Arrecife

Arrecife is a lively cosmopolitan city rich in culture and history, located on the east coast of Lanzarote, of which it is the capital and administrative and commercial centre. Today, half of the island’s population lives here

A very short distance from the centre is the international airport, from where numerous daily flights to the other islands of the archipelago and to the whole of Europe depart.

Arrecife began as a small fishing village in the 15th century and grew in importance to become the capital of the island in 1852. Today it is a shopper’s paradise. The streets are filled with boutiques and shops of major brands, so many tourists choose to visit for its shopping opportunities, especially along the pedestrian street Calle Léon y Castillo and at the large shopping centre.

Arrecife is the right destination for those who want to spend a day shopping, get closer to the culture of the locals and admire the attractions of Lanzarote’s only real town, before returning to the comfort of the hotel. For this reason, it might be a good idea to visit the Centro Insular de Cultura El Almacen, a cultural centre with various exhibitions.

Castillo de San Gabriel

The Castillo de San Gabriel is located on a small island called Islote de los Ingleses, and can be reached by two stretches of road, one for cars and one for pedestrians. On foot, one crosses the Puente de las Bolas, a small drawbridge with two cannon balls above its pillars from which it takes its name.

Originally built as a wooden fortress, it proved completely insufficient for any defensive purpose and was burnt by Berber pirates. It was later replaced by a stone castle in the 16th century, finally playing an important role in protecting the port and the city.

The fortress was declared a National Historic Monument in 1972 and today houses a small ethnographic museum. The views from here of the city and the Atlantic Ocean are magnificent.

Opening Hours

The Castillo de San Gabriel is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There is an entrance fee of 1.80 euro.

Beaches of Arrecife

Arrecife has a magnificent beach, Playa del Reducto, with golden sand and calm, crystal-clear waters. A beautiful promenade runs along the road from Playa del Reducto to the town’s second beach, Playa del Cable, located 2 km further west.

Playa El Reducto

The beach of El Reducto is undoubtedly the best city beach in the island’s capital, and one of the best on Lanzarote, although it is not as frequented by tourists as the other more famous ones. It is located on an almost closed bay of fine white sand, about half a kilometre long and 45 metres wide. The sea here has calm waters and magnificent colours.

Since we are talking about a city beach, there is a wide range of facilities such as children’s play areas, restaurants and refreshment kiosks, showers, changing areas, toilets and telephones.

Playa El Cable

The windy El Cable beach with moderate waves and fine golden sand is located next to the resort of the same name, about 2 km from Playa El Reducto. It is 300 metres long and about 20 metres wide. Unfortunately, this is an area prone to pollution, so there may be restrictions from time to time. There are no services on the beach.

Museums

Arrecife offers several museums and art galleries to introduce tourists to the island’s culture. On the other hand, it should be remembered that the residents of Lanzarote have great respect, interest and dedication to promoting the cultural development of the island.

This is reflected in the museums and galleries that make Lanzarote an important cultural centre in the Canary Islands. Arrecife boasts a wide range of heritage and riches, with a long list of works and monuments, castles, convents, aristocratic and religious houses.

• Museum of the History of Arrecife: located inside the Castillo de San Gabriel, this museum displays evidence of the island’s past and of the ancient inhabitants of Lanzarote, the Majo, as well as documents and models concerning Arrecife and its evolution.
• International Museum of Contemporary Art: located inside the Castillo de San José. As its name suggests, this museum, built in 1975, contains modern art objects. The museum was built under the supervision of Cesar Manrique.
• Casa de la Cultura Agustín de la Hoz: this is a cultural museum, reopened in 2008 after about 18 months of restoration work. This cultural centre organises various events throughout the year, which are very important as they are a source of discussion for students, intellectuals and the general public.
• Centro Insular de Cultura ‘El Almacén’: established inside two 19th century houses, it is a museum based on the local architecture of Arrecife. From the early 1900s to 1960, the building housed the School of Arts and Crafts, and in 1973 it was acquired by the artist César Manrique. After some modifications, Manrique opened a museum in 1974, which he sold to the municipality of Lanzarote in 1989. It houses numerous works of Lanzarote culture.
• Airport Museum: located inside the airport itself, it depicts the history of aviation on Lanzarote. It is small, but quite interesting.

Where to stay in Arrecife

Sleeping in Arrecife is a very smart option. Choosing the capital of Lanzarote as a base to sleep in brings with it many advantages: cheaper accommodation, contact with the locals, fewer tourists, enviable location in the centre of the island to reach all the main attractions, short distance from the airport. Against? Less glamour, but this is not always a disadvantage!

Among the areas where to sleep in Arrecife we obviously recommend the area around Playa del Reducto, which runs south of the town around Avenida Fred Olsen, where there are some good three-star hotels and numerous flats. The area around the marina and the old town is also interesting, but here beware of parking, which is decidedly scarce. So, if you are travelling with a hire car, consider carefully the parking options offered by your chosen establishment. If, on the other hand, you are mainly interested in touring the island and are not interested in experiencing Arrecife, choose without delay an accommodation near the LZ-3, the city ring road, to get in your car early in the morning and avoid the traffic altogether.

Recommended hotels in Arrecife

We offer a selection of hotels at Arrecife to suit all categories of travellers. The most booked by tourists are the sea-facing hotels, often right on the beach. If you want to play it safe, choose one of the following: they are among the most booked hotels in Arrecife, sorted by number of reviews.

Apartments and vacation homes in Arrecife

If you prefer space, privacy and the ability to prepare your own meals to a hotel holiday, book a holiday home at Arrecife. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Arrecife are in high demand.

How to get to Arrecife

There are many reasons why you should go to Arrecife. If you want to visit the capital of Lanzarote, you should know that getting there is quick and easy, as it is centrally located on the south coast of the island, at the confluence of the main roads, the LZ-1 and LZ-2.

From the airport it takes less than 10 minutes travelling west, while from the south, specifically from Playa Blanca, it takes about 40 minutes travelling north along the LZ-2.

Conversely, from the north it takes about 40 minutes travelling south on the LZ-1. The distances are never excessive, so that from Orzola, the northernmost town on Lanzarote, it takes just over half an hour.

Arrecife Weather