Students are always on the lookout for new holiday spots. Mallorca and Ibiza remain spring and summer favourites, but Lanzarote in the Canary Islands has become more and more popular thanks to its weather, beaches and outdoor activities.
The island lies less than 80 miles (about 125 km) off the north-west coast of Africa and enjoys a warm, dry climate that makes it a year-round destination. Plenty of budget flights from the UK and Ireland, reasonably priced accommodation and lots to do outdoors have put it firmly on the map.
Beaches and water sports
Lanzarote is unusual: there are no billboards and no skyscrapers, a legacy of the artist and architect César Manrique, who campaigned to keep development in harmony with the landscape. Instead there are resorts and beaches of white, golden and black volcanic sand. Water sports are a big draw. Despite the island's small size there are plenty of scuba diving and snorkelling trips, with groupers, rays, reefs and underwater caves to explore. Windsurfing, fishing and sailing are popular too. Of all the beaches, Playa Blanca and the Papagayo beaches on the southern tip are the most scenic places to spend a day in the sun.
Food and nightlife
Good restaurants are easy to find, from local Canarian cooking to Spanish tapas and international food. All-inclusive packages, which bundle accommodation and meals, can be excellent value for students on a budget. At night, head to Puerto del Carmen or Playa Blanca for clubs, bars and lounges. Puerto del Carmen's seafront strip also has a small casino, a popular stop for groups who fancy a round of roulette or blackjack after dinner; if you go, set your budget before you walk in and treat it as a night out, not a way to pay for the trip. Our guide to budgeting entertainment money shows how.
Inland: caves and volcanoes
Away from the coast there is plenty more to see. The Cueva de los Verdes is a spectacular lava tube once used as a hiding place from pirates. Timanfaya National Park is a landscape of craters and lava fields left by eruptions in the 18th century. Many students hire a scooter to get around: it is fun and cheap, though a car is safer on the island's windier roads.
Lanzarote ticks all the boxes for an island break, and it is so easy to reach from the UK and Europe that its popularity is no surprise.
Update (October 2026): Lanzarote remains a firm favourite with young travellers. Package holidays are still good value, but compare them with booking flights and apartments separately. The Canary Islands have seen debate and protests over the effects of mass tourism on housing, so consider locally owned accommodation and restaurants, respect protected areas such as Timanfaya, where visits are by organised route, and check the latest entry rules for travel to Spain from outside the EU.