César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport
César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport sits on the Guacimeta coast, 5 km from Arrecife, and handled 8,921,019 passengers in 2025. It has two terminals side by side: Terminal 1 for international flights and flights to mainland Spain, Terminal 2 for inter-island hops. Everything is close together and the island bus calls at both, so the only real decisions are which terminal, which bus and whether the lounge is worth it. Here is the airport in both directions.
The 30-second version
Check your terminal first: Terminal 1 for international and mainland flights, Terminal 2 for inter-island ones. On arrival, taxis and buses are outside on Floor 0 of both terminals: line 162-D reaches Playa Blanca bus station in 20 minutes from Terminal 1, line 161 runs to Puerto del Carmen in about 10 minutes and on to Playa Blanca, and lines 22 (weekdays) and 23 (weekends) go to Arrecife. Flying home, the Fast Lane costs €11.10 from 05:00, and the Guacimeta lounge in Terminal 1 costs €45.95. Flights are not announced over the public address system, so keep an eye on the screens.
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International flights and flights to mainland Spain
Arrivals, baggage reclaim, customs, the tourist office, taxis and buses on Floor 0; check-in, security, the Fast Lane and the departure gates on Floor 1. The Guacimeta lounge is opposite gates 1 and 2.
Inter-island flights
A smaller terminal next to T1 with its own security checkpoint, one baggage carousel, taxis and bus stops, all on Floor 0. There is no lounge here.
Flights from the UK and other non-Schengen countries go through passport control on arrival. Under the EU's Entry/Exit System, now being implemented across the Schengen area, you may be asked on your first entry to register fingerprints and a photo; the record lasts three years, and children aged 11 or younger are not fingerprinted, though they may be photographed.
Terminal 1 has five carousels for flights from the EU, one for international flights and one for special baggage, with customs in the same hall. Terminal 2 has a single carousel for inter-island flights. For lost or damaged bags, go to your airline's handling desk in the reclaim hall.
In Terminal 1, the meeting point is in the arrivals hall on Floor 0, which is where a pre-booked driver waits. The Cabildo de Lanzarote's tourist office is in the same hall, on +34 928 820 704, and the tour operators' desks are on the same floor. Caffè di Fiore serves coffee, rolls and pastries landside.
The ranks are outside on Floor 0 of both terminals. Aena advises taking a taxi only from the rank. Journeys from the airport to another town run on the Canary interurban meter: €3.85 minimum and €1.35 a km from 06:00 to 22:00 on working days, €4.25 and €1.55 at night, on Sundays and on holidays, plus €2.10 for an airport pick-up. Ask for a receipt.
The island buses stop on Floor 0 of both terminals, at Terminal 1 first and Terminal 2 a minute later. Line 161 runs daily from 07:30 to 21:30 to Puerto del Carmen, Puerto Calero and Playa Blanca, every 30 minutes for most of the day. Line 162-D is the quick one to Playa Blanca: 20 minutes, leaving at 20 past the hour from 10:20 to 19:20 (not 11:20 or 18:20). Line 22 runs to Arrecife on weekdays and line 23 at weekends. Pay the driver by bank card or in cash.
Aena lists AutoReisen, Cabrera Medina, Cicar, Europcar, Goldcar, Hertz, Payless, Sixt and TopCar at both terminals, with Hertz and TopCar also in the Terminal 1 car park at level P0. Cash machines are on Floors 0 and 1 of Terminal 1 and Floor 0 of Terminal 2. The airport wi-fi is free if you need to sort out an eSIM: join 'Airport Free Wifi Aena' and confirm your email within 15 minutes.
Terminal 1 handles international flights and flights to mainland Spain; Terminal 2 handles inter-island flights. Every airport bus calls at both, a minute apart.
Line 161 leaves Playa Blanca bus station from 08:25 and passes Puerto del Carmen about 45 minutes later, reaching the airport 51 minutes after leaving. Line 162-D leaves Playa Blanca at the top of the hour from 11:00 to 20:00 (not 12:00 or 19:00) and reaches the airport in 35 minutes. From Arrecife bus station, line 22 runs on weekdays from 05:30 to 23:20, and line 23 hourly at weekends from 07:00 to 22:00.
In Terminal 1, check-in is on Floor 1; the screens show your desk. Your airline sets the bag-drop deadline. If you need assistance, request it at least 48 hours ahead; Aena suggests arriving two and a half hours before departure and being at the meeting point at least two hours before. Returning a hire car full? The airport's own petrol station is open from 07:00 to 23:00.
The Terminal 1 checkpoint is on Floor 1, and the Fast Lane is there too: €11.10 on Aena's VIP site, valid for three months, from 05:00 until the last departure. Children aged 0 to 5 go through free with an adult who has a pass, and it is included for business-class passengers and some airline loyalty cards. Scan the QR code, then your boarding pass. In Terminal 2, security is on Floor 0.
Flights to non-Schengen countries, the UK included, go through passport control. gov.uk advises allowing extra time on departure while the Entry/Exit System beds in. Flights are not announced over the public address system, so watch the screens and be at the gate when they say.
Floor 1 of Terminal 1 is where everything is: the cafés, Dehesa Santamaría's ham and tapas, Wok Street, and open-air terraces for a last half hour in the sun. La Isla Gourmet, open 06:00 to 22:00, sells Lanzarote wines and Canarian food to take home, and there are drinking fountains by gates 3–4 and 11–12.
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Every lounge in detailThe only lounge at the airport, with a terrace, a buffet and a quiet seat close to the first gates; worth it for an hour or more.
Book a passDehesa SantamaríaTerminal 1, Floor 1, airside
Iberian ham, cured meats and Spanish tapas; the most satisfying plate in the airport.
Wok StreetTerminal 1, Floor 1, boarding zone
Asian dishes cooked in the wok in front of you, from 10:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and to 20:00 at weekends.
Camden FoodTerminal 1, Floor 1, airside
Fresh, healthy food that still tastes of something, from 10:00 to 18:00.
Café PansTerminal 1, Floor 1, airside
Good coffee and pastries baked on site every day, with savoury snacks.
CarlsbergTerminal 1, Floor 1, airside
Salads, burgers, sandwiches and paninis with a cold beer before the flight home.
Pret a MangerTerminal 1, Floor 1, airside
Sandwiches and organic food you know, quick to grab on the way to the gate.
Caffè di FioreTerminal 1 arrivals hall, landside; Terminal 2
Tapas, rolls and pastries: the place for a coffee while you wait for arrivals, and the café in Terminal 2.
La Isla GourmetTerminal 1, Floor 1, airside
Lanzarote wines, Canarian spirits and gourmet food to pack, 06:00 to 22:00.
No. Aena states that flights at Lanzarote are not announced over the public address system, so the screens are the only source. Check your gate before you settle into a café or the lounge, set a reminder for when boarding is due, and be at the gate when the screens or your airline say.
Line 162-D is the hidden gem for Playa Blanca: 20 minutes from Terminal 1 to the bus station, against 47 minutes on the stopping line 161. It leaves at 20 past the hour from 10:20 to 19:20, except 11:20 and 18:20.
Line 161 is the one for Puerto del Carmen: the Costa Mar stop is 9 minutes from the airport and the Casino stop 14.
For Arrecife, take line 22 on weekdays and line 23 at weekends. Line 22 reaches the Gran Hotel stop in about 12 minutes.
Carry less cash than you think: the buses take bank cards, though drivers give change only up to €10.
It is small and easy to get round. Children aged 0 to 5 go through the Fast Lane and into the Guacimeta lounge free; those aged 6 to 10 pay €21.25 for the lounge. On the island buses, under-4s travel free with an adult if they do not take a seat, and suitcases go in the hold. Terminal 2 has a breast-feeding room on Floor 0.
Aena's free assistance service starts from signposted meeting points in the Terminal 1 arrivals hall, on the Terminal 1 departures forecourt, in the Terminal 1 check-in hall, on the Terminal 2 forecourt and at the Terminal 2 check-in desks. Request it at least 48 hours ahead through your airline or travel agent, Aena's website or app, or on +34 91 321 10 00 (07:00 to midnight). Accessible toilets are on both floors of Terminal 1 and in Terminal 2.
Flights from Lanzarote fall under EU rules. Arrive three hours or more late and you can claim €250 on flights up to 1,500 km, €400 on longer flights within the EU and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and €600 beyond (€300 if you arrive three to four hours late), unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. After a delay of two to four hours, depending on distance, the airline owes you meals and drinks, and a hotel if you are moved to the next day.
The first line 22 bus leaves Arrecife bus station at 05:30 on weekdays and reaches Terminal 1 at 05:45, and the Fast Lane opens at 05:00; the lounge follows at 06:00. Landing late, line 161's last departure is 21:30 and line 61 makes one run at 22:30 from Terminal 1 to Puerto del Carmen, Puerto Calero and Playa Blanca. After that it is the taxi rank or a driver booked ahead.
Lanzarote is a compact island and the airport sits on the east coast between Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen, so the resorts are close: Puerto del Carmen is 9 minutes away on line 161, and Playa Blanca 20 minutes on line 162-D. Our transfers page has the bus, taxi, transfer and hire-car options for each of our hotels.
Questions people ask
Terminal 1 for international flights and flights to mainland Spain, Terminal 2 for inter-island flights. They stand side by side and every airport bus calls at both.
Line 162-D reaches Playa Blanca bus station in 20 minutes, leaving Terminal 1 at 20 past the hour from 10:20 to 19:20. Line 161 runs from 07:30 to 21:30 via Puerto del Carmen and takes 47 minutes.
Line 161 leaves Terminal 1 every 30 minutes for most of the day, 07:30 to 21:30, and reaches the Costa Mar stop in 9 minutes. A taxi from the rank is the other easy option.
Line 22 runs on weekdays from 05:55 to 23:35, roughly every 40 to 50 minutes, and line 23 hourly at weekends from 07:17 to 22:17. Arrecife is 5 km away.
Journeys to another town are metered: €3.85 minimum and €1.35 a km by day on working days, €4.25 and €1.55 at night, on Sundays and on holidays, plus a €2.10 airport supplement.
Yes, the Guacimeta VIP lounge in Terminal 1, opposite gates 1 and 2, open from 06:00 to 22:00 or the last scheduled flight. Entry costs €45.95 for adults, and it is on Priority Pass.
Aena's Fast Lane costs €11.10 per person and runs from 05:00 until the last departure, in Terminal 1. Children aged 0 to 5 go through free with an adult.
No. Aena does not announce flights over the public address system, so follow the screens.
Image credits: Frank Vincentz (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Frank Härtelt (CC BY-SA 3.0)