The View From My Beer
Enjoying a glass of Alhambra 1925 at Blue 17 (a rooftop bar on the 17th floor of the islands tallest building) while the sun sets over Playa del Reducto. ‘Alhambra’ is also where I lived between 2003 and 2010.
Arrecife
Today was the first port of call on my 21-day Western Africa cruise. The port where we docked was called Port Lanzorote. It was located nearby the city of Arrecife, on the island of Lanzorote, which is one of Spain’s Canary Islands off the Northwest coast of Africa. It gets confusing sometimes knowing exactly where we are. Sometimes our port of call are referred to based upon the name of the port, others it can be the name of a nearby prominent city, and sometimes it is something else. Geographically, we are now in Africa, but Arrecife definitely felt like Europe.
This was my second visit to Canary islands, having stopped in Tenerife back in March.
My Walk
Volcanos
Today, I scouted my potential route from the ship. I started my walk by heading towards a large volcanic area I had seen. It looked interesting and i wanted to take a closer look. The island of Lanzarote, is famous for its numerous volcanoes, with the last major eruptions occurring between 1730 and 1736. The name Arrecife means ‘reef’, a reference to the black volcanic reefs that surround the island. My walk took me past stark areas of land covered with volcanic rock, and what looks like the remains of buildings that once existed in the erea. So far my research has not been able to find any information about this area.
Castillo de San Gabriel
Next, I headed back towards town, passing by the Castillo de San Gabriel, a large fort that stuck out into the ocean. The fiort was built in 1573 at the request of the Captain-General San Gabriel in response to attacks by the Berber pirate Dogalí two years earlier.
Arrecife
Arrecife is the capital and administrative hub for the island of Lanzorote. It has a population of 70,000 which accounts for about 40% of the island’s total population. Being a former pirate stronghold, there is a lot of reminders around town of its past.
Cafeteria Islote de Fermina
One of the more picturesque places I visited was the Cafeteria Islote de Fermina. As the name implies, it is on an islet, and can be reached via a short walkway from the main island. It offers restaurants, pools and stunning ocean views.
Blue 17
My day in Arrecife ended with a visit to Blue 17, a rooftop bar on Arrecife’s tallest building, to watch the sun set. Yes, it was the 17th floor. Most buildings in Arrecife, and throughout Lanzarote, are restricted to a maximum of two floors (the height of a palm tree) to preserve the island’s traditional aesthetic and environmental character. Local artist and architect Cesar Manrique played a large role in this decision. In 1989, while he was away from the island, developers raced to construct the shell of this 17-story building. The was a lot of controversy over the building and it remained empty for many years, something of an eyesore for the island. Ultimately it was allowed to proceed as a five-star hotel.
I found the view to be very relaxing. I soon got what I came for, a view from my beer. But after I finished my beer, I decided to stay on and enjoy the sunset, and a few more cold sherbets. Yes, the beer was free on the ship, but it didn’t provide the stunning view, nor do I often have the chance to watch the sunset from land.
Dusk on Lazaronte
The walk back to the ship was beautiful. The light at this time of day projected a colorful glow on many of the same places I had walked past earlier in the day. Another glorious day in paradise.
