Boat trips with kids on Lanzarote – what's the minimum age?
Updated October 1, 2026 · 7 min read
The short answer: there is no minimum age for boat trips on Lanzarote. Among all the island’s listings on GetYourGuide, exactly one names a minimum age in its description — a buggy adventure from Puerto del Carmen, from age 8 accompanied by an adult — and that isn’t a boat trip. The limit instead sits in each operator’s own terms of participation, and three other things decide how well the trip goes: boat type, duration and wind. For a first trip with kids, the mini cruise from Playa Blanca to Papagayo suits best: 1.5 hours, from €35 per person, 4.7 out of 5 from 374 reviews — short, affordable, and on a coast sheltered from the trade wind by the land.
See times and prices for the mini cruise to Papagayo
| Tour | Duration | from | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Cruise from Playa Blanca with Swimming Stop | 1.5 hours | €35 | 4.7 from 374 reviews | families with young children and anyone trying the water for the first time |
| Real Submarine Dive in Puerto Calero | 1 hour | €65 | 4.6 from 1,447 reviews | kids who can’t swim and anyone who doesn’t want to get wet |
| Papagayo Catamaran with Lunch & Drinks | 4 hours | €85 | 4.8 from 413 reviews | families who want to spend half a day on board |
| Catamaran Day Trip to the Papagayo Beaches | Day trip | €66 | 4.4 from 1,081 reviews | families with older kids who want a full day |
| Dolphin-Watching Speedboat from Puerto del Carmen | 1.5 hours | €35 | 3.8 from 2,281 reviews | older kids who are fine with a rough ride and spray |
For boats, that means the limit isn’t in the overview at all – it sits in the terms of participation on each operator’s own site. It varies from operator to operator, it changes, and it often depends on the boat type rather than the calendar. Check before you book. Anyone relying on a general answer – including this one – risks being turned away at the jetty.
What you get here instead are the three things that actually decide how well a trip goes on this island.
1. The boat type matters more than the age
Speedboat. One of the shortest and cheapest trips on the island is a dolphin tour by speedboat from Puerto del Carmen: 1.5 hours for €35. It has 2,281 reviews and comes in at 3.8 out of 5 — the lowest rating among all Lanzarote offers with more than 1,000 reviews. A speedboat rides hard, it sprays, the seats are narrow, and there’s usually no shade. For older children, that’s exactly the appeal. For a child who can’t yet decide for themselves whether they’ll enjoy it, it’s the least forgiving option.
Catamaran. The other extreme. A catamaran sits wide, rolls little, has trampoline nets for lying down, and as a rule shade and a toilet on board. The full-day trip to the Papagayo beaches costs €66 at 4.4 out of 5 from 1,081 reviews, and the four-hour version with lunch and drinks costs €85 at 4.8 out of 5 from 413 reviews. If it’s a child’s first time spending any length of time on the water, this is the most forgiving build. All these trips are covered under Catamaran to Papagayo.
See availability and prices for the catamaran with lunch
The ferry. Órzola to La Graciosa takes around 25 minutes and costs from €29 return. Short enough that almost nothing can go wrong — but the El Río strait lies open to the wind, and in a northerly the boat moves noticeably. Anyone wanting to test whether their child likes being on a boat should test it here, not on a six-hour tour. What’s waiting on the other side is covered in The north of Lanzarote, the crossings themselves under La Graciosa.
The submarine. In Puerto Calero, a genuine diving boat goes down to 30 metres, one hour, €65, 4.6 out of 5 from 1,447 reviews. It’s the only trip on the water where swimming plays no part and nobody gets wet. Find it under Boat trips and submarine.
See availability and prices for the submarine dive
2. Duration, and how much of it children can take
Boat trips on Lanzarote fall into three lengths, and the differences are bigger than the numbers suggest:
1.5 to 2 hours. The speedboat dolphin trip from Puerto del Carmen and the mini cruise from Playa Blanca to Papagayo (€35, 4.7 out of 5). This is the length at which even a child who gets bored partway through doesn’t end up in real distress.
2 to 4 hours. The evening dolphin trip at sunset (€53, 2 hours, 4.2 out of 5 from 3,033 reviews) or the four-hour catamaran with a swimming stop and lunch. Here you need a reason to stay on board — a jump into the water, food, something to do.
6 hours or more. The island tour around La Graciosa with lunch (€66, 6 hours, 4.5 out of 5 from 2,045 reviews) or the full-day sailing trip around the same island (€72, 6 hours, 4.3 out of 5 from 1,169 reviews). These are wonderful days out for families with older children and long days for everyone else. With a toddler on board, the return leg is the part everyone remembers afterwards — and rarely fondly. More on this in Lanzarote with a toddler.
3. The trade wind – the factor unique to Lanzarote
This is where this island differs from Mallorca or the Algarve. The north-east trade wind blows here almost year-round, and it picks up as the day goes on. Two practical rules follow from that:
Mornings are calmer than afternoons. A trip at ten and the same trip at four in the afternoon are two different experiences for a child.
The south lies in the wind shadow, the north doesn’t. The Playa Blanca–Papagayo route runs along a coast sheltered by the land. Trips from Puerto del Carmen and everywhere north of it are more exposed. When the forecast calls for a strong northerly, the south isn’t the nicer starting point – it’s the only sensible one.
What’s on board – and what you need to ask
None of the short descriptions in our listings say anything about shade, a toilet, or life jackets in children’s sizes. It’s common for operators to carry life jackets in several sizes; you shouldn’t count on it without asking. The same goes for a shaded spot on smaller boats – often there isn’t one.
Three questions to ask the operator before booking:
- From what age can children come along, and is there an exception if accompanied?
- Are there life jackets in my child’s size?
- Is there shade and a toilet on board?
We don’t give advice on seasickness. It happens, more often on speedboats than on catamarans, and anyone wanting to prevent it should ask a pharmacist or their child’s doctor.
When a boat trip is the wrong choice
When the wind is strong and the trip runs anyway. When nobody in the family knows how the child reacts to rolling motion, and the shortest trip available lasts two and a half hours. And when the real goal is a beach – in which case driving to Papagayo along the track (€3 per vehicle) is the shorter route to the same water.
Two alternatives that work well on this island: the submarine in Puerto Calero, if getting out on the water is non-negotiable, and a kayak and SUP tour from €45 off Papagayo for older children who’d rather do something themselves than sit.
Our recommendation
For most families: the mini cruise from Playa Blanca to Papagayo for €35 per person, 1.5 hours, 4.7 out of 5 from 374 reviews. It’s short enough for kids who have never been on a boat, has a swimming stop as a reason to stay on board, and it runs along the south coast, sheltered from the trade wind by the land. Still, ask this operator about its minimum age beforehand.
For children who can’t swim or don’t want to get wet: the submarine dive in Puerto Calero, €65, one hour, 4.6 out of 5 from 1,447 reviews. No swell on deck, no spray, and the window turns the ride into the whole programme.
For families who want half a day: the four-hour catamaran to Papagayo with lunch and drinks for €85, 4.8 out of 5 from 413 reviews — the highest rating in the table above. Food and a swimming stop fill exactly the hours when kids would otherwise get bored. Anyone who wants to be out all day takes the day trip for €66 at 4.4 out of 5 from 1,081 reviews.
See availability and prices for the catamaran day trip to Papagayo
The speedboat is not for young children. The dolphin trip from Puerto del Carmen costs the same €35 as the mini cruise, but rides hard, open and without shade — and at 3.8 out of 5 from 2,281 reviews it sits at the bottom of the table. For teenagers who want speed, it’s the right outing; for a child who can’t decide for themselves, it isn’t.
For an overview across all ages, see Lanzarote with kids, and for the youngest, Lanzarote with a baby. Everything bookable is listed under Dolphin watching and Things to do on Lanzarote.
