For a change from beaches and white houses, discover Fort San Gabriel, which protected Arrecife and the island of Lanzarote. Its location is privileged, and a museum inside tells you more about the city’s history.
Here are some useful tips for planning your visit to the Castillo San Gabriel in Arrecife, Lanzarote.
This opinion is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Is a visit to Castillo San Gines worthwhile?
It all depends on your interests.
It’s a fort with a remarkable location and a magnificent historic access bridge. It was a fortress built to defend the town against pirates. But it’s a tiny fort with explanatory panels in Spanish.
This is one of Arrecife’s main attractions.
What you can see
Puente de las Bolas
The Castillo de San Gabriel is connected to the city by two bridges. One is modern, but the other is a must-see: the Puente de las Bolas, a drawbridge built in 1771. It owes its name to the two cannonballs mounted on its pillars.
This bridge is unique in the Canary Islands.
History, architecture and historical museum
The fort was built in 1573 out of wood at the request of Don Agustín de Herrera y Rojas, the first Count and Marquis of Lanzarote. It was intended to counter frequent hacker attacks.
However, the wooden fortress was soon destroyed by fire in 1586 during an attack by the Ottoman privateer Morato Arráez.
In 1591, the fort was rebuilt in stone by order of King Philip II of Spain, again to improve the island’s defenses.
It’s a square fort with towers at each corner.
On the plan above, you can see the direction of the visit to the historical museum inside, with the sequence of museum rooms.
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The outdoor passageway and its exhibitions
Start by going around the outside of the structure to inspect the rooms. These are the most fascinating ones, along with the stone walls. However, people who suffer from claustrophobia may have a hard time in these rooms.
Here you’ll find explanatory panels (in Spanish) on the history of Arrecife.
Learn more about:
- pirate attacks,
- urban planning through the ages,
- the town of Arrecife today.
Some rooms feature replicas of pirate-era guards’ uniforms or model ships (in the carpentry room).
The centerpieces and their displays
In the center of the bastion, the rooms still offer a wealth of information on Arrecife and its history (but always with explanations in Spanish):
- Nearby flora and fauna
- Geology
- Shellfish
- Archaeological digs in the region
- Pottery
- …
The mummy
You’ll even find a pre-Hispanic mummy there. It was found at an archaeological site and provides insight into the burial practices of the island’s ancient inhabitants.
The terrace
At the end, be sure to climb up to the terrace. It is only one storey high and has a flat floor.
It features a belfry with a bell and two gunboats.
But what’s most interesting is the view towards the old town of Arrecife, with the old stone bridge, the tower of the San Gines church and the volcanoes in the background.
The cannons
The Castillo de San Gabriel is also appreciated for its few cannons, which bear witness to its military and defensive past.
At least two wheeled cannons can be seen outside the fort. They contribute to the historic atmosphere of the site.
Castillo beach
And for those who want to relax after their visit, there are 3 sandy beaches around the fort with different exhibits. We love this little beach pictured above, facing the old road and bridge with the town behind.
But there’s also a beach overlooking the sea and the fort.
HAVE FUN WITH THESE Lanzarote activities
- Dolphin watching
- Buggy / Quad
- Kayak excursion
- But also: Diving at the Museum of the Atlantic, Catamaran outings, Paddle excursions, Parasailing
Fort Saint Gabriel in Arrecife: how to get there
Where to find the church
- In Arrecife
- In the old town, to the north, near the San Gines fishing port
- from Costa Teguise: 15 min,
- from Puerto del Carmen: 20 min,
- from Playa Blanca: 35 min.
Access by car and parking
The fort is ideally located along the promenade, close to the San Gines district.
As far as parking is concerned, there are several parking lots throughout the city. We particularly recommend Parking Islas Canarias on Avenida de la Mancomunidad. It’s not free, but it has the great advantage of being open 24 hours a day.
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Lanzarote
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- A small car is all you need.
- But you can also choose a larger one if you wish, as the parking spaces are rather large.
- Demand is high, so book early.
Visiting difficulties
As mentioned above, people suffering from claustrophobia are bound to have difficulties in this area.
And to reach the terrace, there’s only one floor, but they’re old, high steps.
You should also know that on our last visit, the explanatory panels were all in Spanish.
It’s not at all accessible to PRMs.
Visit: useful tips
Schedules and prices
You can admire it from the outside, free of charge, at any time of day.
For the interior tour, times are in theory:
- Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Sundays closed except on cruises (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
- And there’s a small entry fee.
- See the latest news on the official website here.
How long
If you read Spanish, allow 45min.
Otherwise, 15min.
The fort is small, so they are limited in the number of people who can enter at any one time.
Eating out
No on-site dining. We have to go into town.
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