Arrecife

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Spain, Lanzarote, Arrecife, Puente de las Bolas in front of Castillo San Gabriel

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Overview

Lanzarote's capital is a small, agreeable, south-coast city with a pleasant Mediterranean-style promenade, an inviting sandy beach washed by the sparkling Atlantic, and a disarming backstreet hotchpotch of sun-bleached buildings, unpretentious bars, buzzy shopping streets and restaurants of all kinds. Though a little thin on the ground for a Canarian capital, Arrecife's sights are well worth exploring, including a couple of castles, a pretty saltwater lagoon, an important art gallery and several César Manrique creations; you'll find the most historical charm in the narrow backstreets around the church and lagoon. All that said, Arrecife’s most notable quality is that it’s a no-nonsense working town that earns its living from something other than tourism.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo

Arrecife

Converted into an art gallery in 1976, on César Manrique's wish, the well-preserved 18th-century Castillo de San José houses one of the Canaries' major…

Castillo de San Gabriel

Arrecife

On a little islet just off the seafront promenade, reached via the 18th-century Puente de las Bolas or a more recent Franco-era bridge, the 16th-century…

Museo Arqueológico de Lanzarote

Arrecife

Tucked into the repurposed mansion of 20th-century lanzaroteño doctor and architect Fermín Rodríguez Bethencourt and his wife Manuela García Parrilla,…

Charco de San Ginés

Arrecife

Fringed by homes and restaurants in a beguiling combination of mildly down at heel and freshly whitewashed (with blue trim), the attractive natural San…

Centro de Innovación Cultural El Almacén

Arrecife

Occupying a duo of 19th-century townhouses, this cultural centre was remodelled into an arts hub by César Manrique in 1973, then revamped once more in…

Biblioteca Universitaria Municipal

Arrecife

In the green-shuttered former Parador building, right on the seafront, this university library conceals four wonderful early César Manrique murals,…

Playa del Reducto

Arrecife

If you fancy a dip, the city’s main beach is lovely: an arc of pristine pale-gold sand fringed with lofty palm trees and a promenade. It's safe for…

Iglesia de San Ginés

Arrecife

Dating from 1665 and featuring Tuscan-style columns, a neoclassical tower and a 17th-century statue of the island’s patron saint, this triple-nave church…

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