Lanzarote: Playa Blanca or Puerto del Carmen?

[OMGitsnotgood]

Looking for some winter sun. Fancying Lanzarote. Have been recommended either Playa del Carmen or Playa Blanca by different friends. Only adults, no children.
We don't need clubs but want it to have a bit of a buzz, don't want it too quiet. Need good restaurants and a nice town to walk around of an evening.
We like being by the sea but don't spend time on the beach.
What are the pros and cons of each resort? Or any others we should consider?

Whilst this will largely be a 'chill in the sun' holiday, we wouldn't spend the whole time by the pool and would like to visit lovely towns and villages/ sights etc so any recommendations would be appreciated (not water parks)

Thanks

With those requirements I'd go for Playa Blanca.

I want that keen on Playa Blanca town itself. I thought it was a bit scruffy. However the part where the Rubicon Marina is was just lovely- lots of nice restaurants and little shops. We stayed on a boat in the marina( sailing holiday) but for the second part of the holiday we were up in an apartment to the right of the marina near the Sandos Papagayo beach resort. This is near the Papagayo beaches which are just lovely. I seem to remember there was a very regular bus service that takes you into the town from there but that there were quite a few restaurants nearby too.

Playa del carmen is a lot of pubs along the beach. We stay there in los mojones and only really go to the harbour area. Beach is in nicer in playa Blanca but we like the diving beach in pdc.

go to puerto calero, manrique’s house, the green lagoon and the volcano. When we first went we thought it would be lanzagrotty but actually we love it.

I love Puerto del Carmen. X

Playa Blanca. PDC is awful.

Puerto del carmen strip is just that, shops and bars across from the gorgeous beach. However there’s some absolutely gorgeous restaurants along there and it’s lovely to stroll along of an evening, you’ll not get bored.

the old town in pdc though is lovely. Gorgeous restaurants, amazing rooftop cocktail bar, fantastic fish restaurants- wholly different to the strip within a 10 min walk. I’m a massive pdc fan as you can tell and Lanzarote is just beautiful.

when I win the lottery I’m moving there for sure!

Puerto Del Carmen.

Go and see Paul and Valerie at the Lanzarote Dive Centre. You'll have a great time.

I went playa Blanca one December…,.it was scruffy and boring

We did playa Blanca last month, we walked from TUI blue along to the marina for dinners and shops, although there were a couple of restaurants and supermarkets on that part, right on the beach with beautiful views over to Fuertventura.
lots of excursions about camel trek, volcanos, cactus gardens, diving, boat trips etc

When we first went we thought it would be lanzagrotty but actually we love it.

This! I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. I’m going to PDC this December for the third year running - it has become my go-to low key winter sun trip.

I prefer PDC, we have been to all the main resorts including Costa Teguise, PDC is definitely our favourite. The reason we like PDC is close to airport, we usually take carry on, once we are out of the airport, in a taxi, arrive at the Villa we have booked in under 15mins. Playa Blanca is much further about 30mins. PDC has Lots of bars, restaurants, supermarkets etc. PDC is quite a large resort, with huge sandy beaches. Good bus service to take you to other areas. PDC is very popular, if you can book PDC I would, just make sure the accommodation isn’t on any enormous hills if you have mobility issues. New town, casino end is flatter. I find the bars restaurants slightly cheaper in PDC than PB. If it’s the first time you have visited Lanzarote either hire a car, or do one of the tours, it’s a very interesting island. Have a great time, we go to PDC again in Jan. it’s very addictive I will warn you, we went 8 years on the trot!

Always in winter, either Dec, or Feb half term, when our DS’ were at school, always had great weather. Enjoy

The Marina Rubicon end of Blanca - though actually the accommodation is fine at the other end, but the "strip" bit is a bit tatty.

Been to playa Blanca twice and would go again - main thing I like about it (which no one else has mentioned!) is the wholly pedestrianised promenade running about 2 miles across the sea front. I absolutely love a traffic free sea front to stroll among the restaurants without it being a cramped pavement/busy with traffic. No idea if PDC is similar as never been.

we alternate between the two each year, staying above PDC old town. PDC is nearer the airport and is also nearer other things to see generally. I would consider both and choose on the accommodation you like best. If you are going this winter you may find a lot is already booked. Choose a heated pool if you want to swim.

PDC also has a long pedestrian sea front.

Yes I've been looking and accommodation limited now, sounds like either resort would be ok and it will be down to if we can find a hotel we like.

Puerto del Carmen is the best in my opinion but then I’m biased as we’ve been 20+ times, we are late 50s and like to walk, eat out and live music.
From PDC you can walk to Puerto Calero on the cliff top path and in the other direction walk the 6km promenade to the end of the runway and watch the planes land just feet above your head. There are shopping centres in PDC itself, in the next town Playa Honda and in the capital Arrecife which is worth a visit an v easy to get by bus.
There are restaurants to suit every palate and budget and bars from old fashioned boozer type to luxurious chill out bars. We could go for a fortnight and see a different live act or band every night.
As PP said there’s a brilliant diving beach at Playa Chica but the big beach at Playa Grande is lovely too.
We go November and March mainly and having tried all the other Canary Islands it’s Puerto del Carmen that draws us back.

This thread has made me very excited about going back to PDC…. 3 weeks to go! ☺️

We have a place in PDC. The old town is great. The main strip is a mix of very good and very bad restaurants.

PDC is on a hill and more compact the PB but once down on the main strip everything is quite close.

I think the reason PB gets a better rep is purely because it does have some more upmarket hotels than PDC but its much easier to have a good time in PDC.

We love PDC and are flying out for Christmas. Stayed in PB too but prefer PDC. If you have a car there’s lots of nice little villages to visit. Or go to the Teguise market? Not Costa Teguise but the other Teguise.
Puerto Calero is a nice spot for lunch and a stroll.

if you are struggling to find accommodation, the other place to look is costa tequise. It has a rep for being slightly windier and we have only been on day visits but it looked OK. There is a facebook site for it and people seem to go year on year and love it. They mention lots of hotels they love - so might be worth joining it to c

I've been to both many times, more recently with DH and adult DS.

PDC has lots of lovely restaurants, a long promenade and some lively bars with live music. Not many hotels, more self catering.
Playa Blanca is more of a family resort but it also has a good number of decent restaurants, not so many bars and only a couple of places with live music. PB has a lot of 4 and 5 star hotels as well.

Neither place has much in the way of beaches compared to say Corralejo.

Thank you so much. I personally prefer SC (we'd eat out every evening anyway), but DH likes a decent pool for 'proper' swimming, which we've tended to find more with hotels. But key thing is that we get away so will take a look sharpish at what's available .Appreciate all the responses, thank you

@OMGitsnotgood
I would definitely recommend self catering for PDC, the eating out is a major part of the draw of the resort.
I’d recommend a complex with a heated pool even if it’s only heated to take the chill off. Here is a list I’ve compiled of places with heated pools, there will be others . A lot of these aren’t available as packages but as separate flight/accommodation bookings.
Montana club
ROSAMAR
Club oceano
Diamond club maritima
Diamond club calypso
Los Gracioseros
Cinco plaza
Club del Carmen (really warm pool and big)
Parque tropical
FAYNA
Costa Sal
Playa club
Playa park
Club las Calas
Labranda El Dorado
Gloria IZARO
Fariones