# 10 days in Lanzarote: Arrecife > During our stay in Lanzarote, we went twice to the island's capital, Arrecife. Source: https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/10-days-in-lanzarote-arrecife/ Published on 12 January 2020 During our stay in Lanzarote, we went twice to the island's capital, **Arrecife**. We still wanted to discover Lanzarote's main town, and in particular the museum of the artist who shaped the island, César Manrique. On the first day, as soon as we had picked up the rental car around midday, we chose to have lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon in Arrecife, to discover the island's capital. So we parked (for free!) near the playa del Reducto, facing the sea [here](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Parking/@28.9601283,-13.5582856,15.51z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0xc4623cd1ca2398b:0xa2a0d68ac57b1518!2sLanzarote!3b1!8m2!3d29.0468535!4d-13.5899733!3m4!1s0xc46279e4b91cc0d:0x5652bc43c559cea7!8m2!3d28.9564751!4d-13.563699). We then walked to the town centre, in the sunshine, in about ten minutes, following the deserted beach. ## What to see in Arrecife Here is a short list of the sites we consider unmissable if you pass through **Arrecife** during your trip to Lanzarote! We haven't included the Castillo San Jose, the Contemporary Museum, which is a few minutes by car from the town centre, because we didn't find any interest in it. ### Charco de San Ginés We had read that the **Charco de San Ginés** was in a way the flagship attraction of the town of Arrecife, with its typical inner harbour and its white and blue facades. Indeed, we found this place full of charm and, in some spots, reminiscent of typical Moroccan villages. The basin is quite small, you can walk around it fairly quickly, in about twenty minutes on foot. This is also where most of the town's bars and restaurants are concentrated: so we had lunch there, to enjoy the view and the calm of the place. ![Charco de San Ginés lagoon lined with small boats](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-02-e7c875ac.webp) ![Paved promenade running along the lagoon beneath the palms](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-03-8a28f693.webp) ![Traveller leaning against the blue railing facing the boats](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-04-60e4fef4.webp) ![Path lined with thick palm trunks and terraces](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-05-7e75372a.webp) ![Fishing boats moored in front of the white facades](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-06-9daea6e1.webp) ![Empty cobbled lane in front of a house with blue shutters](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-07-be3121bb.webp) ![Palm tree leaning over the lagoon and the white houses](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-08-972fe50b.webp) ![Blue and white boat resting on the shore at low tide](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-09-111fac04.webp) ### Castillo de San Gabriel The **Castillo de San Gabriel** is one of the must-sees when you come to visit Arrecife. Located at the end of a long stone bridge, this 18th century fortress houses the town's archaeological and ethnographic museum. Even though we didn't visit the museum, we enjoyed the short walk on the little islet. The end of the bridge does indeed offer a lovely perspective over the white town and the volcanoes in the background. ![Rusted steel sign of the Arrecife history museum](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-10-7fb0c86b.webp) ![Stone causeway leading to the fort between two pillars](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-11-6caef757.webp) ![Low volcanic stone wall in front of the fort at the water's edge](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-12-bf0b05b7.webp) ![White seafront and bell tower seen from the fort](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-13-3d76f079.webp) ![Two old cannons in front of the stone ramparts of the fort](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-14-8633958e.webp) ![Bronze cannon aimed out from the esplanade of the fort](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-15-f454f7ea.webp) ### The seafront A promenade lets you reach the centre of Arrecife along the **playa del Reducto**, passing in front of the island's only high-rise, Arrecife Gran Hotel & Spa, then through the **Jose Ramirez Cerda park**. When we were there, in early January, the seafront was deserted, and remnants of the Christmas festivities (giant trees) were still on the square. The town doesn't have much charm in itself, with its white holiday residences, which must welcome thousands of tourists in summer. But, stepping off the plane, it was really pleasant to stroll in the sun, by the sea! ![Red plant cone standing in the middle of the promenade](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-16-4ebeffde.webp) ![Wooden bandstand and lit Christmas tree on a square](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-17-f5984686.webp) ![Paved esplanade beneath the garlands, lined with white benches](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-18-28dba88c.webp) ![Sandy beach fringed with palm trees at the end of the day](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-19-44ff3062.webp) ### The César Manrique Foundation We came back to Arrecife a bit later in the week, on a day when the sun was playing hide and seek, to visit the **César Manrique Foundation**. The museum is located between Arrecife and Tahiche, on the **LZ-1**. Adult entry costs 8€ but we preferred to buy the combined ticket at **15€** which also lets you visit the House-museum located in Haria, in the north of the island. The Foundation is housed in the home where the artist lived for twenty years, which was built in the middle of a lava flow. We loved discovering both the exhibitions and the outdoor areas of this spectacular house. ![Colourful metal mobile standing above the volcanic stones](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-20-6bdefb45.webp) ![Turquoise pool carved into the lava flow](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-21-f7e92729.webp) ![Visitor in front of a colourful mural surrounded by cacti](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-22-eb1d3753.webp) ![Orange jars and turquoise pool beneath the palm fronds](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-23-13d4fa5a.webp) ![Pool and succulents set on the black lava](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-24-9b3a5499.webp) ![Picture window opening onto a lava field from the room](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-25-7da9548d.webp) ![Curved white lounge beneath a vault of volcanic rock](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-26-dad61113.webp) ![Pool and orange jars nestled between the lava walls](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-27-02c15d0f.webp) ![Fish drawn in line on the white wall of the foundation](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-28-037e28f9.webp) ![White staircase between whitewashed walls and green doors](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-29-08ccffd5.webp) ## Our favourite spot in Arrecife - **[Amarre](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187478-d16694701-Reviews-Amarre-Arrecife_Lanzarote_Canary_Islands.html)**: a good restaurant with a lovely terrace overlooking the Charco promenade, by the water. It came to 42€ for two with starters, a burger, a sharing board and two bottles of water. ## What we thought of Arrecife Even though at first glance Arrecife doesn't look like a must-visit in Lanzarote, we enjoyed discovering the town over an afternoon. In January, the beaches and the streets were almost deserted, which doesn't give the impression of a touristy seaside resort. In summer, the atmosphere must be very different and you probably don't enjoy the town in the same way as off season. **We recommend spending at least a few hours there during your trip to Lanzarote and going to see at least the Charco San Ginés and the Castillo de San Gabriel!** **The César Manrique Foundation is also a must, to discover the artist and his works.** Planning a trip to Lanzarote, read [all our articles about the island](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/destinations/canary-islands/)! ![Couple leaning on the blue railing in front of the lagoon](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/10-jours-a-lanzarote-arrecife-30-fb680e40.webp)