Arrecife recorded 413,039 cruise passengers during the first eight months of 2026, according to official statistics from the Las Palmas Port Authority released this week.

The figure represents a 14.79% increase compared with the same period last year, when 360,596 cruise passengers arrived in Arrecife.

By comparison, Gran Canaria received 650,815 cruise passengers during the same period. Arrecife had already passed the 413,000 mark by the end of August.

Arrecife Ayuntamiento estimates that the number of cruise passengers arriving in the capital will exceed 730,000 by the end of 2026, which would set a new record for cruise tourist arrivals.

The figures come as confirmation has been received that Four Seasons Yachts will make a port call in Arrecife on November 6th.

The announcement follows the recent Seatrade Cruise Med event, which attracted thousands of attendees from more than 80 countries and featured Arrecife mayor Yonathan de León at its official opening ceremony.

According to De León, the yacht’s November itinerary includes calls at Gibraltar and Casablanca before it heads towards the Canary Islands.

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The problems with sewage leaks on Arrecife’s Playa Reducto continue, as the beach was once again closed to bathers yesterday after traces of sewage were detected in the water.

The closure came just one day after the council unveiled new sun beds and parasols on the beach.

Playa Reducto was closed for a period of almost six months last October, while technicians attempted to locate and repair possible sewage leaks. Another closure took place earlier this summer.

The current closure may be connected to the presence of the circus on Arrecife’s inner ring road and the high tides of early September.

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 The Cabildo has presented a project to convert the old market building in Arrecife into a “cultural learning space” aimed at residents and tourists.

The market, located at No 14 Calle Leon y Castillo (Calle Real) is an impressive two-storey building with a central courtyard area overlooked by wooden balconies on the gallery above.  It was last opened to the public at Christmas, when it became the new location for Arrecife’s nativity scene.

Previously to that it has been closed for a substantial period after spending many years as a Shopping Centre.

 The new €3.5 million project envisages the building as a “multipurpose space in which ethnography, the agricultural world, traditional housing, crafts, gastronomy, the landscape, and the social evolution of Lanzarote” will be featured.  

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A 70-year-old man was seriously injured yesterday after being knocked down by a car near the Dr. Jose Molina Orosa Hospital in Arrecife.

The incident occurred in the mid-morning near the petrol station, when the man, who is described as a “foreign citizen” tried to cross the busy main road without using one of the few crossing points.

The accident caused long delays for many vehicles using the road while the man was attended to. Finally, it was confirmed that his life was not in danger, although he had suffered severe bruising. 

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Arrecife will charge a rate of €5 an hour for the use of its forthcoming e-bike service.

Charging points have been in place for several months, but the bicycles themselves are yet to arrive. However, when they do, the council has released details of charges for use of the bikes.

Basic one-off charges will be €2.50 for 30 minutes or €5 per hour, while an annual pass will cost €36.

Monthly passes for €6, quarterly passes for €16 and a €15 short-term pass for tourists who are in the capital for a few days are also included in the tariff. Reduced rates will be available for young people, the unemployed, pensioners and the disabled.

There are nine deposit/charging points for the bikes dotted throughout the capital.  

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The first edition of Guanches Warriors Championship is set to bring mixed martial arts to Arrecife this Saturday, September 19^th.

Lanzarote will host the first edition of the Guanches Warriors Championship (GWC) on September 19th, marking the launch of a new mixed martial arts promotion founded by Lanzarote-born UFC fighter Hecher Sosa.

The event will take place at the Palacio de Deportes in Arrecife and will feature established and emerging talent from both the Canary Islands and beyond. Among the featured contests are Theo Bashford vs Samuel Cassimiro, and Sebas Santana vs Adrian Priscenau.

Doors at the Palacio de Deportes in Arrecife will open at 4.30pm. The first fights are scheduled to begin between 5.30pm and 6pm, with the event expected to finish at around 11pm.

Tickets are available through https://www.tomaticket.es/es-es/entradas-guanche-warrior-championship-lanzarote

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A circus operating in Arrecife is facing disciplinary proceedings after local police allegedly discovered sewage being discharged into the ground following complaints from nearby residents about foul odours.

Arrecife Local Police have opened disciplinary proceedings against the company operating a circus in the capital after officers allegedly confirmed untreated wastewater was being discharged into the ground.

Police carried out a visual inspection after receiving complaints from residents about unpleasant smells in the area. According to Arrecife Ayuntamiento, officers found that the circus operators had dug a large trench on the site and were discharging wastewater from trailers and other facilities into it.

The circus is operated by a company registered in Telde, Gran Canaria, and is located on a privately owned plot near the courthouse building in Arrecife.

According to Arrecife Ayuntamiento, the site is served by an extensive public sewer network. However, the circus company allegedly installed its own pipework to dispose of sewage directly into the ground instead of connecting to the existing system.

The inspection report states that the company is in breach of the Canary Islands Waste Law under Articles 38.2.c, 38.2.d and 38.2.e, relating to “the uncontrolled abandonment, dumping, or disposal of toxic and hazardous waste, and the uncontrolled abandonment, dumping, or disposal of waste that, due to its volume or hazardous nature, causes serious damage to natural resources.”

Given the seriousness of the alleged offences and the possibility that the dumping may have been recurring, Arrecife Ayuntamiento said the case will also be referred to Seprona, the Guardia Civil’s Nature Protection Service, to assess any potential criminal liability in addition to the administrative sanctions that may be imposed through the council’s Department of Violations and Penalties.

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National Police officers have arrested a man presumed to be responsible for burning several rubbish containers and vehicles in Arrecife earlier this summer.

14 vehicles and 13 rubbish containers were damaged in six incidents that took place in the early hours of the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th of June.

After receiving information from citizens, the police arrested a man who had committed several previous offences.  He has been admitted to a hospital psychiatric unit.

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A march to demand more support for feral cat colonies will be held on Sunday in Arrecife.

Lanzarote’s capital will be one of 38 cities in Spain where demonstrations will be held to urge local councils to fulfil their duties in relation to feline colonies. The campaign is titled “Cats Have Rights” and is organised by the Collective of Feline Colony Managers.

The march will call on local Ayuntamientos to fulfil conditions laid down in the 2023 Animal Welfare Law and devote adequate resources to ensure that feral cats receive veterinary attention, sterilization, regular feeding and monitoring. “Volunteers cannot do this alone”, the collective states.

The march will start at 11 am on Sunday outside the Cabildo and proceed along Arrecife’s seafront to the Puente de Las Bolas.

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A man could face fines of up to €30,000 after being caught fly-tipping in Arrecife.

Video cameras installed by Arrecife Ayuntamiento filmed the man making three visits to an area of waste land in Argana Alta, where he unloaded various items of furniture, wood and other bulky waste.

The cameras were installed in various points around the capital to monitor instances of fly-tipping and arson attacks on waste containers.

Jacobo Lemes, Arrecife’s councillor for Cleaning Services, confirmed that the suspect had been identified and would face a fine. He added that the cameras are helping to “end the feeling of impunity that those who dump rubbish on our streets have felt” and reminded Arrecife residents that the council offered a free collection service for bulky items.

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