Marina Lanzarote Cultural Visits
El Charco de San Ginés
If you have spent a few days at the quiet anchorage in La Graciosa’s marina reserve, the city of Arrecife offers a gentle welcome back to civilisation where the pace of life amidst shops, bars and activity near seems to override the importance of stopping for a chat with a passerby.
Simply stepping off the pontoon, Marina Lanzarote presents a great selection of shops and restaurants and for locally produced fruit, vegetables, tasty artisanal cheeses, condiments and preserves, don’t miss the bright stalls of the Saturday morning market in San Ginés church square.
Arrecife is home to a number of cultural monuments including the Castillo de San Ginés greeting visitors opposite the harbour entry. Refurbished by César Manrique, the fort houses a modern art museum and restaurant overlooking the water.
Fundación César Manrique
A 20-minute stroll southwest from the marina along the waterfront takes you to the Arrecife History Museum, accessed via the charming Puente de las Bolas bridge. Attractively presented panels set out a comprehensive cultural introduction to the island’s heritage.
Marina Lanzarote Tourist Information centre
Prepared to go further afield, (car hire is great value in Lanzarote and sailing visitors to the Marina can make use of a 10% discount at the Cabrera Medina counter in the Information Centre), the Fundación César Manrique should be the very first point of call for an inspiring understanding of how one artist was able to stem the tide of aggressive tourism-related construction in the sixties and seventies and convert an entire population to a visionary practice of sustainable development, creating an extraordinary legacy.
Bodegas El Grifo – Museum and wine-tasting
César Manrique’s influence is extensive and places such as Jameos del Agua, the Cuevas de los Verdes and Timanfaya National Park are well worth visiting to observe how skilfully the artist and his team were able to showcase the island’s beauty.
Handing over driving responsibilities, you may well be tempted to sample some of the local award-winning wines from the region of La Geria. Wine-making methods in such an arid landscape are intriguing enough and a visit around the museum and facilities of El Grifo, one of the oldest bodegas in Spain, highlights the effort and techniques used in Lanzarote to support and maintain this industry.
Back in Marina Lanzarote all members of the family will enjoy the 6D cinema. This is pure fun from the white-knuckled mayhem of 3D virtual roller-coaster rides to the more serene experience of the Lanzarote Skyride.