Lanzarote is the island of the Spanish Canarian archipelago that is located furthest to the east. Its unique landscapes, heavenly beaches and alluring holiday apartments and hotels have become a magnet for tourists looking for a different sort of vacation and adventurers wanting to take hikes to breathtaking places. If you are flying to the Canary Islands soon, find below a practical guide to find your way around the two terminals of Lanzarote airport, use public transportation from there and visit the Aeronautical Museum within a short walk from the airport parking.
Terminal 1 of ACE airport in Spain
Lanzarote airport’s T1 is the larger of the two and all domestic and international flights are operated from it. The ground floor accommodates the baggage claim area and the arrivals hall; once outside, you may rent a car or hire a shuttle to commute to your hotel in Lanzarote island. You will also find a bar, toilets and a tourist information office on this level.
On your day of departure, you will need to go up to the first floor, where the check-in desks are located. Before going through the security filter you may have a light meal at Caffé Ritazza or get some magazines and last-minute gifts at Hudson News but, in any case, there is a broader choice of restaurants and shops awaiting you in the only-for-passengers boarding area.
Walking between terminals
You can walk both from T1 to T2 and from T2 to T1; in fact, they are adjacent buildings. However, if you land in one of them and need to go to the other, know that there is a ramp in the parking across the street connecting them. From T1, you will have to walk straight ahead and then go up the ramp, and from T2 you will need to go across the street and then down the ramp.
Terminal 2 of Lanzarote airport in the Canary Islands
T2 is home to Canaryfly and Binter Canarias, the two airline companies operating interisland flights and even some intercontinental routes to destinations in Africa in the case of Binter. The terminal is quite small and, after landing, you can collect your baggage, step outside, and easily find the car rental offices.
When departing, you need to go back to this very same place, check in at the corresponding counter (all of them are facing the main entrance) and find the security filter to your right. If you feel like a cup of coffee or a hot sandwich before taking off, you are advised to visit Caffé di Fiore in the public area, since only two vending machines are available for passengers in the restricted departures lounge. On a brighter note, there are many power outlets to charge your mobile devices free of charge while you wait to board the plane.
Commuting from Lanzarote airport to Arrecife
Right outside T1 on your left and conveniently signposted you will find a bus stop where lines 22 (operating on week days) and 23 (operating during the weekend) of the Intercity bus company pick up and drop off travellers. These buses can take you to Arrecife bus station, only 10 minutes away, from which you may commute to most points in the island or get to your hotel in Lanzarote. A single ticket to Arrecife costs 1,40. It must be noted that the aforementioned bus lines also stop in Playa Honda before reaching the capital.
The Aeronautical Museum of Lanzarote airport
This museum, situated within a short stroll across the parking of T2 and across the road from Aena’s headquarters in Lanzarote is actually the original first terminal building from which flights departed and landed between 1946 and 1970. It keeps part of its apron and its control tower, and showcases faithful reproductions of different sections of the terminal as they used to be in the past, along with invaluable objects such as radio stations, telegraphs, scales and staff uniforms.
Aviation lovers will surely enjoy the room dedicated to spotters and their pictures, and art enthusiasts will get to know more about Cesar Manrique’s contribution to the decoration of the old and new terminals. Additionally, the aeronautical museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions. It remains open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 and admission is free.
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