Cruise Port 17 – Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands

by Ed · June 25, 2023

Buenas dias for the last time!

It is May 22nd, 2023. Today we arrive in Arrecife, Lanzarote!

The sun is well up when we pull into port. Since our last visit here the island has installed a new pier and shopping area dedicated to a marina and the cruise ships! No industrial pier today!

Once again, we don’t have a tour planned. We have been here before and decided to explore town on our own today. There is a shuttle bus to take folks part of the way into town. Joy will take the shuttle, but Steve and I choose to walk.

The walk from the ship is pleasant and leads us past this little display. These are examples of how the grape vines are grown on the volcanic soil hillsides. Half-circle walls of stone are built to protect the vines from soil movement, and single vines grow free in the middle!

We walk past the marina and row of shops. Steve is pleased with how accessible all the shops are! Even the areas with steps have wheelchair ramps to ensure accessibility.

We reach the plaza where the shuttle bus stops. There are two interesting sculptures and an information booth there.

The first sculpture is this one titled “Modesty”.

Next is “Gratitude”.

Joy arrives on the shuttle. We pick up some maps, ask about shopping areas in town, and head out!

The traffic circle heading into town has a wonderful metal sculpture of a fisherman in a boat with a sailfish on hook! Wonderfully dynamic!

In the shallows heading into town I spot this Snowy Egret!

This little Spanish Sparrow, while not very pretty or exotic, earns its way into the blog for its bravery! It sits chirping on this stone wall while Steve and Joy pass a few feet away! Most birds hop or fly away during close encounters. Not this little one! It serenades them!

Just before we arrive in town we see the tide is out in this little bay. It’s amazing to see so many small boats, some less than five feet long like the little one in the front center!

Soon we are walking along the waterfront of town. I spot this interesting sculpture in the median and love that I can get the Local Police station in the background!

An interesting sculpture resides along the waterfront. This is the “Tribute to Pancho Lasso”. Pancho is the first big artist Lanzarote had, and there is an art school in his name here.

The high point of town, literally, catches our attention and we wander a few blocks back from the waterfront. Here is the Catholic church, the Parish of Saint Ginés.

We finally reach the main shopping street, Calle Real, a pedestrian-only street!

Calle Real is guarded by this sculpture of Heraclio Niz Mesa. He is a beloved Canarian, well known locally for being a boxer, a policeman, and an actor! He is remembered for his role in the movie “Alerte aux Canaries” as the “Arrecife Chicken” (el Pollo de Arrecife)! He was an actor with Raquel Welch in “One Million Years B.C.”!

At the Ale-Hop store Steve finds a friendly cow!

Joy gets in the act!

Across the street is an amazing claim!

On a side street Joy spots a sign similar to others we’ve seen in other countries that are usually a little more explicit as banning dog poop! This one appears to ban dogs, period. Needless to say, there are many piles of dog poop in the lot where this sign is posted.

I love this crazy wall! None of the windows line up! The blue window appears to be more than a window… Hmmm.

In front of the the UNED Open University is the statue of Blas Cabrera Felipe, known locally as Spain’s Father of 20th Century Physics! He specialized in electricity and magnetism. He made the Lanzarote people very proud!

Starting our walk back to the ship we pass this beautiful gazebo called the Music Temple! In the distance is the Fort that is now a museum.

The Fort is called the Castle of San Gabriel! Sadly we don’t have time to walk out to visit the Castle.

We pass La Casa Amarilla, The Yellow House! This was once where Lanzarote’s government met, but is now an exhibition hall.

A separate harbor area hosts this Whale Skeleton! It’s great except for the faux tail!

Then a very strange sculpture appears! This is called “Buches” and appears to be two men wearing strange masks and either dancing or beating each other with bags.