I was speaking to a reader the other day who has been coming to the island for many years and who has never visited Arrecife. I gave him some tips about how to get there and what to do, so I thought I’d share them with you all.
I recommend he visit on a Saturday morning, as it’s busy and bustling and the street market happens on a Saturday. I suggested he gets there at around 10AM.
Getting there by car
If you have a hire car, head straight into Arrecife and park it in the car park underneath the Gran Hotel. It’s a great place to park as you can see the hotel from anywhere in town, so you won’t lose your car!
We can book your car hire here: Lanzarote Car Hire
Getting there by bus
There are buses from all the major resorts into Arrecife. Note that you should get off the bus at the Intercambiador (interchange) by The Cabildo and the beach, rather than the bus station which is the other side of town. From there, walk towards the Gran, and you’ll all be starting at the same point.
Here’s a link to the bus company website: Lanzarote buses.
Coffee
If you’re ready for a coffee, head up to the 17th floor of the Gran, and you’ll be able to enjoy an incredible view of the city while you enjoy a cup and a slice of cake.
Head into town
Walk along the front, with the ocean on your right, and after about 500 metres, you’ll see a bridge on your right which leads to a castle. Immediately opposite, you’ll see a pedestrian road called Calle Leon y Castillo. This is the centre of town.
Walk around the shops and market stalls, and dive down the little side streets to find some really interesting shops. Take a right at the lower end, and you’ll come to the church, where there is a food market. If you haven’t already had coffee at the Gran, pop into one of the pavement cafés and enjoy chocolate and churros for breakfast.
Lunch
If you walk the full length of Calle Leon y Castillo away from the ocean, you’ll come to Charco San GInés, which is a natural lagoon you can walk all the way around. There are dozens of excellent restaurants in this area, all around the lagoon. Pick one you like the look of and that serves what you fancy, and enjoy a fabulous lunch at a low price.
Afterwards In Arrecife
Arrecife starts to close down after lunch, so you can either head home, or if you still want to explore some more, head out of the Charco at the ocean end and turn left. At the end of the road, you’ll see the entrance to Marina Lanzarote – you can’t miss it, look for all the masts!
At the marina, you’ll find more interesting shops to enjoy and you can wander around and admire the boats.
An finally, you can continue walking all the way up Leon y Castillo to the fabulous Open Mall Shopping Centre.
So that’s what we recommend for a first visit to Arrecife – bear in mind that there’s much more to do in the town, including visiting the castles and museums, or wandering the side streets where you’ll find some very quirky shops, but this is a good start.
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