Arrecife (; ; ) is the

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses t ...

and a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

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 César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport ( es, Aeropuerto de César Manrique-Lanzarote), commonly known as Lanzarote Airport and also known as ''Arrecife Airport'', is the airport serving the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The airport is ...

. The population of the municipality was 64,645 in 2020. Its area is . Arrecife is located south of Teguise and east of San Bartolomé, and is bordered by the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

to its southeast. It is a

port town A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

, 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 A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes—deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

behind which boats could hide, protected from sudden

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

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 A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

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 marine desert climate according to the

Köppen climatic classification Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author an ...

. The little precipitation is concentrated in the winter months.

Historical population

Economy

The

Port of Arrecife 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, liquid bulk ...

is the main

port facility A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

for Lanzarote and the second busiest in the Canary Islands in terms of passengers. It handles passenger ferries, cruise ships, and

ro-ro Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...

cargo, but also

bulk Bulk can refer to: Industry * Bulk cargo * Bulk liquids * Bulk mail * Bulk material handling * Bulk pack, packaged bulk materials/products * Bulk purchasing * Baking * Bulk fermentation, the period after mixing when dough is left alone to f ...

breakbulk In shipping, break-bulk, breakbulk, or break bulk cargo, also called general cargo, refers to goods that are stowed on board ship in individually counted units. Traditionally, the large numbers of items are recorded on distinct bills of lading ...

container A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping. Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...

s, and liquid bulk, and has a large

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

port.

Communities

* Urbanización Playa Honda (subdivision), south

Assets of Cultural Interest

The real estate properties of Arrecife registered in the Register of Assets of Cultural Interest are: * Casa de los Arroyo * Castillo de San Gabriel * Castillo de San José * Iglesia Matriz de San Ginés Obispo * Fachada del edificio Segarra * Headquarter of the Island Council of Lanzarote * Salinas de Naos * Salinas de Bufona

Sites of interest

* Playa Reducto, Arrecife's town beach * Castillo de San José, 18th-century fortress that now houses a collection of modern art * Puente de Las Bolas, bridge leading to the Castillo de San Gabriel * Charco de San Ginés, man-made lagoon used by fishermen

Gallery

File:Iglesia de San Ginés.jpg, Church File:Gran Hotel Arrecife.jpg, The Gran Hotel Arrecife File:Castillo de San Gabriel Arrecife Lanzarote Canaries.jpg, Castle of San Gabriel

References

External links

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Things to do in Arrecife
{{Authority control Municipalities in Lanzarote Populated places in Lanzarote