This guide is built from the live property pages and booking engine of Lanzarote Retreats — sleeping capacities, inclusions, distances and prices come from the operator, never invented. We have not stayed in these homes ourselves; we research them and send readers.

What December in Lanzarote Is Really Like

We live in Rovaniemi, where December means snow, darkness and −15 °C on a good day. Lanzarote Retreats’ weather table, printed on every property page, gives December an average of 20 °C with 29 mm of rain; January is 18 °C and 16 mm, November 22 °C and 15 mm. The operator says the average from December to March is about 21 °C. In plain terms, December is warm enough for the beach and the pool in the middle of the day, and cool enough in the evening that you will want a fleece.

It is also the wettest month in that table, and we would not pretend otherwise. The island is the driest of the Canaries, so 29 mm still means a lot of dry, bright days; what you might get is a grey, breezy day or a short shower, and the operator’s packing advice is to bring a light waterproof. Occasional calima — Saharan dust and warm haze — and trade winds are part of the island’s weather, and the north-facing beaches can have swell. The sea is cool rather than warm, so think roughly 19–20 °C and plan on a wetsuit if anyone wants to spend serious time in the Atlantic.

Daylight is the quiet winner. A December day in Lanzarote has far more light than one in Finland, and the island is two hours behind Helsinki and on UK time, so there is no jet lag after a flight of roughly six hours from Finland or four from the UK. Sun protection still matters even in winter, and the roads in the volcanic landscape reward careful driving.

Two Decembers: Before 18 December and Christmas to New Year

The first half of December and the festive fortnight are different holidays with different prices, so decide which one you want before you look at homes. The first half is the quieter end of winter sun: a calmer island, and weeks that are, on the dates we sampled, noticeably cheaper than January. The days from Christmas to New Year are the peak, when families from all over Europe want the same homes, and the best ones go first.

This matters for our discount. Our first code covers stays up to and including 18 December 2026, with Christmas and New Year peak dates excluded, and our second covers stays from January 2027. If your family is tied to the school holidays, a stay that starts before 18 December and ends before Christmas will use the first code; anything that crosses the Christmas or New Year dates is at normal price, and January onwards uses the second. We would rather tell you that than let you find out at checkout. Use code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for stays until 18 December 2026 (Christmas and New Year excluded) or HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY275 for stays from January 2027 — 5% off either way.

One more practical point: the Christmas week is the one to book earliest. If you want the Christmas dates, check the booking calendar now rather than in November.

What an Early-December Week Costs: Real Quotes From the Booking Engine

On 23 October 2026 we asked Lanzarote Retreats’ booking engine for 7 nights from 5 December 2026. These are quotes for those dates and guests, not rates, and they may include offers that change at any time, so treat the table as a signpost and check the live price for your own week.

For comparison, the same engine quoted the Cabin at €1,336 and the Farmhouse at €2,556 for 7 nights from 10 January 2027, so these early-December weeks were well under the January price. That is exactly the gap that makes the first half of December interesting for a family on a budget. At the Finca de Arrieta homes the price does not change when children are added, because children 17 and under go free, according to the operator. The Barn and the Garden Cottage had no December sample in our check, so for those, ask the booking page directly.

Pools in December: Which Homes Make Sense

In December a pool is only useful if it is warm enough, and the operator’s pool list is the best guide. Finca de Arrieta’s shared 13 m × 2.5 m pool is solar-heated and open all year, as are the pool at Villa Palacio & Yurts5% off · code inside and the shared pool at Casa Lili5% off · code inside. The Eco Luxury Farmhouse5% off · code inside has its own private solar-heated pool. The The Beach House5% off · code inside in Costa Teguise has a solar-heated plunge pool. Villa Las Palmitas5% off · code inside and Finca Panorama5% off · code inside have electrically heated pools, which is the safest choice if a daily swim is non-negotiable. Villa Ocean Bliss5% off · code inside has an unheated pool, so we would not choose it for a December swim.

Solar heating works best on sunny days, so expect a pool that is pleasant at noon and cooler after a grey day. If you are travelling with small children who live in the water, an electrically heated pool in the south or a private solar-heated pool at the Farmhouse is the more reliable choice; if the beach, the playground and the donkeys are the main event, the shared Finca pool is a bonus.

The Atlantic itself is cool in December and the north-east coast can have swell, so Playa de la Garita at Arrieta, which the operator says has generally calm water, is a good place for paddling and sand castles even if nobody swims for long.

Where to Base Your Family in December

For most families we would start in the north-east. Arrieta is a fishing village of about 400 people in the Haría municipality, with seafront fish restaurants, a pizzeria and a supermarket, and Finca de Arrieta is an off-grid village of 21 homes running on solar power, with a play park, donkeys, chickens, an honesty shop and a Monday paella evening, subject to availability. A car is useful, but there is a bus stop on the main road by the Finca. The Eco Cabin5% off · code inside is our December starting point for a family of four to six, and the Eco Tower5% off · code inside is the cheapest way in for a couple with one child.

If you would rather not hire a car, look at Costa Teguise. It is a proper family resort, 15 minutes from the airport, with Las Cucharas beach, the Pueblo Marinero square, a Friday market, an aquarium and an aquapark. The The Beach House5% off · code inside is 100 m from the beach and the Ocean View Penthouse5% off · code inside is 100 m from Las Cucharas with a large south-facing terrace. In the south, Villa Las Palmitas5% off · code inside near Puerto Calero has four bedrooms, a private pool and a hot tub for a group of up to eight guests.

Big families and three-generation groups should look at Villa Palacio & Yurts5% off · code inside: 21 adults and 6 children, two pools and a hot tub. December is a natural time for a family reunion because everyone has the same days off, but it is also the time when a house like that books out first.

A December Week With Children: What We Would Plan

We have not stayed in any of these homes, but this is the week we would plan for a family at Finca de Arrieta, using the operator’s own information. Start gently: the first day is the beach at Playa de la Garita, a pool afternoon and supper at one of the seafront restaurants. On day two, try the village and the animals at the Finca, the play park and a game of giant chess. Keep one day for a drive to the César Manrique sites — Jameos del Agua and the Cueva de los Verdes — which suit a cooler or greyer day, and another for Timanfaya and the volcanic landscape, with a market morning at Haría or Teguise.

Leave at least two days unplanned. December weather can change within a day, and an island this small gives you options: if the north is breezy, the south or Costa Teguise is often a few minutes away by car. Pack a fleece, a light waterproof, swimming things, a wetsuit if anyone wants to swim in the sea, and a small torch for the evening walk back from the village. Remember that off-grid homes do not provide a kettle, dishwasher or TV, and hairdryers are on request.

For babies and toddlers, the baby kit is free on request: travel cot, high chair, changing mat, potty, toddler step and baby bath. Child car seats are free if you take the operator’s car.

Practicalities: Minimum Stay, Deposit and Getting There

Finca de Arrieta accepts flexible arrival days and stays of 3 nights (2 nights if you arrive within a month), which makes a December long weekend possible. Some villas have their own minimum stays — Villa Ocean Bliss, for example, asks for four nights — so check the page. Check-in is from 16:00 and check-out by 10:00.

The payment rules are strict, so read them: a 30% non-refundable deposit at booking and the balance due 30 days before arrival, or the full amount if you book inside 30 days. If you cancel, the deposit is forfeited, and inside 30 days the operator retains 100%. Travel insurance is recommended and we agree, especially for a Christmas-period trip.

For Finca de Arrieta, Casa Lili, Villa Palacio, Casa Pino, the Fisherman’s Cottage and the Boutique Beach Villa, the operator can arrange a private airport transfer with 48 hours’ notice, and the package includes a complimentary 5-seater car for up to 7 days; the price depends on your group and dates, so ask for a quote. Drivers must be 25 or older with a licence held for two years.

How to Book With the Hungrytravelfamily Codes

Lanzarote Retreats takes bookings directly on lanzaroteretreats.com, or by WhatsApp or phone, and we never take payment. Choose your dates, pick the home, and type the code in the discount field at checkout. Use code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for stays until 18 December 2026 (Christmas and New Year excluded) or HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY275 for stays from January 2027 — 5% off either way. The price shown on the property page before the code is the normal price.

We are Lanzarote Retreats’ affiliate partner and may earn a commission on bookings made with our codes — the 5% discount is yours either way.

What we would book depends on the dates. For an early-December week we would look at the Cabin or the Tower first, with the Farmhouse for a bigger family and the Costa Teguise homes for a no-car week; for Christmas or New Year we would book early at normal price, and for a January week we would use the second code. our Lanzarote stays guide lists every home we feature on the island.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

December in Lanzarote is a trade-off. You get 20 °C, long light days and a beach at the bottom of the track while Finland is in the dark, and the first half of the month is the quieter, cheaper end of the season. What you give up is a guarantee of perfect weather — it is the wettest month on the operator’s table — and warm sea water. We have not stayed at any of these homes, so we send you with the operator’s facts and the booking engine’s quotes, and we would book the earliest week that suits your family.

If you can travel before 18 December, the Eco Cabin5% off · code inside and the Eco Tower5% off · code inside are where we would start; for a bigger group, the Eco Luxury Farmhouse5% off · code inside or Villa Las Palmitas5% off · code inside. Use code HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for stays until 18 December 2026 (Christmas and New Year excluded) or HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY275 for stays from January 2027 — 5% off either way.

5% off · reader codes below

Our December picks

Tap a home to see live availability and the exact price for your dates on the operator’s own site. At checkout enter HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY5 for stays until 18 December 2026 (Christmas & New Year excluded) or HUNGRYTRAVELFAMILY275 for stays from January 2027 — 5% off either way.

eco cottage (cabin) · ArrietaEco CabinSleeps 4 adults + 2 children · From €191 per nightCheck availability →eco cottage (tower) · ArrietaEco TowerSleeps 2 adults + 1 children · From €127 per nightCheck availability →eco villa (farmhouse) · ArrietaEco Luxury FarmhouseSleeps 6 adults + 3 children · From €365 per nightCheck availability →villa · near Puerto Calero marinaVilla Las PalmitasSleeps 8 adults + 1 children · From €427 per nightCheck availability →

We are Lanzarote Retreats’ affiliate partner and may earn a commission on bookings made with our codes — the 5% discount is yours either way.