Things to see in Arrecife, Lanzarote's capital

Plenty of people pass through Arrecife without stopping: they arrive by plane or cruise ship and head straight for the south. That is a mistake if you like seeing how the island really lives. The things to see in Arrecife fit into a half-day stroll around the centre: a seawater lagoon full of boats, two castles, the main shopping street and a Blue Flag town beach.

Arrecife has been the capital of Lanzarote since 1852, when Teguise lost the role. César Manrique was born here, and his hand shows in the Charco de San Ginés, the Castillo de San José and the Islote de Fermina. For the rest of his work on the island, see our César Manrique guide.

Things to do in Arrecife in a day: the walk

The order that works best, all on foot and at an easy pace:

1. El Reducto beach, first thing, while there is still room on the sand.
2. The seafront promenade to the Puente de las Bolas and the Castillo de San Gabriel.
3. Calle Real (León y Castillo) for shopping and a coffee, with the Recova and the church of San Ginés next door.
4. Charco de San Ginés for lunch or tapas among the boats.
5. In the afternoon, the Castillo de San José (MIAC), with contemporary art and a terrace overlooking the port.

If you arrive on a Saturday, start at the market in Plaza de Las Palmas (09:00–12:00) and finish at the Charco. If you would like someone to tell you the story, the Arrecife free tour on Civitatis has more than 2,500 reviews and a very good rating.

Charco de San Ginés

This is the heart of the town: a seawater lagoon around which the first fishing village grew up. It was remodelled following a design by César Manrique, and today small boats moor here surrounded by bars and restaurants. Hence Arrecife's old nickname, "the Venice of the Atlantic".

It is a good spot for fish or an early-evening drink; at night, the terraces around the Charco and Marina Lanzarote are the centre of the action. The cruise-day market that used to be held here is currently listed as not operating on turismolanzarote.com: do not come just for that.

Castillo de San Gabriel and Puente de las Bolas

From the seafront promenade, a 175-metre 16th-century stone bridge, the Puente de las Bolas, links the mainland with the Castillo de San Gabriel. Inside is the Arrecife History Museum. Crossing the bridge is free.

The museum's opening times and price change easily: ask at the tourist office in the Casa de la Cultura (Avenida la Marina, 7; Monday to Friday 08:00–15:30, Saturdays 10:00–13:00) before planning your morning around it.

Castillo de San José (MIAC): price and opening times

The late-18th-century fort built under Carlos III, known as the "Fortress of Hunger", houses the International Museum of Contemporary Art (MIAC), another of Manrique's ideas, which opened in 1976. It stands on the bay by the port of Los Mármoles.

• Entry: €5.40 adults, €2.70 children aged 7 to 12, free up to age 6.
• Opening hours: every day from 11:00 to 18:00.
• What is there: work by Miró, Tàpies, Manolo Millares, Chirino, Pancho Lasso and José Dámaso. No flash photography.
• Restaurant: overlooking the port, Sunday to Tuesday 11:00 to 18:00 and Wednesday to Saturday until 23:00 (tel. +34 928 81 23 21).

It is the cheapest of the paid CACT centres and a good excuse for dinner overlooking the boats. Tickets are sold in the official CACT shop; what to expect from how they are run is in our CACT review.

Islote de Fermina, Marina Lanzarote and other corners

• Islote de Fermina: designed by Manrique in the seventies and opened to the public only a few years ago, with an interpretation centre about the bay and a café.
• Marina Lanzarote: the marina, with shops and restaurants; at night it is where Arrecife stays open latest.
• Casa Amarilla: the former Cabildo (island council) headquarters, a listed heritage building, with ethnographic exhibitions.
• CIC El Almacén: a cultural centre with original-language films, handy on a windy afternoon.

If you come by car, the underground car park at Parque Islas Canarias has 900 spaces.

Calle Real, shopping and markets

Calle Real (officially León y Castillo) is the main shopping street, beside the old quarter, and the one locals use for their shopping. Next to it is the Recova, the old market, beside the church of San Ginés.

The market worth visiting is on Saturdays from 09:00 to 12:00 in Plaza de Las Palmas, with farmers' produce and crafts. On Sundays, the island's big market is in the Villa de Teguise: line 7 leaves the bus station every two hours. Read our Teguise market review before you go.

El Reducto beach

Arrecife's town beach has about 500 metres of fine golden sand, sheltered by a reef that shows at low tide, with a promenade and facilities. It has a Blue Flag, one of six beaches in Lanzarote that do.

If you are after a bigger beach or somewhere to spend the whole day, our guide to Lanzarote's beaches compares the rest, and Costa Teguise is a bus ride away.

Arrecife for cruise passengers: Naos or Los Mármoles

Arrecife is a home port for cruises and has two new terminals: Naos, the closer one to the centre, and Los Mármoles, which can take up to three ships at once. The busy season runs from November to April; in summer there are hardly any calls.

• From Naos: roughly 1 km on foot to the centre, past the tourist office.
• From Los Mármoles: about 3 km, 30 to 40 minutes on foot with little shade. Cruise lines usually lay on a shuttle bus to the centre, sometimes free and often paid. A taxi costs around €10.
• Tourist office: on cruise days, the desk at the port of Los Mármoles opens 08:00 to 14:30 and the one at Marina Lanzarote 09:00 to 13:00. What the official tourist service offers is in our Turismo Lanzarote review.

Everything you can do on a port call, with return-to-ship timings, is in our guide to cruise excursions.

Getting to Arrecife and the bus station

Estación de Arrecife (Rambla Medular) is the hub of the Intercity Bus Lanzarote network: almost every line starts here. The most useful guaguas (buses):

With the timetable change of 1 October, line 22 to the airport runs longer hours and line 22D no longer operates. You can pay in cash (no more than €10 given in change), by card or with the Bono General, a €2 card that gives 10 % off and can be shared. The station office is open Monday to Friday 07:30 to 18:30 and weekends 09:00 to 13:00. Timetables at arrecifebus.com.

Note: there is no bus to Timanfaya, the Mirador del Río or El Golfo. For those you need a car or a tour; the options are in our guide to Lanzarote without a car.

Excursions from Arrecife

Arrecife is a good base if you do not want to drive: many excursions pick up in town or at the port, and those designed for cruise passengers are timed around all-aboard. The most reviewed combines Timanfaya and the Charco de los Clicos in half a day from €49. Before booking the volcano visit on your own, read our Timanfaya guide; for the north, see northern Lanzarote.

Our excursions from Arrecife

1

Cruise passengers short on time

Timanfaya and the Lago Verde (Green Lagoon) in 2.5–5 hours, with more than two thousand reviews and a very good rating.

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Arrecife: Timanfaya and Green Lagoon for Cruise Passengers

4.6 (2,155)

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2

Morning port call

Timanfaya and El Golfo in 4.5 hours, on a morning schedule for port calls.

GetYourGuide4.5 hours

Timanfaya And El Golfo For Cruise Passengers (Mornings)

4.6 (1,076)

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3

The north in 3 hours

Jameos del Agua and the north in a morning, from €40.

GetYourGuide3 hours

Lanzarote: Jameos del Agua & North Island for Cruise Guests

4.5 (503)

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GetYourGuide2.5 - 5 hours

Arrecife: Timanfaya and Green Lagoon for Cruise Passengers

4.6 (2,155)

from €49Check availability

GetYourGuide4 hours

Lanzarote Shore Excursion for Cruise Passengers

No reviews yet

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GetYourGuide2 hours

Pedal Kayaking Sightseeing Tour in Arrecife

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Haría Market: transport for cruise ship passengers

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