Remember Puerto del Carmen Before the Hotels? The Story of La Tiñosa
Today, Puerto del Carmen is one of Lanzarote’s best-known holiday destinations, famous for its long coastline, lively promenade, restaurants and golden hours by the Atlantic. But it wasn’t always like this.
Before the hotels and busy holiday avenues, there was La Tiñosa: a small fishing community whose life revolved around the sea.
As Puerto del Carmen’s 60th-anniversary celebrations draw to a close in October 2026, it is a perfect moment to look back at how this corner of Lanzarote changed — and to remember the people, families and businesses behind that transformation.
Before tourism, life revolved around the sea
The old harbour remains one of the best places to imagine the earlier village. Fishing was central to local life, and the waterfront was a working place as much as a gathering point. Boats went out to sea and returned with their catches; the community depended on the Atlantic and on the work carried out around the harbour.
The name La Tiñosa still carries that history. Even today, a walk through the old harbour area offers a different atmosphere from the resort’s busier stretches. Traditional buildings, sloping lanes and the waterfront help preserve a sense of the village that existed before international tourism transformed the coast.
1966: a turning point for Puerto del Carmen
The opening of the Hotel Fariones in 1966 is widely recognised as a milestone in the development of Puerto del Carmen as a tourist destination. From those early beginnings, accommodation and visitor facilities gradually expanded, and the area grew into a major centre for tourism on Lanzarote.
The change was not simply a story of new buildings. It was also a story of people adapting, taking opportunities, opening businesses and welcoming visitors from abroad. Families and local workers helped create the destination that generations of holidaymakers have come to know.
Over six decades, Puerto del Carmen has grown from a small coastal settlement into a place recognised across the Canary Islands and beyond.
The old harbour still tells a story
For visitors who want to see a more traditional side of Puerto del Carmen, the old harbour — often known as El Varadero — is a good place to start. It remains connected to fishing and seafaring, while also offering cafés, restaurants and a place to sit and watch the boats.
The contrast between the old harbour and Avenida de las Playas is part of what makes Puerto del Carmen distinctive. One area reflects the village’s maritime roots; the other shows how the resort developed to welcome visitors and provide a wide range of places to eat, shop and enjoy the coast.
Six decades of memories
For many people, Puerto del Carmen is more than a holiday destination. It is where they came on their first family holiday, where they met friends, celebrated special occasions or returned year after year. Some visitors have watched the resort change over decades; others have made a life here.
The 60th-anniversary programme has recognised the contribution of local people, families, organisations and businesses to the resort’s development. It is a reminder that a destination is built not only through hotels and infrastructure, but through the people who work, live and create a community there.
There will always be different opinions about how much a place should change. But remembering its origins helps keep its identity in view as it looks to the future.
Do you remember the old Puerto del Carmen?
Perhaps you remember the resort before the promenade became so busy, your first visit in the 1970s or 1980s, or a favourite family-run business that has long since disappeared. Maybe you have photographs of the old harbour, the early hotels or the streets before they changed.
We would love to hear your memories.
How long have you been visiting Puerto del Carmen — and what do you remember most about the way it used to be?
Share your stories and old photographs with Lanzarote Waits For You.
