El Jablillo or Las Cucharas: which Lanzarote beach wins
Published 2026-10-07. Conditions described are typical and never guaranteed.
The verdict first
These two beaches sit a short stroll apart along the same Costa Teguise seafront, yet they ask for completely different days. If you are travelling with young children, or you want the calmest, clearest swim on this stretch of coast, go to El Jablillo Beach. A reef and a breakwater fold the water into a shallow lagoon, which is exactly what a paddling toddler or a first time snorkeller needs. If you want space, movement and a board under your feet, go to Las Cucharas Beach, the broad golden curve that doubles as the island's windsurf headquarters.
So this is not a case of one beach being better than the other. It is a case of knowing which version of a beach day you are after. El Jablillo wins on calm and on gentleness. Las Cucharas wins on size, energy and watersports. The good news, and the reason this comparison is almost friendly, is that they are close enough to try both in a single afternoon. Start calm, finish lively, or the other way around.
Sand and space
El Jablillo is a small pocket of soft golden sand backed by the promenade. That compact scale is part of its charm and also its main drawback. It is easy to reach, easy to settle into, and easy to fill. On a summer weekend the modest patch of sand goes early, so the honest advice is to arrive earlier in the day if you want a comfortable spot rather than a sliver near the water line.
Las Cucharas is the opposite proposition. It is the largest of the Costa Teguise beaches, a broad sweep of golden sand with a long promenade running behind it. There is simply more room here, which matters if you are spreading out with towels, bags, a cool box and a couple of boards. If your idea of a bad beach day is being packed shoulder to shoulder, the extra square metres at Las Cucharas are worth a great deal, and they are the single clearest reason to choose it over its smaller neighbour.
The water is where they split
This is the heart of the decision. El Jablillo is sheltered by a reef and a breakwater into a calm, shallow lagoon that stays gentle and clear even when the open beaches are breezy. That protection is what makes it one of the best family swims on the east coast, and what makes it a kind place to try a mask and snorkel for the first time. Do not expect a dramatic reef below the surface, but on a settled day there is enough life in the shallows to keep children happy for an hour.
Las Cucharas is sheltered enough for an easy swim in calm conditions, but the defining feature of this bay is the breeze. The steady wind that draws windsurfers from across the island is more or less constant, and it is the whole point of the place. That is wonderful if you came to sail. It can be brisk if you came to sunbathe, which is why anyone planning a long lazy lie down should pack a windbreak. The wind tends to build through the afternoon, so a still morning swim here is far more pleasant than a blustery three o'clock one.
Simple rule: if the forecast is breezy and you mainly want to swim, choose the lagoon. If the forecast is breezy and you want to be on the water, that same wind is a gift at Las Cucharas.
As ever on this coast, lifeguard cover varies by season at both beaches and is to be confirmed on any given day. Conditions described here are typical rather than guaranteed, so read the water before you go in and keep children within reach whichever beach you pick.
Facilities and the day around the sand
Both beaches are free, open and public, and both have the Costa Teguise promenade directly behind them with showers, sunbeds, cafes, shops and restaurants close along the front. In practical terms you will not go hungry or thirsty at either one.
The difference is tone rather than amenities. El Jablillo is the quieter, more domestic end of the resort, a place to get a drink on the promenade between swims. Las Cucharas is the social hub, with a line of bars and restaurants, windsurf and watersports schools on the sand, and the Manrique designed Pueblo Marinero plaza close by for dinner and its Friday craft market. If you want things happening around you, Las Cucharas delivers more of them.
- Choose El Jablillo for: calm shallow water, gentle snorkelling, young children, a quieter patch of sand.
- Choose Las Cucharas for: windsurfing and watersports, more room to spread out, a livelier promenade scene.
Crowds and timing
El Jablillo's small size is the thing to plan around. Its calm water makes it popular with families, so the sand fills quickly on summer weekends and through the high season. Out of peak times it is much quieter, and the sheltered lagoon stays gentle and clear whatever the crowd, which is a genuine advantage. If you can only go midday in August, temper your expectations and come early.
Las Cucharas absorbs people far more easily thanks to its length, so you are less likely to feel hemmed in. The flip side is that it is busier in character by design, with schools, swimmers and strollers all sharing the front. That is not a flaw, it is the atmosphere you are coming for. For a wider view of when the island is at its best, the seasonal guide to visiting Lanzarote is worth a look before you lock in dates.
When the other one wins
Here is where the answer flips, because the obvious pick is not always the right one.
If you booked El Jablillo in your head for a family day but the forecast shows a flat, windless morning, Las Cucharas becomes a very comfortable family beach too. The broad sheltered bay and the gentle swimming on a calm day, plus far more room for children to run, can outweigh the lagoon's stillness when there is no wind to shelter from. Families weighing up the island's calmer options will also find useful context on the Lanzarote family beaches hub.
And if you arrived at Las Cucharas with snorkels and small children on a breezy afternoon, do not fight the wind. Walk along to El Jablillo, where the reef keeps the water clear and calm precisely when the open beach is whipping up chop. The lagoon is the better call on exactly the days that make Las Cucharas hard work for the very young.
The deciding factors, in short, are the wind and the ages in your group. Wind plus small children points to the lagoon. Wind plus a desire to be on the water points to the windsurf beach. Still air widens the appeal of both.
If neither quite fits
Costa Teguise is not the only answer on this coast. If you want calm golden sand with a seafood village lunch behind it in the quieter north, La Garita Beach in Arrieta is a sheltered Blue Flag bay with a play area and full facilities. If you are pairing a swim with food and culture, the calm city beach of El Reducto Beach sits right beside the capital and its tapas. And if you want the island at its wildest, the vast cliff backed sweep of Famara Beach is cinematic, though it is an open Atlantic surf beach with real rip currents rather than an easy swim. We compare the lagoon directly with the northern bay in our guide to El Jablillo or La Garita, which is useful if a family day is your priority.
So, which one
For families with young children and anyone who prizes a calm, clear swim, El Jablillo is the winner, with the caveat that you should come early to claim your patch. For windsurfers, watersports fans and groups who want room and a buzzy front, Las Cucharas is the winner, with a windbreak in the bag for the sunbathing stretches. Because they share the same seafront, the smartest plan of all is to try both and let the day decide.
Plan a beach club day in Lanzarote
Want a lounger, service and a little more polish to go with your swim? Browse the Lanzarote beach clubs page to see your options and enquire about booking a club day around Costa Teguise and beyond.