Arrecife has been the capital of Lanzarote since 1852.
More than half of the inhabitants of Lanzarote live in Arrecife, and with the airport just a few kilometres away, and a shipping port (where cruise ships often dock) located to the west you could say that it's the gateway to the island.
For those interested in the history of Lanzarote Arrecife has two castles.
The San Gabriel Castle was built by Leonardo Torrioni as a means of defence from pirate attacks. You will recognise this castle as it is linked to the mainland via a drawbridge.
The second castle, known as The San Jose Castle was restored by Cesar Manrique and is now a museum of Contemporary Art.
You could be forgiven for thinking that you have left Lanzarote when you visit Arrecife. The pace of life is a little quicker, there are certainly more vehicles on the road, and it does give the feel of a busy capital or city on mainland Spain.
Arrecife is also home to the only high rise hotel on Lanzarote - why? - because it contravened regulations set by Manrique that buildings should be no taller than 3 stories, or the height of a Palm tree. The initial project to build the hotel in 1988 was halted and fire soon engulfed the building. However, permission to turn the derelict building into a 5 star hotel was granted and now the 17 story luxury hotel stands proud of Arrecife (and in all honesty it doesn't look to bad).
