Map of Arrieta and Playa de la Garita, Lanzarote Lanzarote, Canary Islands:

Arrieta and Playa de la Garita, Lanzarote
Arrieta is a very ordinary, authentic Lanzarote fishing village with a working harbour and a great beach, Playa de la Garita, which has been awarded the European Blue Flag for cleanliness and water quality. However, the sea here can be very rough, with strong undercurrents. When we were here, in mid August, we were the only non-locals on the beach! The sand stretches away for hundreds of metres south down the coast, but most people stayed near the village and car park.

At the northern end of the village is an unusual two-storey red and blue building, which apparently houses the Museum of African Art and Culture, although when we were there it appeared to be being used as a family home.

Arrieta has one of Cesar Manrique's striking roundabout sculptures at its entrance. This one is a wind sculpture in red.

The coast between Arrieta and Orzola, in the far north is fascinating. The Malpais (black lava fields) stretch right down to the sea, interspersed with small coves of white sands and turquoise sea. Quite exquisite.

Arrieta's total lack of pretentiousness made it one of my favourite places on the island: warm sea, golden sand, a nice rocky area good for snorkelling and fishing, very little tourist development and some excellent, small, fish restaurants. Don't come here if you want night clubs and British bars. There aren't any!