Logbook · 6 places

What to see and do in Arrecife

What to see and do in Arrecife (Lanzarote, Las Palmas): 6 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 1 Nature · 1 Curiosities · 1 Historical milestones

How far each place is from the centre of Arrecife

Towns near Arrecife

What to see in San Bartolomé 7.5 km · 8 places
What to see in Tías 10 km · 3 places
What to see in Teguise 11 km · 12 places
What to see in Tinajo 14 km · 3 places
What to see in Yaiza 21 km · 8 places
What to see in Haría 21 km · 5 places

Spain › Canary Islands › Las Palmas › Lanzarote › Arrecife

What to see and do in Arrecife

Arrecife
Village
Capital of Lanzarote since 1852 (Teguise had been the capital before), Arrecife arose as a fishing and commercial port beside a chain of rocky reefs that give it its name, sheltered by the islets of El Francés and El Quemado. The 1852 Free Ports Decree spurred its commercial takeoff and consolidated its role as the island's capital.
Castillo de San Gabriel
Monument
Fortress built in 1576 on the islet of El Quemado after an attack by Turkish-Algerian corsairs, rebuilt in stone by the Italian engineer Leonardo Torriani from 1591 and linked to the mainland by a small bridge. A Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's top heritage-protection category) since 1979, it today houses the Museo de la Historia de Arrecife.
Castillo de San José
Monument
18th-century fort built by order of Charles III to defend the port of Arrecife and give work to the population after years of famine, which is why it is popularly known as "the Fort of Hunger." Since 1976 it has housed, on the initiative of César Manrique, the Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo.
Charco de San Ginés
Nature
Seawater lagoon that reaches into the center of Arrecife, an old fishing-boat anchorage today surrounded by whitewashed fishermen's houses. It gives its name to the seafaring neighborhood that grew up around it, next to the main church of San Ginés Obispo.
Puerto franco de Arrecife (1852)
Historical milestone
The 1852 Free Ports Decree freed foreign trade from tariffs at the main Canarian ports, among them Arrecife, until then a small fishing settlement. The measure sent its commercial activity soaring and finished establishing it as the capital of Lanzarote over the old capital, Teguise.
César Manrique
Curiosity
The painter, sculptor and architect César Manrique (1919-1992), whose work shaped the touristic character of the whole island, was born in Arrecife. He died in a traffic accident in Tahíche in 1992, barely six months after opening the headquarters of his foundation.