Arrecife is the capital city of Lanzarote. The city owes its name to the rock reef (“arrecife” being Spanish for “reef”) which covers its local beach.
The Charco de San Ginés is located in the heart of the capital of Lanzarote. The island’s first fishing settlement was built around this seawater lagoon.
It was the presence of the Charco that led to Arrecife being known in the past as the Venice of the Atlantic.
Another famous sight is the Castillo de San Gabriel, an imposing stone fortress dating from the 16th century, with cannons and history exhibits.
To reach the castle you must cross the Puente de las Bolas. Built in the 16th century, its 175 metres connect the castle to dry land.
This historic castle was built to defend the island from pirate attacks and is located on a tiny island called Islote de los Ingleses.
Originally built as a small wooden fortress, this proved insufficient to prevent attacks and had to be rebuilt after it was burnt down by Amazigh pirates.
The subsequent stone castle was completed in the 16th century and become an important defensive post for the harbour.
We then take a wander into the town itself to check out more architecture and street art.
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The Castillo de San José (Castle of San José) is an historic fortress and art museum just down the road from Arrecife.
Even if you are an art lover, it is worth a quick pitstop to enjoy the architecture.
