There are good supermarkets in Playa Blanca that sell all the well-known brands. Although the choice is not as good as in Puerto del Carmen, there are a fair number of electrical duty-free stores and other shops geared at tourists near the harbour. It is possible to get good bargains in the electrical duty-free stores, but shoppers should remember that they can't take purchases back to the shop once they've left the island.
There's a huge choice of restaurants on the main promenade in Playa Blanca, which at night bustles with activity. The promenade overlooks the beach and harbour and the lights of Fuerteventura can be seen on the horizon.
The nightlife in Playa Blanca is fairly limited, the entertainment is restricted to the shows organised by the hotels. There is a kids disco but those after something hardcore will need to head to Puerto del Carmen, half an hour away by car.
Watersports can be organised by the beachfront and boat trips leave regularly for the Papagayo beaches - the views of the beautiful coastline are stunning and boats can drop visitors off at the beach to be picked up by a later cruise. The Timanfaya National Park is only ten miles (16km) away where visitors can admire the dramatic volcanic scenery and even ride a camel. Ferries depart regularly from the harbour to the nearby island of Fuerteventura, just six miles (10km) away.
Fuerteventura : If sand and sun is what you are after, then Fuerteventura, second largest island in the Canaries archipelago (but the most sparsely populated) is the place to go. Its whitewashed capital, Puerto del Rosario, is known as the place where goats outnumber its citizens by a long chalk.
La Cueva de los Verdes : In the northern part of Lanzarote, close to the Monte de la Corona volcano, is a spectacular system of underground grottos known as La Cueva de los Verdes. This is one of the largest volcanic galleries in the world, at just over four miles (six km) long, formed approximately five thousand years ago in a prehistoric eruption when a massive stream of lava boiled down to the sea.
Museum of Contemporary Art : Modern art in an old building works well in Lanzarote's capital, Arrecife, where a collection of works by international artists is on permanent display in the Castle of San Jose, a fortress built between 1776 and 1779 by King Carlos III of Spain.
The Cactus Garden : Situated between Guatiza and Mala is an unusual sightseeing attraction that combines art with nature. Artist Cesar Manrique created a work of art in the form of a cactus plantation in an old quarry.
Timanfaya National Park : Timanfaya National Park is unique because it is the only national park in the world to have been developed by local residents. Also unique is what the park offers, which includes a volcanic field filled with a variety of geological and geothermic phenomena.
