Arrecife (locally:) is a city in the Canary Islands (Spain) situated in the centre-east of the island of Lanzarote of which it has been the capital since 1852. The city owes its name to the rock reef (‘Arrecife’ is Spanish for ‘reef’) which covers the beach located in the city. The city also gives its name to the island’s nearby airport.
The population is 50,785 ([1], 2003), its density is 2,235.25/km² and the area is 22.72 km². It is south of Haría, east of Tinajo and northeast of Yaiza. Arrecife is also a port town serving the other islands and also Europe and mainland Africa. Arrecife is served by the LZ1 linking it to the north, LZ2 and LZ3 and is bypassed to the northwest and west. The highway to the southern portion of the island lies to the west. The main industries are agriculture, business and tourism. The Atlantic Ocean is to the eas