Dune buggies and beach buggies on Lanzarote: what they are and where you really drive

Anyone searching for "dune buggy" or "beach buggy hire" tends to picture sand, the sea alongside and a buggy bouncing over the dunes. On Lanzarote that trip doesn't exist, because the law doesn't allow it. Here's what those names mean and what you'll actually be driving.

What is a dune buggy or beach buggy?

"Dune buggy" and "beach buggy" are names for a type of vehicle: a light, open car built for loose ground. The classic is the Meyers Manx, built on Volkswagen running gear, and the name stuck for light off-road buggies in general.

The buggies used on Lanzarote tours today are a different generation: Can-Am Mavericks with a roll cage, seatbelts and, in most cases, automatic gearboxes. There are two-, four- and six-seat models. But the vehicle doesn't decide the route: the rules do, and they leave the sand out.

Can you drive a buggy on the beach on Lanzarote?

No. Spain's Coastal Law (Ley de Costas, article 33.5) bans driving and parking on beaches without authorisation, with fines of €50 to €150. If the beach lies inside a protected natural area, Canary land law applies too: driving, stopping or parking off authorised tracks is an offence carrying a fine of €600 to €6,000, and the driver is also liable for any environmental damage.

No operator on the island offers beach driving. If you see a listing that hints at it, ask exactly where the route goes before you book.

What about the dunes? Famara and El Jable

Lanzarote has sand, but no dune field for vehicles. The main sand system is El Jable, a strip about 21 km long that crosses the island from Famara bay towards the centre. Part of it lies in a bird protection area and in the biosphere reserve. The dunes behind Famara beach are inside the Chinijo Archipelago Natural Park. No tour drives a buggy through them.

The Canaries' big dune fields are on other islands: Corralejo on Fuerteventura and Maspalomas on Gran Canaria. There's a day trip from Lanzarote that crosses to Fuerteventura by ferry and does a buggy tour of the north of the island with a visit to Corralejo: it lasts about 10 hours, costs from €124 per person and is rated 4.1. The listing doesn't promise driving on the dunes, so don't take it for granted. See the Corralejo trip.

Papagayo: the case that ended in a fine

Papagayo is the first place many people think of when they search for a beach buggy. The coves are in the Los Ajaches Natural Monument, a protected area. In July 2025 Cabildo officers caught a buggy convoy driving there, and in November the company was fined €4,500, classed as a serious offence. The reasons given: soil compaction, erosion and damage to the habitat of the Canary houbara bustard.

You can get to Papagayo by car along the access road (€3-per-vehicle barrier), on foot or by boat. On a buggy excursion, no. If you're staying in the south, see what you can do in quads and buggies in Playa Blanca.

What you really drive: volcanic tracks and roads

Instead of sand, Lanzarote tours combine dirt tracks and roads through volcanic landscape. The published routes:

You do get the coast: the 3-hour Buggies Lanzarote route runs on tracks beside the sea to Playa Quemada and drops down towards La Santa with views of La Graciosa, and H2O's 3-hour northern version passes Los Cocoteros and the Charco del Palo. You see the sea, but from the track.

Our pick for anyone who was looking for a "dune buggy" is the 3-hour tour from Puerto Calero: it combines the most coastline with the most dirt track. For views from up high, the off-road tour in the north, with more than 5,500 reviews and a 4.6 rating. More routes in off-road buggy tours.

Can you hire a dune buggy without a guide?

We found no self-drive buggy or quad hire on Lanzarote. Everything on sale is a guided convoy excursion. The only motor vehicle we found to hire without a guide is a Can-Am Ryker three-wheeler from H2O: 24 hours for €150, on a car licence, and on the road. We explain it in buggy hire.

Before you book, bear two things in mind:

• Requirements. Drivers usually need to be 20–21 with 2 years' licence, and must bring the original. In a two-seater buggy the passenger must be at least 1.35 m tall. Details in licence, age and requirements.
• Routes under review. On 2 October 2026 the Cabildo opened a one-month public consultation on a by-law that could restrict or ban buggies and quads on dirt tracks and rural land. There's no ban today, but routes could move onto tarmac. Check when you book.

Is a dune buggy safe on Lanzarote?

Tours run in convoy behind a guide, in buggies with a roll cage and seatbelts. The most serious accident on record on the island happened off the route: in 2023 two tourists died in Teguise after their buggy left the convoy and fell about 20 metres into a ravine. The practical rule is simple: follow the guide and keep your distance. What to bring and what to expect is in what to expect on the tour.

Reviewed: 6 October 2026