10 days in Lanzarote: Arrecife

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. 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.

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.

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!

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.

Our favourite spot in Arrecife

• Amarre: 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!