Arrecife was once just a port - that of Teguise. There were two main fortresses, San Gabriel and San José with a third - Castillo de San Gabriel - located on a small island in front of Arrecife. The third fort was connected to the main one by a drawbridge. It was from these forts that the islanders tried (unsucessfully in the end) to defend themselves against pirate attacks. A fourth castle, that of Castillo de San Juan, is home to the city's Museum of Contemporary Art. One of the museum's main attractions is the work of Cesar Manrique. Today, Arrecife is the island's capital. Of the 90,000 residents on Lanzarote, half reside in Arrecife. Along the beach-front there's a wide, palm-lined promenade. The wide, main street through the city is Léon y Castillo and most of the remaining streets of the city are narrow and form part of the one-way system. The Gran Hotel in Arrecife is the only high-rise building on the island. Since its construction, laws have been passed preventing any further high rises and the hotel itself, closed down and currently unused. Leon y Castillo is the main shopping street and as you walk along away from the seafront, head to the right as you come to the end of this street and enjoy the view over El Charco. Here's a strange tip for you; if you're down by the fishing docks when the fisherman return (bearing in mind they can often be out for up to three weeks at a time) and have a plastic bag with you, the generous fisherman are known for giving away samples of their sardine catch. Barbecued sardines are a local favourate.