PinayOdyssey

After exploring the village of Teguise during one of its popular Sunday markets, the next stop was the Castillo de San Gabriel in the capital city of Lanzarote: Arrecife. The stone fortress dates back to the 16th century, and was originally built to protect the city from pirates. Situated on an island accessible by causeway and a drawbridge, the castle is now a historic place and building of cultural interest, and a main attraction housing an ethnography museum.

To avoid further delays caused by the unreliable public transportation (in my honest and humble opinion), a taxi was hailed. The causeway leading to the castle rose from a beach bed covered by turquoise water. Some youngsters were swimming, and a few were seen fishing! The water was so clear that schools of fishes were visible!

The castle was strategic and had a good overview of the sea beyond and the city of Arrecife. According to sources online, it was originally a wooden fortress built in 1574. It was destroyed by an Algerian pirate in 1586, and then rebuilt in 1599.

Luckily, there were no lines going in the museum, which exhibits interesting artefacts like tools and ceramics from pre-Hispanic and Hispanic periods, most of which were apparently donated by a Canarian islander named Juan Brito, who was born in 1919.

The fun part was being able to ascend through a narrow stone stairs to the castle’s roof. The views were amazing! And there was an old bell and a sundial!

Going back, we walked through the drawbridge. It was nice to watch the small crashing waves, and seabirds hopping along the stone wall.

Like other capital cities, Arrecife seemed more modern and developed than other cities on the island. I managed to explore a bit. Then, a second chance was given to the public transportation. It took a long time for the bus to arrive, but it did, and we were back in the apartment in time for some dinner.

Here are some shots taken in Arrecife:

So, all in all, it was a beautiful Sunday. I looked forward to seeing more of the island the next days. More about that in the next entries. 🙂 #spreadloveandpositivevibes

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