Playa Blanca (Spanish for "White Beach") is the southernmost town of the Spanish island of Lanzarote. It is the newest resort on the island, and is part of the municipality of Yaiza.
Approximately a 40-minute drive (45 km) from the airport, it has a state school, a private school (teaching the English educational curriculum), a notary, the bustling Rubicon Marina, church, harbour with ferries to Corralejo on the northern tip of Fuerteventura and an industrial area on the entrance to the town. A public library was opened in April 2012.
The bus and coach station ("Estacion de Guaguas") is the northern edge of the commercial area of the town, at the corner of Av. de las Canarias and Calle los Calamares. Direct or connecting services are available from here to all parts of the island. The building is also the location of the local police station and the local government administration (Ayuntamiento).
In early October 2008, Playa Blanca became the first town on the Island to have a dedicated local bus service, rather than through buses only. The price is a flat-rate €1.30 per journey for an adult, regardless of distance traveled around the town. The route follows a continuous loop from Faro Park in the west of the town, to Las Coloradas in the east. Frequency is every half an hour throughout the day and evening.
The coastline around Playa Blanca is essentially one large 9 kilometre wide bay which is then broken up into three smaller, but still large, bays. From East to west these are Playa Dorada, Playa Blanca and Playa Flamingo. This basic geography means that the beaches in and around Playa Blanca are sheltered and ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
The Atlantic Ocean is to the east, west and south. From the inland edge of the town to the interior, the landscape is level and volcanic. The main road route to Playa Blanca is the LZ2, heading north from the town then eastwards to the capital Arrecife. The second significant road route is the LZ 702 mountain road heading north-east from Playa Blanca via Maciot and Femes, connecting to the LZ72 at an interchange near Uga.
The residents are an eclectic mix of American, British, Canadian, Canarian, German, Irish, and Spanish.
Marina Rubicon
Marina Rubicon, one of the biggest ports on the Canary Islands, is situated about a 15-minute promenade walk from the town itself. It has 550 berths with finger system for monohull and multihull boats of up to 50 meters, in addition to an area for large length on the dock (up to 90 m) and a courtesy dinghy-dock located in anteport. All berths have turrets with water and electricity. The floating boarding pontoons have an aluminium structure, covered in tropical wood and anchored using berthing dolphins. It has markets twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays (both in the morning). The goods sold range from handcrafted gifts to local wines.
Two hundred meters to the east of Marina Rubicon, Castillo de las Coloradas stands on the headland of Punta del Aquila. This watchtower was built between 1741 and 1744. It offered good protection through its robust circular construction and through its drawbridge. Its bell was sounded to warn that pirates were approaching the coast.
The Underwater Museum
The Atlantic Museum is an underwater museum located off the coast of Playa Blanca. The museum was designed by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor and opened in 2016. The museum consists of a collection of over 300 life-size sculptures, most of which are located at depths of 12 to 15 meters underneath the water. The sculptures are made from pH-neutral materials that are environmentally friendly and designed to encourage the growth of marine life. The sculptures are spread out over an area of 2500 square meters and are set in a variety of positions and poses, representing scenes from everyday life as well as social and political issues. Some of the sculptures include a woman taking a selfie, a group of people taking a group photo, a man in a suit sitting at a desk with his head buried in the sand, and a group of children holding hands in a circle. The aim of the museum is to create a unique and sustainable way of engaging tourists and locals with the underwater environment and to provide a new habitat for marine life.