César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport to Arrecife (city centre)
Arrecife is about 6 km from Lanzarote Airport. The cheapest way is bus 22 on weekdays or 23 at weekends (about €1.40, 12–25 minutes). The fastest is a taxi, about 10–12 minutes for roughly €14–17.
Lanzarote's capital is the closest town to the terminal, and it has more buses from the airport than anywhere else. Line 22 covers weekdays from 05:45 to 23:35 and line 23 covers weekends. Two southern lines also pass through, one of them at about 00:16 after everything else has stopped. A taxi costs about €15 on the meter, so for Arrecife there is little reason to pre-book.
How far is Arrecife (city centre) from César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport?
Arrecife (city centre) is 6 km (4 miles) from César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport by road, about 12 min by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 5 km. By public transport, Intercity Bus Lanzarote line 22 (Mon–Fri) takes about 12 min and costs €1.4.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: Intercity Bus Lanzarote line 22 (Mon–Fri) is the one to take: €1.4 with no change, and about as quick as going by car. Timetable: Mon–Fri from T1: 05:45, 06:25, 07:05 … last 23:35.
What it costs for your group
The bus / shuttle is charged per person, while a taxi is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Bus / shuttle (per person) | Taxi (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | €1.4 | €14 | Bus / shuttle |
| Couple · 2 travellers | €2.8 | €14 | Bus / shuttle |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | €5.6 | €14 | Bus / shuttle |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Intercity Bus Lanzarote line 22 (Mon–Fri) | From €1.4, about 12 min, no change needed. |
| Speed | Intercity Bus Lanzarote line 162 (late) / 162-D | 10 min, from €1.4. |
| A group of 4 | Intercity Bus Lanzarote line 22 (Mon–Fri) | Four tickets still come to about €5.6 — less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | Intercity Bus Lanzarote line 22 (Mon–Fri) stops overnight — timetable: Mon–Fri from T1: 05:45, 06:25, 07:05 … last 23:35. |
By transport mode
Bus / shuttle
Intercambiador ~9 min, Gran Hotel ~12 min, bus station ~25 min. 08:25, 09:05, 19:25, 20:05, 23:35 end at the bus station. Fare ~€1.40 (not published).
Where to catch it: Bus stop outside Terminal 1 (also T2)
Times: Mon–Fri from T1: 05:45, 06:25, 07:05 … last 23:35
Best for solo & budget travellersBus / shuttle
Loops through Playa Honda first; Intercambiador ~22 min, Gran Hotel ~24 min.
Where to catch it: Bus stop outside Terminal 1/T2
Times: Sat, Sun, holidays from airport 07:17–22:17 (at :17)
Best for solo & budget travellersBus / shuttle
Northbound buses from Playa Blanca that call at the airport and end at Arrecife bus station; times depend on the run from the south.
Where to catch it: Bus stop outside Terminal 1
Times: 162 passes T1 ~23:16 and ~00:16; 162-D passes T1 ~11:35, 13:35, 14:35, 15:35, 16:35, 17:35, 18:35, 20:35
Best for solo & budget travellersTaxi
Estimate from Aena-published tariff: €3.85 + €1.35/km + €2.10 airport supplement; night/Sunday rate €1.55/km.
Where to catch it: Official rank outside Terminal 1 arrivals
Times: 24 hours
Best for small groups in a hurryPrivate transfer
Costs roughly twice the metered fare; worth it mainly to confirm an infant seat or accessible vehicle in advance.
Where to catch it: T1 arrivals hall
Times: 24 hours
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsShuttle
Per person; for two or more, the taxi is cheaper.
Where to catch it: Shuttle meeting point in T1 arrivals
Times: Flight-dependent
Best for budget travellersArrecife (city centre) & Arrecife in photos
Buying tickets in Arrecife
Intercity Bus Lanzarote tickets are bought on board from the driver. There are no ticket machines at the airport stops. The operator asks you to pay the exact fare or use a note of no more than €10. Bank cards are accepted only when the on-board terminal is working, and a 2026 travel guide reports that contactless cards have not been accepted since December 2025, so carry coins. The operator does not publish a fare table online. Guides quote about €1.40 for short trips (Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen) and about €3.30 to Playa Blanca.
The Bono General rechargeable card costs €2, takes top-ups of €5–50 and gives 10% off each fare. It is not personalised and can pay for several passengers on the same trip. It is sold on board and at the offices in Arrecife bus station, Playa Blanca bus station and the Arrecife Intercambiador. Children under four travel free if they do not occupy a seat. Suitcases go in the luggage hold where the bus has one, and the driver decides what can be carried inside.
Taxi scams & safety in Arrecife
Use only the official taxi rank outside Terminal 1 arrivals. Aena advises passengers to avoid drivers offering rides elsewhere in the terminal and to ask for a receipt if they want to make a complaint. Lanzarote taxis are metered, with no fixed airport fares. The approved tariff Aena publishes (BOC no. 59, 24 March 2023) is:
- Tariff 1 (weekdays 06:00–22:00): €3.85 minimum, €1.35/km
- Tariff 2 (nights 22:00–06:00, Sundays and holidays): €4.25 minimum, €1.55/km
- €2.10 supplement for trips to or from the airport or port; waiting time €18.50/hour
- Christmas nights (24 and 31 Dec, 5 Jan, 22:00–24:00): €6.54 minimum
Check that the meter is running and showing the right tariff for the day and time. Prices quoted online for pre-booked transfers are per vehicle, not per person, and are often higher than the meter for short trips such as Arrecife or Playa Honda.
Getting from ACE to Arrecife (city centre)
The capital, six kilometres up the coast
Arrecife is the island's capital and its transport hub. It is also the nearest real town to the airport. The terminal is in San Bartolomé municipality, on the edge of Playa Honda, and Arrecife's seafront begins about 6 km to the east. Driving takes 10–12 minutes. The short distance means that, unlike for the resorts, the bus and the taxi are both simple choices. What matters is which day you land and at what time.
Weekdays: line 22
Line 22 runs Monday to Friday as a loop between Arrecife bus station (Estación de Guaguas) and the airport. From Terminal 1 the first departure is 05:45 and the last 23:35, every 40–50 minutes through the day. From the airport the bus calls at Esquina Calle Mástil and Deiland in Playa Honda (drop-off only), El Cable, the Intercambiador after about 9 minutes, and Gran Hotel on the seafront after about 12. It then goes on past Casino, Parque Viejo and Los Alonso and finishes at the bus station after roughly 25 minutes.
Two details from the operator's notes. Airport departures at 08:25, 09:05, 19:25, 20:05 and 23:35 end at the bus station. The Los Alonso stops are currently closed for roadworks.
Weekends and holidays: line 23
On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays line 22 does not run. Line 23 replaces it, leaving the airport hourly at 17 minutes past from 07:17 to 22:17. It first winds through Playa Honda's residential streets (Calle Mayor, Calle Alisios, the San Borondón stops), so the Intercambiador is about 22 minutes away and Gran Hotel about 24. That is slower, but it covers the same Arrecife stops.
The other buses that pass through
Two southern lines also stop at the airport on their way into Arrecife, and they matter outside line 22's hours. Line 162-D, coming up from Playa Blanca, calls at Terminal 1 at about 11:35, 13:35, 14:35, 15:35, 16:35, 17:35, 18:35 and 20:35 and reaches Arrecife bus station around 13 minutes later. Line 162 is the late one. It passes Terminal 1 at about 23:16 and 00:16 every night we checked and terminates at Arrecife bus station about 9 minutes later. If you land just before midnight, that is the only bus left on the island.
Paying
The operator does not post fares online. Guides quote about €1.40 for airport to Arrecife, and that matches the island's minimum fare. Pay on board with coins or a note no bigger than €10. Card payment depends on the on-board terminal working, so do not rely on it. If you are living in Arrecife for a while, the Bono General card (€2, then top-ups of €5–50, 10% off each fare, shareable) is sold on board and at the bus station and Intercambiador. Lanzarote residents get bigger discounts with the resident card.
Taxi and transfer
Taxis wait at the rank outside Terminal 1. Using the tariff published by Aena (€3.85 minimum, €1.35 per km and a €2.10 airport supplement by day), a trip into central Arrecife comes to roughly €14–15. Nights (22:00–06:00), Sundays and holidays add about €1–2. Use the official rank only, as Aena advises, and ask for a receipt.
A pre-booked car makes less sense here than anywhere else on the island, because the metered taxi costs less than half the online price. Suntransfers starts at about €38 for a car of up to four, comparison sites at roughly £28. The one real argument for booking is if you are travelling with an infant seat or need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle and want it confirmed in advance. Shared shuttles are listed from about €8.60 per person, but at that price two people are better off in a taxi.
Quick decision table
- Weekday, 05:45–23:35: line 22. It is cheap, takes about 12 minutes to the seafront, and runs every 40–50 minutes.
- Weekend daytime: line 23 at 17 minutes past each hour, or a taxi if you have just missed one.
- Around midnight: line 162 at about 23:16 or 00:16, otherwise a taxi.
- Heavy bags or more than one person: taxi. It costs about €15 and saves walking from the stop.
Getting around after you arrive
Arrecife bus station (Estación de Guaguas) is on Rambla Medular. The operator lists its office there as open 08:00–18:30 on weekdays and 09:00–13:00 at weekends and on holidays. Most island lines start there or at the Intercambiador, including line 1 to Costa Teguise, line 9 to Órzola and line 60 to Playa Blanca, so Arrecife is a good base if you plan to see the island by bus.
ACE to Arrecife (city centre) — FAQ
How far is Arrecife from Lanzarote Airport?
What's the cheapest way from the airport to Arrecife?
What's the fastest way to Arrecife?
How much is a taxi from Lanzarote Airport to Arrecife?
What time is the last bus from the airport to Arrecife?
Does bus 22 run at weekends?
I arrive after midnight — how do I get to Arrecife?
Sources
Fares and times on this page were last held against their official sources on 21 October 2026. Operators change prices without notice — if you spot a difference, the operator’s own page is the authority. How we check fares.
- Intercity Bus Lanzarote – line 22 Arrecife–Aeropuerto (Mon–Fri) · checked 2026-10-21
- Intercity Bus Lanzarote – line 23 Arrecife–Aeropuerto–Playa Honda (weekends/holidays) · checked 2026-10-21
- Intercity Bus Lanzarote – line 162 Playa Blanca–Aeropuerto–Arrecife (late runs) · checked 2026-10-21
- Intercity Bus Lanzarote – line 162-D Arrecife–Aeropuerto–Playa Blanca · checked 2026-10-21
- Aena – César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport: getting there by bus · checked 2026-10-21
- Aena – César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport: taxi rank and official fares (BOC no. 59, 24 Mar 2023) · checked 2026-10-21
- Intercity Bus Lanzarote – customer service (payment, luggage, children) · checked 2026-10-21
- Intercity Bus Lanzarote – transport cards (Bono General) · checked 2026-10-21
- The Flashpacker – Lanzarote by bus 2026 (fares from €1.40, no contactless since Dec 2025) · checked 2026-10-21
- Suntransfers – Lanzarote Airport to Arrecife (private and shared prices) · checked 2026-10-21
- AirportTaxiHub – Lanzarote fixed-price transfers (checked 19 Oct 2026) · checked 2026-10-21
