Playa Honda is the second-largest town on Lanzarote, but many tourists barely know it exists. That’s their loss, because this is a place that’s definitely worth discovering.
Playa Honda lies on the coast between Arrecife and the airport, and its broad, golden beaches of natural sand are larger than any in the resorts. Playa Honda itself is delightful, while the Playa de la Concha, tucked away on the eastern edge of the town, is one of Lanzarote’s hidden jewels that tourists rarely discover.
It’s a brisk 8 km hike there and back along the coast from Puerto del Carmen, with beaches all the way, but many prefer to jump on the bus and alight at the Deiland shopping centre instead.
Deiland is the island’s second biggest shopping centre, and the main shopping attraction in Playa Honda, with a cinema, bowling alley and several cafes. The busy industrial zone on the other side of the motorway also has several shops. It’s not the most pedestrian friendly of areas, but you’ll find shops, such as the gourmet grocery CanaryMeat, that are unique on the island.
In the town itself, it’s worth taking a walk down C/ del Mayor and C/ Princesa Ico for other shopping opportunities, and C/ San Borondon also has some interesting bars and restaurants. But the real magnet for tourists is the seafront. On the right day or evening, Playa Honda’s promenade has a buzz that is unmatchable anywhere else on the island. This is a young town, home to many of the people who work in the resorts, and there are several excellent bars and restaurants dotted along the seafront. We’d recommend Nakai, the Japanese-inspired restaurant that one of Lanzarote’s most exciting young chefs, Jon Pérez, has set up.
Playa Honda is the ideal place to take a table, enjoy that view of golden sand and a distant ocean horizon, indulge in some people watching and just relax.
