Playa Flamingo (Lanzarote): a family beach guide

Playa Flamingo is one of the most family-friendly beaches in Playa Blanca. It does not aim to impress through scale or wild scenery; its appeal is shelter. The breakwaters create a more controlled sheet of water that helps a great deal with children, older visitors or swimmers who are not comfortable with current and waves. Around it there are accommodation options, restaurants and tourist services, so the day can be organised without major transfers. It is an easy-use beach: go down, swim, eat nearby and walk back to your accommodation if you are staying in this part of Playa Blanca. Precisely for that reason, it can lose some charm when it is too full. It is not the right option for anyone seeking an isolated cove or kilometres of open sand. For that, Papagayo, La Tejita or Cofete belong to a different kind of day. Flamingo works best as a practical, apparently safe, comfortable and repeatable beach, especially during family stays in southern Lanzarote.

Playa Flamingo is in the western sector of Playa Blanca, connected to the centre by the seafront promenade. If you are staying in Playa Blanca, walking is usually the most pleasant way to arrive, because the promenade avoids moving the car and lets you link the beach with the harbour or the centre. By vehicle, access is through the interior streets of the development; parking depends heavily on the time of day and occupancy of nearby accommodation. To reach Playa Blanca without a car, IntercityBus Lanzarote runs routes from Arrecife, the airport and Puerto del Carmen, and within the town there are nearby stops that bring you close to the Flamingo area. It is not a beach to approach with the idea of parking immediately beside your towel; it is better to assume a few minutes on foot.

If you are going with children, arriving early simplifies everything: a better spot on the sand, less heat for the walk and more room to choose your area. Although the water is usually more sheltered by the breakwaters, the flag and the conditions of the day always come first. Water shoes can be useful for some swimmers, less as a strict necessity than for comfort on entries with small stones or uneven seabed. At lunchtime, the nearby terraces solve the day without moving the car, but they also concentrate more people. For an attractive walk, continue towards the centre of Playa Blanca or along the western coast, depending on time and heat. If you want a clean photograph of the beach, the first hour of the morning is usually more rewarding than the afternoon.