Arrecife

One of the reference sites of Arrefice is the Historic Site of the San Gabriel Castle located on the coast in one of the islets of the bay. It is Castillo de San Gabriel is a construction that served as a fortress against piracy that came from Africa. To access the fortification must be made through the famous Puente de las Bolas, a few accesses dating from the XVIII century and is built of stone and topped with two balls . Although they are separated by approximately 200 meters, the two elements are part of the complex and are interlaced by two cobblestone roads. The Castle did not always look like this, at first it was a smaller construction with wooden interiors that burned after an attack. In 1568 it was rebuilt by the Italian engineer Torriani. The Castillo de San Gabriel currently has the Museo Arqueológico de Arrecife where more than 2500 pieces of the era are exhibited as pre-Hispanic vestiges, ceramics Castilian and Andalusian collections of numismatics, small idols, stone incisions, tools and primitive tools. The fortress is surrounded by a small beach of golden sand, which gives the place more beauty.

The capital of Lanzarote, Arrecife, has two forts that in the past served as the first escoyo against pirate attacks. In addition to the Castillo de San Gabriel, also located on the coast of Arrecife, there is the Castillo de San José which is now the home of International Museum of Contemporary Art. The Castillo de San José was built between 1776 and 1779 by the king Carlos III, also received the name of Fortress of the Famine since in times of famine the fortification served to give work to the inhabitants of Arrecife. From its location it was possible to spot any possible attack that came from the sea, after remitting these attacks the fortress was abandoned until the twentieth century that was practically demolished. The artist César Manrique saw potential at Castillo de San José and turned the construction into what it is today, the International Museum of Art Contemporáne or inaugurated in 1976. Manrique got an interesting collection with works by artists such as Picasso, Tápies, Miró, Mompó, Millares and works of own César Manrique. The building has a concert hall and spectacular views through a window at Puerto de los Mármoles.

In the capital of Lanzarote, Arrecife, is the most important temple in the city, it is the Mother Church of San Ginés Obispo or also known by the name of Church of San Ginés de Clermont.   San Ginés de Clermont was the twenty-fifth bishop of Clermont in the French region of Auvergne and is the patron of the Arrecife   The origin of the Church of San Ginés de Clermont is removed to 1574 when it was created in the Puerto de Arrecife the hermitage in honor of San Ginés

The Beaches of Lanzarote are authentic backwater of peace and tranquility, in the capital Arrecife we can find some of the most beautiful beaches of the whole island. One of the best beaches that you can visit is the El Reducto Beach, with fine, clear sand, with an almost closed bay that makes it a beach with calm and transparent waters. The El Reducto Beach has the best equipment, from the promenade itself you can access the beach, there are restaurants, large parking areas, shopping area, beach bars, showers etc. The Reducto has a length of 500 meters and a width of 45 meters, it is necessary to clarify that the reason that this beach has sand so different from the rest of the beaches in the area It's because it's artificial. The beach is divided into two parts, on one side is the quieter area adjoining a large hotel with some coconut trees that provide shade. On the other hand there is the busiest part where it is possible to carry out water activities such as kayak or stand up paddle. One of the best places in Arrecife to dive in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

In Arrecife it is possible to enjoy a fantastic swim in one of the most emblematic sites of Lanzarote, the Charco de San Ginés. This puddle is one of the most beautiful natural elements of the island, a beautiful saltwater lagoon that is surrounded by charming white fishermen's houses that adds a picturesque point to the environment. All the access pass to the pool was remodeled by the Canarian artist César Manrique and is adjacent to the famous Barrio de la Puntilla where you can see the most beautiful buildings in the capital Arrecife, such as the Church of San Ginés, Arrecife Town Hall, Puente de las Bolas or the Castillo of San Gabriel. When you see the Charco de San Ginés you can see a large number of small boats belonging to the fishermen of the area, elements that make the place one of the most beautiful postcards of Lanzarote. More than 6 centuries ago the Charco de Ginés was a small natural port, with the passing of time it became more important and became the main port of the area. Every Saturday the surroundings host a market of Canarian crafts and products.

One of the most important ports in Lanzarote is the port of the capital, Puerto de Arrecife or better known as Puerto de los Mármoles. In the beginning, the Puerto de los Mármoles was a purely fishing port, but over the years the increase in tourism and industry meant that it expanded and began to accommodate both cruises and merchandise. the third port of the Canarian archipelago.   From being a port purely for fishermen, it is currently a port where containers are its main traffic.   The port has 3 kilometers of lines for the berthing of the ships, with 120 hectares of floating surface and about 450,000 square meters of land surface. With a view to the future, we intend to expand the infrastructures of Los Mármoles to accommodate a greater number of containers, cruisers and nautical sports.   The Puerto de Los Mármoles is very well connected to the center of Arrecife and can be reached from the town center to the port in just 30 minutes on foot, which makes this point an interesting stop for tourists whose cruise ships arrive at the facilities.

One of the most iconic places in Arrecife is located at Barlovento Beach, it's not the busiest beach or the best beach in the area but it's a boat stranded, called Telamon and that has been there since 1981. The story went like this, in 1981 the merchant ship called Temple Hall and finally named with the name of Telamon, 139 meters long and 18 wide wrecked off the coast of Lanzarote. Before shipwrecking the Telamon was loaded with wooden logs from Ivory Coast and its destination was the Greek port of Thessaloniki, an accident caused a waterway before reaching the island of Lanzarote, was towed to this area to avoid blocking the port of Arrecife. These remains were not removed and currently forms one of the most curious and at the same time the most unknown pictures of the entire archipelago. The beach can be easily reached by car and is very close to the urban area, the sand is dark in color and is a perfect place to take curious snapshots. From the shore you can see an imposing part of the ship, since during its towage the ship split in two and one of them sank.

The Casa de los Arroyo is one of the icons of Arrecife. A building that dates from the XVIII century and that originally belonged to the Armas family and later to the Arroyo family. It is especially striking that the type of architecture with popular and domestic dyes, currently the Casa de los Arroyo is the headquarters of the Blas Cabrera Scientific-Cultural Center. The importance of the Casa de los Arroyo has led it to be declared a historical-artistic monument, the roof of the Arab tile building must be removed, something unusual in the constructions of the archipelago. The Casa de los Arroyo was used as a customs office in times when the capital Arrecife was not the urban center that it is today and it was only a port of entry and exit to the island whose capital then was Teguise. Following the architecture of the house, it has a sober style where the patio, balconies and wooden stairs stand out. The building also usually hosts artistic exhibitions, which is why it sometimes becomes the nerve center of the capital of Lanzarote.