avenida de las Playas becomes the resort's main road at its north eastern end.  Nevertheless, a wide footpath between the beach an the road makes an enjoyable walk towards the main town.

Puerto del Carmen has, in total, six kilometres of golden beaches on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, and these are undoubtedly a major magnet for holidaymakers.  Although the waters are considered among the most tranquil of the Canary Archipelago and can be enjoyed by swimmers and other water sport enthusiasts, certain parts of the coast attract sufficient wind for windsurfing.

From Los Pocillos, the first beach on the roadside is Playa Los Pocillos.  Los Pocillos, with its own fine sandy horse shoe shaped beach and a small range of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars, offers a quieter more relaxing ambience than central Puerto del Carmen to the south west.

Puerto del Carmen's main beach is Playa Grande, sometimes called by its official name Playa Blanca, but not to be confused with Playa Blanca, the resort, on Lanzarote's south west coast.

Across the road, commercial premises, shops, restaurants, bars and night clubs line its entire length.  There are over one hundred restaurants with food to suit every taste and every pocket, from fast food to gourmet.  Also in abundance are a large variety of shops, boutiques and bazaars stocked with everything from duty free electronics to local arts and crafts and designer clothes, shoes or jewellery.

As the beach comes to an end, the harbour takes over and we come across the "old town" (el pueblo), which includes one of the newest shopping and dining centres on the island!

The old town and harbour area has more restaurants, bars and opportunities for restful or lively evenings - it's your choice.