Map of Arrecife, Lanzarote Lanzarote, Canary Islands:

Arrecife, Lanzarote
Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote and the site of the island's international airport. Over half the inhabitants of Lanzarote live here and many more come here to work each day.

It is not developed to cater for tourists and is simply a working town, one of the few places on the island where you will find high rise buildings. However, it does have some surprisingly pleasant aspects.

The waterfront at the main beach of El Reducto is lovely. There is a coastal garden and promenade with sculptures and great views of the sea. We were here in the middle of August and there were only a couple of families on the beach. We had the best coffee on the island here at the cheapest price! Travelling north along the waterfront, you reach Castillo San Gabriel, behind which is the old harbour. The reef here gave the town its name (Arrecife means reefs).

Further north again, by the modern harbour, is the Castillo San Jose. What a find! This is host to a modern art exhibition, but, much more importantly, a FANTASTIC restaurant. We ate delicious, local specialities in a beautiful environment. It was a real treat.

(Note: My daughter would not forgive me if I didn't mention the toilets here. They were so gorgeous, she pinched my camera to take pictures of them! A loo with a view. Luckily she didn't get arrested.)