The Charming Town of Arrieta, Lanzarote

Last Updated on 5th June 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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Located on the Northern Coastline of the Volcanic Island of Lanzarote, Arrieta is a charming little fisherman’s town with little by way of attractions, but is a must-see while in the North of Lanzarote nonetheless on account of its sheer beauty and laid back nature. Here’s your guide to the best of Arrieta, as well as things to know before you go.

Arrieta is situated in the Haría municipality of Lanzarote, which in turn is part of the Canary Islands. The town’s name comes from Arriete Preud’homme, who was the Mayor of Lanzarote.

Popular among tourists, the town has a permanent population of around 900 residents though can accommodate around 2000 people in the height of summer.

Though much of the serene and tranquil town’s industry now focuses on catering towards tourists (with a smattering of restaurant’s, cafés, and bars along the town’s main street- Calle la Garita), some people still work and live as fishermen in Arrieta to this day.

What’s more is that Arrieta enjoys a sub-tropical climate. While the coldest month of the year is February, when temperatures hover around 18 degrees Celsius, in the summer the temperatures reach around 25 degrees Celsius, meaning that exploring at any time of the year is perfectly pleasant.

All in all, those wishing to explore Northern Lanzarote would do well to consider staying in Arrieta due to its abundance of fun eateries, as well as its proximity to many nearby attractions such as Jameos del Agua, the Mirador del Río, and las Cueva de los Verdes.

The fishing town is also located to the town of Haría, which shares a name with the Haría administrative region. This verdant town is famed for its abundance of palm trees, as well as being home to the house museum of César Manrique. For more Spain inspiration, check out these quotes about Spain and our suggestions for how to spend 72 hours on Lanzarote.

Things to do in Arrieta

See the Casa la Juanita

One of the most beautiful houses in Arrieta, and indeed all of Lanzarote, is the Casa La Juanita. The unusual red and blue house lies on the fringes of the sea and was originally known as the ‘chalet of Arrieta’.

The house is particularly unique in that almost every other house in the area (and indeed on the island of Lanzarote) is painted in white, wherease the Casa la Juanita is painted in shades of bold colours.

The house was constructed by local D. Juan de León Perdomo, who was born in nearby Haría. The story goes that he moved to Argentina and made a fortune selling wheat. Unfortunately, one of his children Juana de León Alemán fell ill from tuberculosis.

The family moved back to Lanzarote, believing that the fresh air of the island would help in Juana’s recovery. It’s said that the house in Arrieta was constructed to appear like the doll house from Juana’s childhood. Sadly, Juanita did not recover from Tuberculosis and died shortly afterwards. Today she is buried in Haría’s cemetery.

Where to eat and drink in Arrieta

One of the main things to know before visiting Arrieta is that there is an impressive number of places where you can eat and drink in town. During our stay in Arrieta, we sampled a few places.

We had fries and soft drinks at El Pasito, which offers fantastic views over the ocean whether you dine inside or on the little terrace. We also dined at Restaurante Amanecer, which is one of the best-reviewed locations in town and had plenty of fish options on the menu.

César Manrique Wind Toy

The famous Lanzarote artist César Manrique is acclaimed for his unique works including mosaics, sculptures, and modern art installations. Around Lanzarote, there are a handful of wrought iron models which Manrique referred to as ‘Wind Toys’.

They are formed of various shapes including triangles, circles, and the like and are meant to represent the former abundance of windmills on the island. The Wind Toy sculpture in Arrieta is located at the roundabout closed to the garage and was installed in 1990. The sculpture is painted in red and moves ever so slightly with the wind.

If you want to learn even more about the works and life of César Manrique, together with a local guide, then you might consider booking this North Lanzarote: The Work of César Manrique tour.

El Charcón

The closest town to the beach is El Charcón, which is around 15 metres long and comprises of sand and rock (which has been artificially placed there). El Charcòn Playa is located directly below the Casa La Juanita, meaning that it’s almost all but impossible to miss.

Despite being located on the North of Lanzarote, which is typically considered to be wild and windy in comparison to the sheltered South, the waters of El Charcón are fairly calm.

Playa La Garita

The beach in town is rather unique in that, rather that the typical black volcanic sand that is so common across Lanzarote, La Garita beach is actually sand and pebbles. The water is typically calm, though the beach itself is always fairly windy.

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