🌊 Islote de la Fermina

Right next to Playa del Reducto, opposite the distinctive Gran Hotel, lies Islote de la Fermina – a small islet connected to Arrecife by a footbridge. Its present-day appearance is another reminder of César Manrique’s work in his home city.

The story of the site, however, began much earlier. The islet belonged to the family of Fermina García Santana, from whom it takes its name, and was connected with Arrecife’s port activities and former fishing industry. In the 1960s, the idea emerged to transform it into a recreational space.

In the early 1970s, César Manrique designed a recreational complex with swimming pools here, working alongside architect Fernando Higueras. They created a space open to the ocean, with whitewashed architectural elements, terraces and a pool – features characteristic of Manrique’s approach to combining architecture with the landscape of Lanzarote.

The history of Islote de la Fermina, however, was far from straightforward. The complex remained closed and neglected for many years, while successive attempts to restore it for residents and visitors dragged on for decades. Following an extensive renovation, the islet finally reopened in 2023.

Today, you can walk onto the islet, explore the area and see the pool and architecture of the complex. It is an especially interesting stop because Playa del Reducto, the Gran Hotel and Islote de la Fermina are practically next to one another – bringing together, in one small area, the beach, the beginnings of Arrecife’s transformation through tourism and one of Manrique’s lesser-known projects.

I would not consider Islote de la Fermina one of Lanzarote’s major attractions worth travelling to Arrecife specifically to see. But during a walk through the capital, it is definitely worth stopping by – particularly if you are interested in places connected with César Manrique.

🏖️ Playa del Reducto – A Beach in the Heart of the Capital

Arrecife can be full of surprises. Almost in the very centre of Lanzarote’s capital stretches a 500-metre-long beach with fine golden sand, palm trees and calm water, while the distinctive silhouette of the Gran Hotel rises right beside it.

Playa del Reducto is a natural beach sheltered by a reef, which means the water here is usually calmer than at many of Lanzarote’s more exposed beaches. At low tide, parts of the reef emerge from the water, so the beach looks its best when the tide is higher.

This is not just a place to admire while walking around Arrecife. The beach is well equipped, with a promenade, showers, toilets and places to eat and drink, so you can easily take a break from sightseeing, relax or stay for a swim.

What makes it particularly interesting, however, is the contrast: the cityscape, Lanzarote’s tallest building, and just a few steps away, golden sand, palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean. Playa del Reducto reveals a completely different side of Arrecife and is a good reason not to treat the island’s capital simply as a place you pass through on the way from the airport to your resort.

🏨 Gran Hotel – Arrecife from Above

It is hard to miss. Arrecife Gran Hotel & Spa is the tallest building on Lanzarote and a true exception on an island known primarily for its low-rise architecture. The hotel opened in 1970, at a time when tourism on Lanzarote was only beginning to gain momentum and the principles that would shape its future development were still taking form.

Interestingly, César Manrique was not opposed to the Gran Hotel itself. He was involved in shaping its artistic design, although in later years he became increasingly outspoken against uncontrolled development on the island and the construction of large tourist complexes. The Gran Hotel therefore remains a distinctive reminder of the early days of Lanzarote’s transformation through tourism – a solitary high-rise rising above Arrecife.

However, you do not need to stay at the five-star hotel to see the capital from above. On the 17th floor you will find Blue 17, a restaurant that is also open to non-hotel guests. You can take the lift up, order a coffee, a drink or a meal, and enjoy panoramic views through the large windows over Arrecife, the ocean and a substantial stretch of the coastline.

It is not, however, a traditional public observation deck. If the panorama is your main reason for visiting, it is worth booking a table in advance and requesting a seat by the window – a reservation alone does not guarantee the best view.

This is one of the few places on Lanzarote where, instead of looking down on the island from a volcano or a cliff, you can see it from above... right in the heart of the city.

🌊 Arrecife – Lanzarote’s Capital by the Ocean

Arrecife is easy to miss when driving straight from the airport to one of the island’s resorts. And that would be a shame. Lanzarote’s capital has a beautiful sandy beach lined with palm trees, a seafront promenade, castles that once guarded its harbours, a small lagoon filled with boats and streets that still recall the days when Arrecife was a fishing settlement. Rising above it all is the island’s only true high-rise building, offering a completely different perspective over the city and the ocean.

Arrecife is unlike Teguise, Haría or Yaiza – and that is precisely why it is worth visiting. This is where you can best see how a small port settlement grew into the present-day capital of Lanzarote without losing all traces of its past.

📖 Explore Arrecife with the Guidebook

In the guidebook “Lanzarote with César Manrique”, you’ll find a ready-made route through Arrecife that takes you to the city’s most interesting places without unnecessary detours. I’ll show you where to park, which way to walk, what to look out for and what is worth seeing along the way, while a map with GPS points makes exploring independently easy.

👉 Discover the guidebook: Lanzarote with César Manrique

⚓ From a Small Port Settlement to the Capital of Lanzarote

Arrecife was a port before it became a town. Its rocky islets, reefs and bays sheltered ships from the open Atlantic, creating one of the best natural harbours on Lanzarote. Along the shore, around what is now Charco de San Ginés, a small settlement gradually developed, inhabited by people whose lives were closely connected with the sea, fishing and servicing ships.

For centuries, Teguise remained the political and administrative centre of the island, but Arrecife’s economic importance continued to grow. Grain was exported from Lanzarote through its port, and by the late 18th century the barilla trade had become particularly important. Barilla was a plant used to produce soda ash, which was needed for products such as soap and glass. Merchants, craftsmen and people from other parts of the island moved to the growing port settlement, and new houses and warehouses appeared. In 1798, Arrecife became an independent municipality.

In the 19th century, barilla was replaced by cochineal – tiny insects raised on prickly pear cacti. Once collected and dried, they were used to produce an intense red dye. The dye was highly valued, particularly by the textile industry, and cochineal became one of Lanzarote’s most important exports. The port continued to develop, the population grew, and Arrecife increasingly became the island’s economic centre.

In 1847, the island’s capital was transferred from Teguise to Arrecife. Later, fishing and the fish-processing industry associated with the rich fishing grounds off the coast of Africa also played a major role in the life of the city.

Today’s Arrecife is therefore the result of several centuries of life shaped by the ocean. The port changed, the goods being exported changed and the town grew – but the sea remained its most important point of reference throughout its history. Traces of these different chapters can still be seen on a walk through Arrecife: around Charco de San Ginés, in La Puntilla, beside the castles and around the old harbours.

📖 Want to Discover the Full History of Arrecife?

Why was the natural harbour so important? What was barilla, and why did it attract merchants to Arrecife? How did cochineal bring wealth to the island, why did Teguise lose its status as the capital, and how did fishing transform the city in the 20th century?

👉 Discover the history of Arrecife – from a port settlement to the capital of Lanzarote.