🌊 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.
🎨 César Manrique in Arrecife
César Manrique is primarily associated with Jameos del Agua, Mirador del Río, Tahíche and Haría, but his story began right here in Arrecife. The artist was born here on 24 April 1919 and spent the first years of his life in the city. Later, he returned to his hometown many times, also as an artist and designer.
During a walk through Arrecife, you can discover several places connected with his work. One of his early projects was the redesign of Plaza de Las Palmas beside the Church of San Ginés. In later years, he contributed to the artistic design of the Gran Hotel, designed the recreational complex on Islote de la Fermina, became involved in improving the area around Charco de San Ginés, and later played an important role in transforming the abandoned Castillo de San José into the Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo.
Arrecife therefore reveals a somewhat different side of Manrique from the one seen in his most famous creations. There is no single monumental work here comparable to Jameos del Agua. Instead, traces of his work are scattered throughout the city – in a square, beside the lagoon, inside an old castle, at the hotel and on a small islet just off the coast.
It is worth keeping this in mind while exploring the city. Arrecife is not simply the place where César Manrique was born – it is also a city where you can trace several stages of his career, from some of his earliest projects to his mature work involving art and public spaces.
🚶 How to Explore Arrecife
The most interesting part of Arrecife is best explored on foot. Many of the places described here are close to one another, and walking along the oceanfront allows you to move naturally from the modern part of the city to its oldest corners.
It is worth allowing at least a few hours for your visit, especially if you plan to enter the museums, spend some time at Playa del Reducto, or go up to the 17th floor of the Gran Hotel. Castillo de San José lies further from the historic centre, so it is worth deciding in advance how to include it in your route.
📖 Arrecife Step by Step in the Guidebook
In the guidebook “Lanzarote with César Manrique”, you’ll find a carefully planned route through Arrecife – including the order of sights, parking information, a map, GPS points, practical tips and details worth looking out for along the way.
On the website, I’ll show you why Arrecife is worth visiting. In the guidebook, I’ll tell you exactly how to explore it.
👉 Discover the guidebook: Lanzarote with César Manrique
⚓ Puerto de Naos – Another Side of Arrecife’s Port History
After walking around Charco de San Ginés, it is worth seeing Arrecife from another perspective. Further east lies Puerto de Naos – a harbour whose development played a major role in transforming a small settlement into Lanzarote’s most important commercial centre.
The natural conditions of the bay provided ships with good shelter, so as trade increased, Puerto de Naos became increasingly important. The 18th and 19th centuries were particularly significant, when products from Lanzarote were exported through Arrecife and goods needed by the island’s inhabitants arrived at the harbour. The growth of port activity attracted people, warehouses and other buildings connected with trade were constructed, and Arrecife gradually gained importance at the expense of inland Teguise.
The harbour, however, needed protection. In the second half of the 18th century, the decision was therefore made to build a new fortress overlooking Puerto de Naos. This is how Castillo de San José came into existence, and it still stands above the bay today.
Modern Puerto de Naos looks very different. The former commercial harbour has become part of Arrecife’s much larger port complex, while nearby Marina Lanzarote is now home to yachts, restaurants and modern developments.
🍞 Castillo de San José – From the Fortress of Hunger to an Art Museum
Overlooking Puerto de Naos stands Castillo de San José, the youngest of Lanzarote’s four surviving castles. It was built in the second half of the 18th century, during the reign of Charles III, to strengthen the defences of the increasingly important harbour. Construction was completed in 1779.
The castle, however, was also intended to serve another, far less obvious purpose. At the time, Lanzarote was going through an extremely difficult period of drought, crop failures and famine. Building the fortress provided local people with work and a way to earn money to support their families. This is why Castillo de San José became known as Fortaleza del Hambre – the “Fortress of Hunger.”
Over time, the castle lost its military importance and fell into neglect. It was not until the 20th century that it was given a new lease of life, thanks to César Manrique. The artist was involved in transforming the former fortress into a space dedicated to contemporary art while preserving the historic character of the building.
In 1976, the Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo – MIAC opened here. Its collection includes works by contemporary Spanish and Canarian artists, including works by Manrique himself.
The castle is also worth visiting for its location. From the surrounding area, you can look out over Puerto de Naos and the harbour district of Arrecife – the very place the fortress was built to protect centuries ago.
Castillo de San José therefore brings together three very different chapters in Arrecife’s history: the development of the harbour, the difficult years of famine and the work of César Manrique. And that is precisely what makes it much more than just another castle on the coast.
🏛️ Casa Amarilla – The Yellow Former Cabildo Building
The name leaves little room for doubt – Casa Amarilla, or the “Yellow House,” stands out with its vivid yellow façade in the historic centre of Arrecife. The building was constructed in the 1920s and for many years served as the headquarters of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, the island’s governing authority.
It is worth looking beyond the colour itself. Three façades of the building are covered with small glazed ceramic tiles in shades of yellow, ochre and green, contrasting with the white window surrounds and cornices. Above the main entrance is a small balcony, while the façade is crowned by a distinctive structure with clocks on three sides.
Today, the building serves as a cultural and exhibition space and is designated as a Bien de Interés Cultural. Temporary exhibitions dedicated to Lanzarote – its history, people, landscape and culture – are held here, so what you see inside may vary depending on when you visit.
This is not a place that requires a separate trip to Arrecife. However, while walking through the historic centre, it is definitely worth stopping to admire its distinctive yellow façade and, if Casa Amarilla is open, taking a look inside as well.
⛪ Iglesia de San Ginés – From a Small Chapel to the City’s Church
Just beside Charco de San Ginés, on what is now Plaza de Las Palmas, stands Arrecife’s most important historic church. Before the present building was constructed, however, the small port settlement had a modest ermita here in the 16th century, dedicated to San Ginés, the patron saint of the city.
The first chapel stood very close to the water. It was a small, single-nave building with a simple altar and a small bell tower. Its location proved problematic – during high tides, water from the Charco reached the interior, while damp gradually damaged the building.
In 1586, during the major raid by the corsair Morato Arráez, the chapel was destroyed along with the buildings of Arrecife and the nearby fortification. It was later rebuilt, but the problems with water did not disappear. Successive alterations and extensions eventually resulted in the church we see today.
It is worth taking a closer look at its simple white façade contrasted with dark volcanic stone, and stepping onto the small Plaza de Las Palmas. The square itself also has an interesting history – its name commemorates the assistance given by the people of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to the inhabitants of Arrecife during a severe water shortage in the early 20th century. Beneath the square is a historic cistern once used to store water.
The square is also connected with César Manrique, who was involved in its transformation in 1950. For decades, the Cruz de los Caídos, erected during Franco’s dictatorship, stood in front of the church. The cross was removed in 2025 during the renovation of the square, so you will no longer find it in front of the church.
Iglesia de San Ginés and the surrounding square are therefore much more than just another church along the route. Within this small space, traces of several different chapters in Arrecife’s history have survived – from the fishing settlement and the centuries-long struggle with water scarcity to the era of César Manrique.
💡 Ermita, Hermit and Hermitage – Are They the Same Thing?
The Spanish word ermita shares its roots with the word hermit, meaning a person who chooses to live in seclusion for religious reasons, devoting their life to prayer and simplicity, often far from towns and settlements.
Over time, however, the word ermita came to mean simply a small chapel or place of worship, often located outside the centre of a settlement. This does not mean that a hermit once lived beside every ermita.
The 16th-century Ermita de San Ginés in Arrecife was a small chapel. It served the port settlement of the time, and there is no evidence to associate it with hermits living in religious seclusion.
A true hermitage, on the other hand, is a place associated with the life of a hermit – someone who withdrew from the everyday life of the community to devote themselves to prayer and religious life.
🌊 Charco de San Ginés – A Lagoon in the Heart of the City
Just a few steps from the Church of San Ginés lies a place that perhaps best recalls Arrecife’s origins as a port settlement. Charco de San Ginés is a natural lagoon connected to the ocean by a narrow channel. Today, it is known for its small boats gently rocking on the water, whitewashed buildings and a promenade lined with bars and restaurants, but for centuries it was primarily a place closely connected with the everyday lives of local people.
It was around the Charco that the old settlement developed. Fishermen pulled their boats ashore here, repaired their nets and took advantage of the natural shelter provided by the lagoon, while small houses gradually appeared nearby. As the harbour developed, Arrecife grew with it, eventually transforming from a modest fishing settlement into Lanzarote’s most important commercial centre.
The Charco, however, has not always looked the way it does today. In the 20th century, the area needed regeneration, and César Manrique also became involved in efforts to revitalise it. He wanted to preserve the character of the place and restore the lagoon as an attractive urban space.
Today, it is worth walking all the way around Charco de San Ginés, stopping beside the small boats and taking in the surrounding buildings. It is particularly pleasant in the late afternoon and evening, when the lights of the city begin to reflect on the water.
As you walk, it is worth stepping away from the promenade for a moment. Around the Charco, a fragment of old Arrecife has survived, making it easier to imagine the city before the arrival of hotels, wide streets and the modern harbour.
🏘️ La Puntilla – Where Arrecife Began
Historic La Puntilla is a small section of the shoreline around Charco de San Ginés, where some of the oldest buildings of the port settlement of Arrecife once stood. Near the former chapel of San Ginés were modest homes belonging to people whose lives were closely connected with the sea, while a settlement gradually developed around the natural lagoon – eventually growing into today’s capital of Lanzarote.
Today, La Puntilla is easy to overlook. It is not clearly marked as an attraction or a separate neighbourhood, and searching for its name on Google Maps mainly leads to a restaurant located here. However, it is worth stepping a few metres away from the promenade around the Charco and wandering between the older houses. Fragments of the historic buildings and narrow passageways have survived, recalling the city’s fishing past.
The first inhabitants of this part of Arrecife were primarily connected with the sea, fishing and the harbour. The buildings were modest: small, low houses stood along narrow streets and passageways leading towards the Charco. Part of this old street layout has survived to the present day.
👀 Take a closer look at the windows. Among the older buildings of La Puntilla, you can spot a distinctive architectural detail known as pecho de paloma – literally, “pigeon breast.” It is a particular style of window surround found in the traditional architecture of Lanzarote. Without knowing what to look for, it is easy to walk straight past without noticing it.
La Puntilla is not a monument that requires a ticket, nor is it a place filled with spectacular attractions. Its value lies in something quite different – it offers a glimpse of the town that existed here before Arrecife became the capital, a major port and the modern urban centre it is today.
🌴 A Seafront Walk Through Arrecife
From Playa del Reducto, it is worth continuing along the oceanfront. The seafront promenade runs through the centre of Arrecife, passing palm trees, small squares and places where you can look out towards the islets and boats moored along the shore. It is a great way to explore the city without having to drive between individual attractions.
Along the way, you will pass Parque José Ramírez Cerdá, named after the long-serving president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote – a man who played an important role in the island’s transformation and worked closely with César Manrique. The park is best seen as part of the walk rather than as an attraction in its own right.
The most interesting part comes shortly afterwards. From the promenade, the small islet crowned by Castillo de San Gabriel gradually comes into view, while the stone Puente de las Bolas leading to it turns a simple walk along the ocean into a journey straight into the history of old Arrecife.
🏰 Castillo de San Gabriel and Puente de las Bolas
As you walk along the promenade, it is hard to miss Castillo de San Gabriel – a small stone fortress standing on an islet just off the coast of Arrecife. It is reached via the distinctive Puente de las Bolas, whose name comes from the stone spheres placed on pillars at the entrance to the bridge.
This place is a reminder that today’s peaceful promenade was once part of a coastline that needed to be defended. The first fortifications were built here as early as the 15th century, while a later fort was captured and burned in 1586 during a raid by the corsair Morato Arráez. In the years that followed, the fortification was rebuilt and strengthened, creating a castle that guarded Arrecife’s growing harbour.
Today, the castle houses the Museo de Historia de Arrecife. It is worth walking across Puente de las Bolas even if you are not planning to visit the museum – simply to see the castle itself, enjoy the ocean views and admire the panorama of Arrecife’s waterfront.
👉 Discover the full history of Castillo de San Gabriel