| Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote which is one of the | | | | the high season you might find it difficult to park and |
| Canary Islands. Its name means 'reef', referring to the | | | | the best place to leave your car is in the free parking |
| volcanic rock reefs lying offshore and protecting the | | | | area on the seafront, next to the Castillo de San |
| harbour. | | | | Gabriel where you will also find the tourist information |
| Arrecife is Lanzarote's main seaport and commercial | | | | centre who provide some very useful maps. |
| centre with a busy shopping centre with outlets and | | | | The beach in front of the car park is Playa del |
| bazaars selling goods at much cheaper prices than | | | | Reducto, which has been awarded a European 'Blue |
| those in the major tourist resorts. Calle Léon y | | | | Flag' for good bathing amenities and clean waters. You |
| Castillo is the main shopping street which is | | | | will see the recently reopened Gran Hotel Arrecife |
| pedestrianised. | | | | which is the tallest building on the island erected in the |
| Arrecife has a number of interesting places and | | | | 1960s. There is a rotating restaurant on the top floor |
| historic sites to visit. It is not covered with high-rise | | | | with spectacular views of the City. |
| apartment blocks like many other Spanish cities and its | | | | Some of the most popular places to visit in Arrecife |
| suburbs are mostly single-storey houses built in | | | | are El Charco de San Gines which is a man made |
| traditional Canarian or Andalucían style. Its seafront | | | | salt-water lagoon in the city centre which is full of |
| has some very attractive gardens with a wide palm | | | | fishing boats and surrounded by fishermen's cottages |
| tree lines promenade stretching right along it. | | | | where you see them mending their nets. |
| Arrecife is a typical Spanish working town and port | | | | Next to Puerto Marmoles is the Castillo San Jose |
| with about half of the islanders (around 50,000) living | | | | which was originally built to ward off pirates and |
| here. Before it became Lanzarote's capital Arrecife | | | | alleviate poverty on the island caused by the major |
| was no more than a small port and is still referred to | | | | volcanic eruptions in the 1730's. It became known |
| as 'El Puerto' by the locals. | | | | locally as the Fortress of Hunger. It is now home to the |
| If you hire a car when you land at Arrecife Airport the | | | | International Museum of Modern Art. The port now has |
| city is just a 5km drive south. If you follow the main | | | | the biggest fishing fleet in the Canaries. |
| sea road you will enter Arrecife at its western border | | | | The Castillo San Gabriel sits on a rocky outcrop off |
| where you will pass the Cabildo Insular which is the | | | | the coast and dates back to 1590. It is now home to |
| government building. You drive towards the old town | | | | Lanzarote's Ethnographic Museum, where you can |
| centre via Calle José Antonio Primo de Rivera. If | | | | learn all about the Gaunche who were the original |
| you are a fan of César Manrique you can visit El | | | | aboriginal inhabitants of Lanzarote. |
| Almacén (Island Culture Centre) in José | | | | The 17th century Iglesia de San Gines is named after |
| Betancourt Street, which is off to the right. César | | | | the patron Saint of the City and was originally a |
| Manrique converted this old storehouse into an art | | | | Hermitage, later becoming a parish church in 1778. It is |
| gallery with a bar, restaurant and bookshop. | | | | also where most of the local festivities in Arrecife are |
| If you are visiting Arrecife for the day and it is during | | | | held.. |