The «philosophy» of the missed César Manrique, the mastermind of the precious island of Lanzarote, was based on the maxim that man should not alter nature but complement it, without aggressively interfering in the gifts it gives us. Thirty years after his death – he died on September 25, 1992 – his approaches are still valid.
A few days ago, on the occasion of a recent trip to the islands, I had the opportunity to visit Arrecife for the first time. It was the fourth time I was in Lanzarote and there was no possible excuse - beyond the criticisms of some tourists and locals - not to see its capital since the 18th century and birthplace, by the way, of Manrique himself.
The surprise was pleasant. The idea, clearly wrong, that it is not worth even a mere walk through its streets, is a rather unfair judgment, not to say reckless. Arrecife is a pleasant, charming city with many possibilities. It is true that it has the deficiencies of a small island capital, with a fairly recent history and with urban planning certainly far from the characteristic harmony of the island.
The sea bathes the town, leaving, however, beautiful and varied landscapes along a promenade that many cities on the peninsula would like for themselves. Better not to give names to avoid unnecessary local friction. From Reducto beach to San Gabriel Castle, without forgetting the port area, we can find a pleasant walk, with garden areas, wide sidewalks and urban furniture chosen with taste and well preserved.
The coastline gives great satisfaction to the visitor. The charcón de San Ginés is a charming place, whose photograph is as spectacular as it is original. Perhaps even the inhabitants of Arrecife are not aware of its beauty and tranquility. It is something not to be missed.
The problem starts when we leave behind the church of San Ginés and its surrounding areas. When entering the rest of the urban fabric, you can see the typical vices of a seaside city and of sixties expansion. Apart from the solitary skyscraper, it is common to come across destroyed buildings, dusty lots, deteriorated pavements... In short, a decadence that does not go unnoticed by those of us who have visited it.
On more than one occasion it has been said that Arrecife is the «ugly duckling» of Lanzarote, as it is not characterized by the typical whitewashed buildings or by the care in the care of architectural and natural details, as happens practically throughout the island. Recovering the benches, lampposts and gardens of the interior, taking care of the cleanliness of the streets and ordering the new buildings, in height and style, are three basic actions to execute if the conejeros want to remove the stigma from their capital.
The supposed –and false– ugliness of Arrecife lies in a mere question of lack of will, not of possibilities. The solution involves proposing an ambitious program of facade restoration and general renovation. It is very easy, you just have to bet everything on the white of Lanzarote and the city will begin to shine. The sun will do the rest.
Borja del Campo Álvarez
Assistant Professor Doctor of Civil Law at the University of Oviedo
