Arrecife, Lanzarote

Arrecife has been the political and economic capital of Lanzarote since 1852. Around half of the entire population (approx. 60,000) lives here. There is now a beautiful promenade along the beach, passing the Grand Hotel and continuing quite a bit further. A market takes place at the far end of the promenade every Wednesday.

Walking along the promenade, you will pass the “Castillo San Gabriel” which accommodates the Archaeological Museum of Lanzarote. The castle’s draw bridge “Puente de las Bolas” is one of Arrecife’s landmarks. Continuing along the promenade, you will then reach “Charco San Ginés” – a small lagoon at the sea which is very popular for an afternoon or evening out for drinking and eating very good. The are is very visited during the weekend evenings. Don’t leave Lanzarote without having visited one of the great spots and having enjoyed the idyllic views.

The Castillo de San José is situated a little further away. César Manrique converted the castle into the Museum for Contemporary Art in 1974. There is restaurant in the basement where you can enjoy some of the finest culinary specialities. The restaurant was designed by Manrique and offers a beautiful view to the harbour. “Puerto de los Mármoles” – the harbour of Arrecife handles most of the island’s cargo. Many ships leave from here to the other Canary Islands and the Spanish mainland, and numerous cruise ships arrive here as well. In fact Lanzarote is the only island which is included in any of the many cruising tours throughout the canary islands. The new Marina was built to receive the cruising tourists nearer to the city center.

The pedestrian area in the Calle León y Castillo invites to an extensive shopping spree. For a break you can pop into one of the many inviting small cafes and tapas bars. Lanzarote’s highest building – the “Grand Hotel” – was built in the 70’s but closed for economic reasons in 1991 and was completely gutted by a fire in 1994. It reopened in its present form in 2004. Visiting the bar on the top floor of the hotel is worthwhile for the beautiful view alone. Just walk in and take the elevator to the top floor. The pool bar of the five star Hotel offers concerts regularly at a reasonable price.