Lanzarote stays warm and dry through the winter. At the island's airport, days average 24.2°C in November, 21.8°C in December and 20.7°C in January, the coolest month, before warming to 22.9°C by March. Nights stay between 14 and 17°C. Rain is light: 90 mm across all five months, and the airport averages 6.9 h of sunshine a day. December is the wettest month, March the sunniest of the winter.
Below you'll find each winter month, the sea, rain and sunshine, how Lanzarote compares with Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and the whole year.
Lanzarote in Winter: the Table
Air temperatures, rain and sunshine are the official 1981-2010 climate normals from AEMET, Spain's weather service, for Lanzarote Aeropuerto (AEMET climate normals), 14 m above sea level. It is the only Lanzarote station with published values in that set. The airport is in San Bartolomé, 5 km south-west of Arrecife (Lanzarote Airport), the island's capital on the east coast (Lanzarote). Sea temperatures are the average sea surface temperature off the south-east coast for 2023 to 2025, from the Open-Meteo marine model: modelled open water, not a reading at any one beach. "Day high" and "night low" are the average daily maximum and minimum, and "rain days" are days with 1 mm or more.
| Month | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rain | Rain days | Sun a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 24.2°C | 17.2°C | 22.1°C | 15 mm | 3.0 | 6.9 h |
| December | 21.8°C | 15.4°C | 20.8°C | 29 mm | 3.8 | 6.3 h |
| January | 20.7°C | 14.0°C | 20.0°C | 16 mm | 3.2 | 6.5 h |
| February | 21.3°C | 14.3°C | 19.0°C | 18 mm | 2.7 | 7.2 h |
| March | 22.9°C | 15.0°C | 19.0°C | 12 mm | 2.4 | 7.8 h |
Over the five months the airport averages 22.2°C by day and 15.2°C at night, with rain on about 15 days in the whole winter. The sea averages 20.2°C.
Month by Month
November: days average 24.2°C and nights 17.2°C, with 15 mm of rain over about 3.0 rainy days and 6.9 h of sun a day. The sea is 22.1°C: warm enough for most people to swim.
December: days average 21.8°C and nights 15.4°C, with 29 mm of rain over about 3.8 rainy days and 6.3 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.8°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water.
January: days average 20.7°C and nights 14.0°C, with 16 mm of rain over about 3.2 rainy days and 6.5 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water.
February: days average 21.3°C and nights 14.3°C, with 18 mm of rain over about 2.7 rainy days and 7.2 h of sun a day. The sea is 19.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water.
March: days average 22.9°C and nights 15.0°C, with 12 mm of rain over about 2.4 rainy days and 7.8 h of sun a day. The sea is 19.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water.
Each month links to our Lanzarote weather page for that month. Those pages use a model average for a point near Puerto del Carmen, so their figures differ a little from the airport normals here: from November to March the model's day highs run from the same as the airport to 1.0°C cooler.
Does It Rain in Lanzarote in Winter?
Very little. The airport gets about 110 mm in an average year, and 90 mm of it falls from November to March. The wettest month is December, with 29 mm over about 3.8 rainy days. March is the driest winter month, at 12 mm.
That is about 15 days with 1 mm or more in five months, so plan a museum or a long lunch for the odd wet afternoon rather than a whole indoor week.
How Much Sun Does Lanzarote Get in Winter?
Plenty, though not wall-to-wall blue sky. The airport averages 6.3 h of sunshine a day in December, rising to 7.8 h in March. AEMET counts only about 24 clear days from November to March, so most winter days mix sun and passing cloud.
Over a whole year the airport logs about 2,990 hours of sunshine a year, more than Fuerteventura's airport (about 2,840) or Gran Canaria's (about 2,820, adding up its monthly averages, since AEMET gives no annual figure there) on the same AEMET set.
Lanzarote Sea Temperature in Winter
Over the year the sea off the south-east coast is warmest in August (23.5°C) and coolest in February and March (19.0°C). In winter:
- November: 22.1°C, the warmest water of the winter.
- December: 20.8°C.
- January to March: 19.0°C to 20.0°C. Swimmable on a sunny afternoon, but cool enough that most people keep it short.
We use 21°C as the line for comfortable swimming without a wetsuit. November reaches it, and the rest of the winter sits below it. Lanzarote's sea runs a little cooler than the water off southern Gran Canaria or Tenerife in the same months.
Lanzarote or Fuerteventura? And the Other Islands
Lanzarote is the easternmost Canary Island, about 125 km off the coast of Africa (Lanzarote). AEMET's figures for the four main holiday islands' airports, side by side for November to March:
| Airport, Nov to Mar | Day high | Night low | Rain | Rain days | Sun a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lanzarote | 22.2°C | 15.2°C | 90 mm | 15 | 6.9 h |
| Fuerteventura | 22.0°C | 15.7°C | 81 mm | 12 | 6.6 h |
| Gran Canaria | 22.1°C | 16.0°C | 114 mm | 17 | 6.4 h |
| Tenerife south | 22.9°C | 16.1°C | 108 mm | 11 | 6.6 h |
On these numbers Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are close to a tie: Fuerteventura's airport is 0.2°C cooler by day and 0.5°C milder at night, with rain on fewer days. Lanzarote's airport gets more sunshine. The Tenerife south airport is about 0.7°C warmer by day. Pick between the two eastern islands on what you want to do, not on the weather.
Keep in mind that these are airports, not resorts. Our comparison of the four main holiday islands in winter uses resort points instead, and has more on what each island is like. For the islands to the west, see Gran Canaria weather in winter and Tenerife weather in winter.
Lanzarote keeps UK time in winter (Time in Spain), so there is no jet lag from the UK.
Lanzarote Weather Through the Year
The whole year at the airport, air and sea:
| Month | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20.7°C | 14.0°C | 20.0°C | 16 mm |
| February | 21.3°C | 14.3°C | 19.0°C | 18 mm |
| March | 22.9°C | 15.0°C | 19.0°C | 12 mm |
| April | 23.5°C | 15.7°C | 19.8°C | 5 mm |
| May | 24.6°C | 16.8°C | 20.7°C | 2 mm |
| June | 26.3°C | 18.8°C | 21.9°C | 0 mm |
| July | 28.2°C | 20.4°C | 22.8°C | 0 mm |
| August | 29.1°C | 21.2°C | 23.5°C | 0 mm |
| September | 28.6°C | 20.8°C | 23.1°C | 2 mm |
| October | 26.7°C | 19.4°C | 23.0°C | 10 mm |
| November | 24.2°C | 17.2°C | 22.1°C | 15 mm |
| December | 21.8°C | 15.4°C | 20.8°C | 29 mm |
January has the coolest days, at 20.7°C (69°F), and August the warmest, at 29.1°C. The whole year spans under 9°C by day.
How to Choose Your Month
- The warmest days and sea: November, at 24.2°C by day with the sea at 22.1°C.
- Christmas and New Year: 21.8°C by day in December, though it is the wettest month (29 mm). Our Christmas sun holidays guide compares the options for the festive weeks.
- The most sunshine: March, with about 7.8 h a day and the least rain of the winter.
- The coolest stretch: January and February, at 20.7°C and 21.3°C by day. Good for walking the volcanic landscapes, cool for the sea.
Keep It All on One Map
A Lanzarote trip usually starts as a pile of saved posts: a lava-field viewpoint, a fish restaurant by a harbour, a beach for a sunset swim. In Dream Trip your saved places sit on one map, so you can see which ones are near your hotel and which are worth a day out, and turn them into a day-by-day plan. Subscribers can import TikTok and Reels links.
Start your Lanzarote shortlist in Dream Trip.
FAQ
What is the weather like in Lanzarote in November?
Days average 24.2°C and nights 17.2°C, with 15 mm of rain over about 3.0 rainy days and 6.9 h of sun a day. The sea is 22.1°C: warm enough for most people to swim. See Lanzarote weather in November.
Is Lanzarote warm in December?
Yes, mild rather than hot. Days average 21.8°C and nights 15.4°C, with 29 mm of rain over about 3.8 rainy days and 6.3 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.8°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. It is the wettest month, but that still means only a few rainy days. See Lanzarote weather in December.
What is the weather like in Lanzarote in January?
Days average 20.7°C and nights 14.0°C, with 16 mm of rain over about 3.2 rainy days and 6.5 h of sun a day. The sea is 20.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. January has the coolest days of the year. See Lanzarote weather in January.
What is the weather like in Lanzarote in February?
Days average 21.3°C and nights 14.3°C, with 18 mm of rain over about 2.7 rainy days and 7.2 h of sun a day. The sea is 19.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. See Lanzarote weather in February.
What is the weather like in Lanzarote in March?
Days average 22.9°C and nights 15.0°C, with 12 mm of rain over about 2.4 rainy days and 7.8 h of sun a day. The sea is 19.0°C: fine for a swim if you don't mind cool water. It is the sunniest and driest month of the winter. See Lanzarote weather in March.
Is Lanzarote or Fuerteventura warmer in winter?
They are within a few tenths of a degree. From November to March the Lanzarote airport averages 22.2°C by day and Fuerteventura's 22.0°C, on AEMET's 1981-2010 normals. Fuerteventura's nights are 0.5°C milder, and Lanzarote gets a little more sun.
Can you swim in Lanzarote in winter?
Yes, if you don't mind cool water. The sea averages 22.1°C in November, 20.8°C in December and about 19°C by February.
