Best Sunrise Spots in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote
Costa Teguise faces east. That single fact is why mornings here beat evenings. The sun comes up straight out of the Atlantic, the wind is usually still down, and the beaches are empty apart from a few dog walkers and the odd swimmer. By the time the resort wakes up, you have already had the best hour of the day.
We live in Costa Teguise and host Casa Los Alisios, and an early walk down to the water is our own routine before the day starts. This is the list we give guests who ask where to point themselves at dawn, from the cove two streets away to the fishing villages worth a short drive up the coast.
What time is sunrise, and when to set the alarm
Sunrise in Costa Teguise shifts by about 45 minutes across the year:
| Month | Approx. sunrise |
|---|---|
| December (winter solstice) | 7:42am |
| March / September (equinox) | around 7:20am |
| June (summer solstice) | 6:55am |
The best colour comes before the sun actually shows. Get down to the water about half an hour before the times above. That window when the sky has gone orange and pink but the sun is still under the horizon usually beats the sunrise for photos.
The sun rises in the southeast in winter and swings round to the northeast by midsummer. From the Costa Teguise coast it clears open ocean in every month, so you do not need to chase a particular spot for the angle. Pick the one that suits how far you want to walk.
1. Playa El Ancla: the closest cove
From Casa Los Alisios: 10 minute walk Best for: a quiet sunrise swim, two minutes from your coffee
El Ancla is the spot we use most because it is the closest and the most sheltered. Cross Avenida de las Palmeras, take the dirt path down past the hotel, cross Avenida del Mar, and you are at a small rocky cove that stays calm even when the trade winds are blowing further along the coast. At dawn it is usually you, the rocks and the gulls.
The entry is over rock rather than sand, so bring reef shoes if you plan to get in. The water sits between about 18°C in winter and 22°C in late summer, and the snorkelling along the edges is good once the light is up. There is nothing here, no kiosk, no toilet, no lifeguard, so bring water and a towel and head back to the villa afterwards. For more on the cove and the other local beaches, see our guide to the best beaches in Costa Teguise.
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2. Playa del Jablillo: calm water and reflections
From Casa Los Alisios: 20 minute walk along the promenade Best for: still water, families, a safe early dip
Two breakwaters turn Jablillo into a shallow lagoon that stays glassy when the rest of the coast has chop. At sunrise that flat water becomes a mirror for the sky, and because the entry is shallow you can wade in for a swim when the open beaches are still too rough. Of the local beaches it is the one I would pick for an early dip with small children, though nobody is watching the water this early.
3. Playa de Las Cucharas: the wide open beach
From Casa Los Alisios: 40 minute walk, or a short drive with parking next to the sand Best for: a big open sky, an empty beach before the windsurfers
Las Cucharas is the largest beach in Costa Teguise and the one with the widest view out to sea. By mid morning it fills with windsurf and surf schools, but at dawn it is empty and the wind has not yet picked up. Nothing blocks the horizon, so you get the whole width of the sky over the water. Parking sits right next to the sand if you would rather drive than walk.
4. Playa de los Charcos: rock pools and lava
From Casa Los Alisios: next to Las Cucharas, about 40 minutes on foot Best for: a foreground of black rock and rock pools
Just south of Las Cucharas, Los Charcos is more exposed, edged with black lava and rock pools that fill at low tide. Catch it on a low tide and the pools sit still, giving you dark rock and a patch of mirrored water in front of the colour. Locals bodyboard here when the swell is up, so check the sea before you get in.
5. The coastal promenade: sunrise on the move
From Casa Los Alisios: the nearest stretch is about 10 minutes away Best for: runners and walkers who would rather keep moving
The paved promenade runs the length of the resort and links every beach on this list. If you would rather walk or run than sit still, start at El Ancla and head south as the light comes up, with the sea on your left the whole way. It is flat, paved and pram friendly, and you can stop for a swim at any of the beaches you pass. For more routes on foot, see our guide to walks from Costa Teguise.
6. Pueblo Marinero: coffee and first light on white walls
From Casa Los Alisios: 30 minute walk Best for: a coffee straight after the beach, with Manrique architecture in early light
Pueblo Marinero is the low white square built as a tribute to a Canarian fishing village, all white walls, green shutters and a tangle of chimneys. Alfonso Galán was the architect, with César Manrique, the artist whose hand is on most of Lanzarote, involved in the design. It sits a little back from the sea, so it is not really a sunrise viewpoint. Think of it as the stop straight after the beach. The cafes around the square open early and the white walls take the first warm light, so you can be holding a coffee five minutes after the sun is up instead of waiting for the resort to stir.
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7. Charco del Palo: lava platforms up the coast
From Casa Los Alisios: about 15 minutes’ drive north Best for: a raw lava coast and natural sea pools
Charco del Palo is a small village built on black lava on the east coast, with natural sea pools cut into the rock that fill and empty with the tide. It is a naturist village, which is normal here and nothing to worry about at dawn when it is empty. The flat lava platforms and the pools give you a hard, dark foreground that suits the early light, and it faces the same open ocean as the resort. It also has some of the best snorkelling on this side of the island once the sun is up, which we cover in our best snorkelling spots in Lanzarote guide.
8. Punta Mujeres: natural pools and white houses
From Casa Los Alisios: about 20 minutes’ drive north Best for: still pools, a slow morning, a swim with the locals
Punta Mujeres is a small fishing village of low white houses and a string of natural sea pools right at the edge of the lava. The pools hold still water that catches the sunrise, and locals swim here before work, so it has a real lived-in feel rather than a resort one. Park in the village and walk the seafront until you find a pool you like.
9. Arrieta and Playa de la Garita: a fishing village beach
From Casa Los Alisios: about 18 minutes’ drive north Best for: golden sand at first light and breakfast in the village
Arrieta is a working fishing village with a small harbour and jetty, and next to it sits Playa de la Garita, a long beach of golden sand that faces straight into the sunrise. It is the furthest spot here but it makes the fullest morning. Watch the sun come up over the sea from the sand, then wander into the village for breakfast, or come back later for fresh fish off the boats. Pair it with our top things to see in Lanzarote if you want to build a full day around the drive north.
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What to bring at dawn
Mornings are cooler and quieter than the rest of the day. A few things make the difference:
- A layer. Winter dawns sit near 16°C and there is often a light breeze off the sea before the day warms up. Even in summer the first hour is fresh.
- Coffee, or a plan for it. Most cafes open later, so bring a flask if you are heading to a beach. Pueblo Marinero and Arrieta are the exceptions where you can buy one early.
- Reef shoes if you want to swim at El Ancla or Charco del Palo, where the entry is over rock.
- A towel and water. The walkable beaches have no facilities this early and no lifeguards.
You do not need a car for the first six spots. They all sit within walking distance on the coast, so the easiest plan is to roll out of the villa, walk down to El Ancla, and decide from there. The villa kitchen and the Spar three minutes away mean you can be back for a proper breakfast before most people have surfaced. If you are weighing up when to come, our guide to the best time to visit Costa Teguise covers the seasons in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What time is sunrise in Costa Teguise?
- Sunrise runs from about 6:55am in late June to about 7:42am around the winter solstice in December. The sky starts to colour roughly 30 minutes before the sun clears the horizon, so set your alarm for at least half an hour ahead.
- Where is the best place to watch sunrise in Costa Teguise?
- Playa El Ancla is the easiest, a sheltered cove about 10 minutes on foot from the centre of the resort. Playa del Jablillo is the other local favourite, where the calm lagoon mirrors the colour in the sky. Both face east over the Atlantic.
- Does the sun rise over the sea in Costa Teguise?
- Yes. Costa Teguise sits on the east coast of Lanzarote, so the sun comes up straight out of the Atlantic. It rises in the southeast in winter and swings round to the northeast in midsummer, but it is over open water in every month.
- Can you swim at sunrise in Costa Teguise?
- Yes. Playa El Ancla and Playa del Jablillo are both calm and sheltered at dawn, with water between about 18°C in winter and 22°C in late summer. El Ancla has a rocky entry, so reef shoes help. There are no lifeguards this early.
- Do you need a car to watch sunrise in Costa Teguise?
- No for the in-town spots. Every beach and the promenade are linked on foot, so you can walk. You only need a car for the east-coast villages further north, like Charco del Palo, Punta Mujeres and Arrieta, which are 15 to 20 minutes away.
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