Arrecife is the main town of Lanzarote and the largest with 30,000 inhabitants, which is almost always the place you will pass through.
Arrecife is home to Lanzarote ACE airport, all bus routes depart from here and the largest number of car rental companies.
The cheapest accommodation in Lanzarote
Sights and attractions
The whole of Arrecife is filled with typical low white houses with flat roofs, which form an intricate network of alleys. The main lively centre is considered to be the pedestrian promenade of Av. César Manrique along the harbour with fishing boats.
Arrecife has two main monuments and both of them are forts:
- Castillo de San Gabriel - one of the oldest Canarian fortresses dates back to 1772 and can be found on a small island connected by about 300 metres of land directly to the centre of Arrecife.
- Castillo de San José - the 18th century fortress, very tastefully reconstructed, is located about 2.5 km outside the town and is currently home to the Museum of Contemporary Art
Beaches and swimming
Right in Arrecife you'll come across a pretty nice sandy beach, Playa Reducto, with small pebbles surrounded by several hotels and parks.
If you're spending time in Arrecife, this beach certainly won't offend, but if you're heading to Lanzarote primarily for a beach holiday, head to the nearby resorts of Playa Honda and Costa Teguise, which are among the best on the island.
Accommodation Arrecife
The capital of Lanzarote is an ideal starting point for excursions and if you want to spend your holiday travelling around the island, this will be the best for your entire stay. Here you will find both cheap apartments and medium-sized hotels by the beach providing all the comforts.
The cheapest accommodation around 37 eur per night for 2:
- Hostal San Gines * - simple modern hotel with fully furnished rooms right in the centre of town
- Hostal Residencia Cardona ** - clean simple hotel with fully equipped rooms just a few steps from the beach
Best hotels on the beach (around 73 eur per night):
Transportation and parking in Arrecife
What is the best way to get around Arrecife?
By car
If you get around Lanzarote by rental car, you'll find that parking and traffic on the island are hassle-free. With the exception of Arrecife.
The system of one-way narrow streets is very confusing, as is the lack of parking in the town centre. You can only park on the street for free for 20 minutes and anyway street parking is at an absolute minimum.
There are several parking houses in downtown Arrecife with prices around 30 eur per day or 2 eur per hour. In Arrecife, however, you can park for free in two temporary parking lots:
- the smaller Parking de Ginory by the port, which is usually full from the early hours of the morning.
- a large area in the west of the city with a walking distance to the centre of about 1.5 km
By bus
In Arrecife you will find two main bus stations from which most of the bus lines throughout the island depart:
- Estación de Guaguas - main station about 1.5 km from the centre
- Intercambiodar de Guaguas - approx. 1.5 km from the centre to the west and 200 metres from the beach
Detailed information about travelling around Lanzarote, ticket prices and where to buy them can be found in the Transport chapter, the official website of Lanzarote buses is arrecifebus.com.
Within Arrecife, the number 21 serves as the city line, circling Arrecife along the beach, both bus stations and on to Playa Honda.
Below are the lines that take you to the most important places on the island from Lanzarote, click on the line number for the timetable:
- Arrecife Airport - 22 (only from the bus station by the beach), 23 (only on weekends and holidays)
- Costa Teguise - 1, 3, 25
- Playa Honda - 2, 3, 5, 6, 19, 21 (also centre and beaches), 22, 24, 25, 60
- Puerto del Carmen - 2, 3, 6, 24, 25
- Playa Blanca - 6, 60
- Teguise (inland) - 7, 8, 9, 10, 52, 53
- Máguez - 7, 26
- Órzola - 9
- Tinajo (coast and inland) - 16, 52, 53
- Famara Beach - 20
- Ye (viewpoints) - 8
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Lanzarote.
