Arrecife is the capital city and a municipality of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It was made the island's capital in 1852. The city owes its name to the rock reef ("arrecife" being Spanish for "reef") which covers its local beach. It also gives its name to the nearby Arrecife Airport. The population of the municipality was 64,645 in 2020. Its area is 22.72 km2. Arrecife is located south of Teguise and east of San Bartolomé, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to its southeast. It is a port town, served by ferries to the other Canary Islands, Europe, and Africa. The LZ1 road connects Arrecife to the northeast of the island, the LZ2 road connects it to the southwest, and the LZ3 road serves as the city's beltway. The tallest building in Lanzarote is the Arrecife Gran Hotel, which is located on the seafront alongside the harbour.

History

The earliest records of Arrecife date from the fifteenth century when it was a small fishing settlement. The name, given then as Arrecifes, refers to the black volcanic reefs behind which boats could hide, protected from sudden pirate attacks. Towards the end of the sixteenth century the settlement began to grow in response to a need for accommodation and warehousing to support growing trade between the old and new worlds. The first church was constructed at this time, consecrated to the first bishop of Arrecife, San Ginés. Growing prosperity increased the attractiveness of the town as a pirate target: in 1571 a pirate named Dogan plundered and almost completely destroyed the little port town. In 1964 Arrecife became the site of Lanzarote's first sea-water desalination plant.

Climate

Lanzarote has a hot desert climate (BWh) according to the Köppen climate classification. The little precipitation is concentrated in the winter months.

Historical population

Economy

The Port of Arrecife is the main port facility for Lanzarote and the second busiest in the Canary Islands in terms of passengers. It handles passenger ferries, cruise ships, and ro-ro cargo, but also bulk, breakbulk, containers, and liquid bulk, and has a large fishing port.

Communities

Assets of Cultural Interest

The real estate properties of Arrecife registered in the Register of Assets of Cultural Interest are:

Sites of interest

Gallery