Costa Teguise is the tourist resort that rates the highest in terms of quality of life. It’s just five minutes by car from the capital and ten minutes from the airport. It’s also easy to head to the north of the island from here. It is known for being a quiet resort that’s ideal for family holidays. Guests have a variety of hotels to choose from, plenty of beaches and restaurants, plus a wide range of leisure activities.
Costa Teguise came into being after the Gran Meliá Salinas hotel was built in 1970. It was designed by architect Fernando Higueras in collaboration with César Manrique. The resort was the mastermind of Explosivos Rio Tinto, which bought twelve million square metres of land with the intention of turning farmland and salt flats into a high-end tourist development.
Another tourist hotspot in Costa Teguise is the Pueblo Marinero which is built in the style of a small village centred around an impressive bandstand. It was the brainchild of César Manrique and built by architect Alfonso Galán between 1979 and 1982. In typical Manrique style, it tastefully blends architecture with nature. It features whitewashed walls, green carpentry and decorative chimney tops that are traditional in Lanzarote architecture. The central hub is the bandstand where live music is performed, surrounded by lots of restaurants, terraces, bars and shops. The go-to area for Costa Teguise nightlife.
Another key feature which lends Costa Teguise a certain prestige is at the start of the resort as you enter from Arrecife. It’s the Royal Residence La Mareta. A house that King Hussein of Jordan had built and later gifted to the Spanish Crown. Nowadays, it is owned by the State and serves as a holiday residence for the country’s presidents. It is situated at the foot of the small El Ancla cove. On the other side, the lovely 3.28 km promenade starts, stretching all the way to Hotel Salinas and connecting all the hotels and resorts on the seafront, of which there are many and for all tastes and budgets.
The beaches in Costa Teguise connect all the different areas of the resort. Las Cucharas is the largest and has sunloungers and parasols. It is surrounded by restaurants and cafés and all sorts of leisure facilities. Next to it, at the foot of the Gran Meliá Salinas hotel, there is a beautiful little cove with a jetty out to sea. On the other side, between this beach and Los Charcos beach, you’ll find the regular venue for the PWA World Windsurfing Championships. To the south from Las Cucharas, there’s family friendly Playa Jablillo and Playa Bastián. Costa Teguise also has the first golf course in Lanzarote, the first water park and the only Aquarium.
