The peaceful neighbouring resorts of Matagorda and Los Pocillos are located very close to Puerto del Carmen, yet offer a much more laid-back vibe. Expect beautiful beaches, a great range of modern accommodation and a warm welcome at the local bars and restaurants.
Matagorda and Los Pocillos are a pair of neighbouring resorts located between Lanzarote’s largest resort, Puerto del Carmen, and the island’s capital Arrecife. Originally small offshoots of the big resort just five minutes away, both have become attractive places to stay, eat and visit in their own right.
In Matagorda and Los Pocillos you’ll find lovely beaches, great amenities and a good choice of bars and restaurants. Both offer a far quieter alternative to the often-hectic hustle and bustle of larger Lanzarote resorts, and are far flatter than hilly Puerto del Carmen.
Only two miles (or three kilometres) from Puerto del Carmen is Los Pocillos, a tranquil resort fronting the beach of the same name. Playa de Los Pocillos has an appealing promenade, backed by a great range of hotels and holiday apartments.
Matagorda is located a little further down the coast, and is connected to Los Pocillos via the promenade. The recently developed resort is only around five minutes by car from Arrecife airport, and offers a variety of contemporary, good quality accommodation. The central town square is surrounded by a two-story complex packed with bars, cafes and restaurants, and you can also find places to eat and drink by the ocean.
Both Matagorda and Los Pocillos are ideal for anyone who seeks peace. Yet from either you can enjoy easy access to the larger Lanzarote resort of Puerto del Carmen, plus all the island’s main sightseeing locations.
How to Get There
From Lanzarote airport, you can catch bus number 161 to reach Matagorda or Los Pocillos. If you’re travelling to Matagorda, the trip only takes 6 minutes, while for those travelling to Los Pocillos, the bus journey takes about 11 minutes. Tickets for both cost around 1,40 €.
You can also take a taxi from the airport to either of the resorts. This costs around €10 to €13, and takes about 6 to 8 minutes.
You can also use the 161 bus to travel to Matagorda or Los Pocillos from Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca.
Things to Do
Beaches
Matagorda’s blue flag, golden sand beach is very popular, and offers a lifeguard service. You can find sun loungers for rent along the stretch in front of the all-inclusive Sol Lanzarote resort.
In both resorts, life tends to be centred on the beautiful beaches. Yet due to their size, the sand never seems to be packed with people.
Playa Matagorda
Matagorda beach is about 850 metres long and has been awarded a blue flag for cleanliness and water quality. Holiday accommodation and residential areas lie close to the sands.
Expect plenty of golden sand coupled with calm, family-friendly waters. You can lie back and relax, take a stroll along the shore or promenade, or try out some water sports at Playa Matagorda. Sunshine and reasonably strong winds create ideal conditions for sunbathing and windsurfing.
Close to the local hotels and holiday apartments you can hire sunbeds and parasols. The beach also offers toilets, showers and a lifeguard service. There is also parking close by, though spaces can sometimes be a bit scarce during the peak tourist season.
The beach is ideal for swimming and surfing, and the gentle waves here are suitable for beginners.
You can also find a large selection of restaurants, bars and cafes right by the beach, lined up on the promenade.
Playa de Los Pocillos
At the southern end of Matagorda beach, the bigger stretch of sand known as Playa de Los Pocillos begins. This is one of a trio of coastal spots often referred to as the Great Beaches of Puerto del Carmen.
Playa de Los Pocillos is the biggest, and positioned in the centre of the three. It comprises a swathe of golden sand lapped by calm waters. The beach stretches for around a mile (or about a kilometre-and-a-half), and is fringed by tropical-style palm trees.
Playa de Los Pocillos also offers water sports facilities and a broad promenade. Amenities available here include sunbed hire, umbrella rental, showers, toilets and a first aid point.
Close to the beach you can also find gift shops, supermarkets of all sizes, and the CC Costa Mar shopping mall. This offers a range of bars and restaurants for all budgets.
Playa de Los Pocillos is particularly popular with families, due to the gently sloping golden sand and shallow waters. Conditions are calm, so it’s ideal for paddling and younger children.
The Promenade
Did you know that Lanzarote has the longest promenade in the world? No, we’re not kidding.
This runs along the coastline for 16 miles (26 kilometres). It passes through the resorts of Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise, Los Pocillos and Matagorda, and also the island capital, Arrecife. If you are staying in Matagorda or Los Pocillos, Puerto del Carmen is to the south, with Arrecife and Costa Teguise on the northern side.
This lovely seafront promenade is lined with countless bars and restaurants. It’s also perfect for taking long walks, or for sports enthusiasts such as runners and cyclists.
While you’re in the area, we highly recommend hiring bikes so you can enjoy cycling along the promenade. As we took our 2 boys along for the ride, we rented a large 4 seater family bike, and it was a fantastic way to explore the area. We can recommend Fliston’s Bike (it’s located in Matagorda Shopping Centre here).
Plane-Spotting
Our children’s number one thing to do here is to watch planes as they come in to land or take off from Arrecife airport. This is conveniently close by. As a family, we can never get enough of this free activity!
You can watch the aircraft from Matagorda beach. Or get closer to the airport by walking along the promenade and heading north, in the direction of Playa Honda and Arrecife. There aren’t many places on the planet where you can see an airport runway so clearly.
Stand by the end of the runway if you can (here). If you line up with the runway, you can see and feel the planes whooshing in. When the aircraft takes off, too, a hot wind blowing from the engines hits you.
You can capture some amazing footage and photos here. Our two children were absolutely thrilled by seeing planes at such close quarters, and asked to return again and again.
There is a narrow stretch of beach near to the runway (Playa de Guasimeta). So if you like, you can bring something to eat and drink, and enjoy sitting on the beach and watching the planes.
Be sure to check out arrival and departure times on the Lanzarote airport website in advance, because sometimes there are long gaps with no planes coming or going.
Shopping Centres
While there are no big shopping centres in the area, you’ll find plenty of smaller ones where you can buy souvenirs, groceries and pool toys. You can also eat and drink at various bars and restaurants here, with views over the promenade and ocean thrown in.
There are four shopping centres in the area. These are listed in order, from Matagorda then heading southwards, towards Los Pocillos and Puerto del Carmen.
Matagorda Shopping Centre
You can find a well-stocked Spar supermarket here, plus Fliston’s bike rental shop. There’s also a great Irish pub called The Auld Triangle, an Irish restaurant named O’Shea’s, the lovely Casa Kike restaurant, and Ocean’s Cocktail Bar.
Location: Google Maps
Los Jameos Shopping Centre
Situated close to the Los Jameos hotel by the sea and overlooking Playa de los Pocillos beach. Notable mentions are the Mumbai Masala Indian restaurant and the Mediterranean restaurant El Molino. Also, try tapas at O’Horreo and fish and chips at Devon Restaurant and Bar.
Location: Google Maps
Los Pocillos Shopping Centre
Located on the border between the resorts of Matagorda and Los Pocillos, this centre is home to a Spar supermarket, Aquanautic diving school, and a bicycle rental shop, to name but a few. Check out the fantastic Marcos bar here, which offers amazing live entertainment, food and cocktails. El Jameo restaurant also serves good steak and seafood dishes.
Location: Google Maps
Costa Mar Shopping Centre
This centre is home to the well-known diving school Mojo Dive, a Spar supermarket, a bike rental service and a pharmacy. We can also recommend both the Sabor Ahumado Grill and Shahi Indian restaurants.
Location: Google Maps
For more attractive shopping options, head either to Deiland Centre in Playa Honda (the next seaside resort after the airport) or the Biosfera Plaza centre in Puerto del Carmen, where you’ll find such international brands such as Bershka, Calzedonia, Zara, and many more.
Paint Puerto Del Carmen Red
Even though Matagorda and Los Pocillos are brilliant choices for holidays, the nightlife here is rather low key. So you’re likely to want to visit the lively neighbouring resort of Puerto del Carmen to see more action, at least a couple of times.
Depending on where you stay, Puerto del Carmen may be closer or further away from your accommodation. Matagorda is more distant, while Los Pocillos borders Lanzarote’s biggest resort.
In either case, it won’t take longer than 5 minutes by taxi to reach Puerto del Carmen. You could even walk to Puerto del Carmen if you feel like it, or hop onto bus number 161 or 03.
Coming from Los Pocillos, you’ll enter the so-called new town first. This offers a main strip lined with bars, restaurants, and clubs that are open until the wee small hours. It’s probably the liveliest place in all of Lanzarote. The numerous clubs and bars here guarantee you’ll find a vibrant nightlife scene.
If you want something more laid-back, there’s also an abundance of cocktail and lounge bars. These are mainly found in the Avenida de las Playas area, which along with El Varadero, is Puerto del Carmen’s nightlife HQ.
If you go further, you’ll end up in the old part of town, where the harbour is. That’s where you can catch a ferry to the upscale resort of Puerto Calero. The old town is the perfect place for savouring some seafood in one of the harbour view restaurants.
The resort also has many sophisticated wine and cocktail bars, which are ideal for watching the sunset. Puerto del Carmen also offers opportunities to unwind on an ocean view terrace with a drink, or share tapas dishes at a local restaurant.
Explore More With a Fun-Filled Day Trip
Booking a day trip from Matagorda or Los Pocillos is always a fun idea, as you get to experience something that would be difficult to organise yourself. Here are our favourite tours offering pick-up from these resorts.
Timanfaya, Cueva Verdes, Jameos & Mirador del Rio
This one involves seeing all of Lanzarote top attractions, conveniently packaged as a nine hour tour. See the volcanic landscapes of Timanfaya National Park, the historic Cueva de los Verdes caves, the Mirador del Rio viewpoint and the underground cavern complex of Jameos del Agua with a restaurant, concert hall and lake.
Day Trip to Papagayo Beaches by Catamaran
Jump aboard a catamaran to head off to the Costa de Papagayo to experience golden beaches, kayaking over turquoise water, swimming, water sports and snorkelling. A lunch of Spanish paella, a welcome cocktail and an open bar are included.
Dolphin-Watching Sunset Cruise
This cruise sets sail in the evening, so you can spot dolphins while enjoying canapes and cocktails. The sunset views back towards Puerto del Carmen are also stunning.
Jet Ski Tour
Riding a jet ski is a bucket list activity for many people, so where better to do it than Lanzarote? See the volcanic landscape, rock formations and of course the beautiful coastline as you skim over the surface of the waves.
Our Favourite Bars & Restaurants
Though they’re compact resorts, Matagorda and Los Pocillos are certainly not lacking in quality waterfront pubs, restaurants and cafes. Here are some of our personal favourites.
El Molino
El Molino is located at the end of Playa Los Pocillos, and offers Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine, friendly service and reasonable prices.
Devon Restaurant and Bar
Homemade British dishes are the name of the game at this welcoming Los Jameos restaurant, the winner of a recent TripAdvisor Travellers Choice award.
Mumbai Masala
This Indian restaurant is listed in TripAdvisor’s top 10 of nearly 300 in the Puerto del Carmen area. Expect affordable, flavoursome food and friendly service.
Marcos Bar
The very affable Marco runs a tight ship at his TripAdvisor award-winning bar. It’s one of the area’s top spots for live music, DJs, cocktails and more.
The Auld Triangle
This atmospheric Irish pub is family-friendly, offering good food and a laid-back ambience. It’s located in the Matagorda shopping centre.
Ocean’s Cocktail Bar
Ocean’s can also be found in the Matagorda shopping centre. Friendly staff, sea views and delicious cocktails make this one a must.
Café Mocca
Cafe Mocca is the area’s number one place for coffee, and also serves breakfast, brunch and lunch. The cakes sold here are very highly rated.
Where to Stay
Though Matagorda and Los Pocillos are compact resorts, you’ll find a great range of accommodation options here.
Hotel Las Costas
This upmarket, four star beachfront property in Los Pocillos offers a range of generously sized rooms with balconies. The modern hotel has a seaside pool, an outdoor hot tub and a fitness centre. There is also a buffet restaurant here, plus a poolside bar serving yummy cocktails and snacks.
You can reach Puerto del Carmen on foot in only 10 minutes from Hotel Las Costas. At the property, you’ll also find a games room, a sauna, and kids’ entertainment programme, and massages can be booked on site.
This exceptionally clean hotel doesn’t allow sunbeds to be reserved until 9am, which makes a lie-in more feasible! A good selection of food and drinks is available at breakfast each morning.
Hipotels La Geria
Hipotels La Geria is another four star property located at Los Pocillos beach. It’s attractively set among tropical-style gardens, and the curvy outdoor pool is surrounded by sunbeds and palm trees.
Stay here and you can enjoy ocean views, tennis courts, a sauna, a gym, a 24-hour front desk and a restaurant. There’s also a poolside bar. The location, helpful staff, fresh fruits at breakfast and some rooms with sea views can help to make your stay here special.
Sol Lanzarote
If you’d rather stay by Matagorda Beach, then try the all-inclusive four star Sol Lanzarote. It offers three outdoor pools set among pretty gardens, a guest gym and direct beach access. All accommodation is air conditioned and comes with a balcony.
Sol Lanzarote has a buffet restaurant serving international fare, plus two bars including one by the pool. Family-friendly facilities include an adventure playground and a kids’ club, and there’s also a full entertainment programme for adults.
Hotel Lava Beach
If you want to go all-out by booking a five star stay, Hotel Lava Beach is our recommendation. It’s right by Los Pocillos beach, and as well as pools and ocean views it has mini golf on site.
Hotel Lava Beach also offers a spacious poolside sun terrace, landscaped grounds, a gym, a 24-hour reception desk, a couple of restaurants and a bar, and a lovely spa and wellness centre. Accommodation has ocean or garden views, and some room rates include spa access.
