Most things to do in Playa Blanca with kids start without a car if you're staying at the Royal Mónica. There's no road between the hotel and the sand, the children's pool is open until 7pm and the Mini-Club takes children aged 4 to 12. For everything else, there's the number 30 bus or reception.
At a glance
- You walk from the hotel to the beach without crossing a single road.
- Mini-Club for ages 4 to 12 and, in summer, a teens' programme for 13 to 17.
- A shallow children's pool, open until 7pm.
- No car needed: the number 30 bus stops 600 metres from the hotel, every 30 minutes, and loops round Playa Blanca.
- Timanfaya, Papagayo, La Geria, Jameos del Agua and Teguise can all be booked at reception.
What can you do on foot, without leaving the hotel?
What families value most on holiday is not having to plan every morning. The Royal Mónica sits right on the beachfront in Playa Blanca, and from the gardens you step down onto the sand with no road in between: no traffic lights, no crossings, no cars near a child who has just let go of your hand. Towels, bucket and spade, and you're on the beach.
There are two pools on site, each with its own job. The big one, next to the beach club, is for proper swimming and older children. The children's pool is shallow, open until 7pm and has sunbeds and the bar close by, so grown-ups never stray far from the little ones. In winter the pool lifeguard is on duty until 5pm; in summer, until 6pm. Here's what the hotel's pools are like.
Burning off energy doesn't mean going out, either: there's a tennis court, beach volleyball and a multi-sports court with hoops and goals looking out to sea. And for those too young for games with rules, there's the Mini-Club play area, with swings, a slide and a wooden climbing tower among the palms.
What is there for children inside the hotel?
The Mini-Club is for children aged 4 to 12 and is run by the entertainment team. In summer there's also a programme for teenagers aged 13 to 17, who by then would rather not be lumped in with the little ones, and in the evenings there are shows for the whole family. Each day's programme goes up on the hotel noticeboard: it's the first thing worth checking when you arrive, as activities change with the season.
With children, the day tends to revolve around a handful of times. These are the hotel's ones that matter most:
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | 7.30am to 10.15am |
| Lunch and snacks | 12.30pm to 2.30pm |
| Afternoon coffee | 3pm to 5pm |
| Dinner | 6.30pm to 9.30pm |
| Pool bar | 10am to midnight |
| Children's pool | until 7pm |
| Pool lifeguard | until 5pm in winter and 6pm in summer |
| Check-in and check-out | from 3pm and by 11am |
| Quiet time | from 11pm |
One practical point that saves a last-minute dash: swimwear isn't allowed at dinner, so it's worth popping back to the room first.
Where can you get to on the number 30 bus?
If you fancy a change of scene without the car, the number 30 bus (a guagua, as buses are called in the Canaries) stops 600 metres from the hotel and runs every 30 minutes. According to the operator, Intercity Lanzarote, route 30, "Interior Playa Blanca", is a loop: it leaves from Playa Blanca bus station and runs through town from Faro Park to Las Coloradas, with stops including Flamingo, Playa Blanca harbour (Muelle), Playa Dorada and Marina Rubicón. The day's timetable is on that same page, so check it before you head out.
With children it works well as a short outing: hop on, get off at the harbour or Marina Rubicón, have a wander and catch the next one back. One name to watch out for: the "Avenida Papagayo" stops are named after an avenue in town. The Papagayo beaches themselves are 10 minutes away by car, and with children the easiest way there is the trip booked at reception.
Which family day trips can you book at reception?
To get further afield without hiring a car or planning anything, reception books trips to five places around the island. They'll tell you what each one includes and which days it runs, and you can see all the hotel's experiences online too.
- Timanfaya. The volcano national park: lava fields, craters and coloured earth unlike anything most children have seen.
- Papagayo. The coves on the island's southern tip, 10 minutes from the hotel by road.
- La Geria. Vines planted in hollows of volcanic ash, each sheltered by a low stone wall. If you're curious, here's why La Geria's malvasía is so unusual.
- Jameos del Agua. A volcanic lava tube that César Manrique turned into a place you can walk through, with a lake inside the rock.
- Teguise. Lanzarote's old capital, with whitewashed streets made for an unhurried stroll.
What about toddlers and babies?
The Mini-Club starts at 4, so with toddlers the plan is a family one: the beach with no road to cross, the shallow children's pool and the play area. It's a simple rhythm and, at that age, plenty.
Cots and high chairs are available on request, subject to availability: just let us know when you book. The hotel counts babies as 0 to 1, children as 2 to 12 and adults from 13, so a 13-year-old is booked as an adult, even though in summer they get a programme of their own.
If you're bringing a pushchair, the Family Standard room has 47 m² split into two spaces, is on an upper floor with a balcony and has room for luggage and pushchairs. If you haven't settled on a base yet, here's where to stay in Lanzarote with kids. And if you're still choosing dates, here's what the weather is like in Lanzarote each month.
In short: with children in Playa Blanca, the hotel covers the everyday on foot, the number 30 bus is there for a wander round town, and the rest of the island, from Timanfaya to Papagayo, is booked at reception.
Do you need a car to get around Playa Blanca with kids?
Not for day-to-day life: the beach, the pools and the Mini-Club are all at the hotel. For the town there's the number 30 bus, 600 metres away, and for the rest of the island, the trips booked at reception.
From what age can children join the Mini-Club?
From 4 up to 12. In summer there's also a programme for teenagers aged 13 to 17.
Can you go to dinner in swimwear?
No. Swimwear isn't allowed at dinner, which runs from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.
Sources
- Intercity Lanzarote · Route 30, Interior Playa Blanca, accessed on 28 October 2026.
