Holiday apartment in Arinaga: Coast, salt pans and culture

At Playa de Arinaga, calm waters provide favorable conditions for swimming; a waterfront road more than three kilometers long and well integrated into its surroundings runs alongside the beach. The Playa is also a dark-sand beach with moderate waves and a promenade. Windsurfing takes place here regularly, and there is also a Red Cross station and surveillance equipment.

Coastal, natural and cultural themes can therefore be weighed as different focal points when planning your trip.

Further destinations: Tasartico, Maspalomas, Urbanización la Suerte, El Majuelo, La Aldea De San Nicolás, Valsequillo, Roque and La Ladera.

Culture and history

The old Faro de Arinaga is one of the few surviving examples of late-19th-century Canarian lighthouse architecture. The lighthouse was designed by the engineer León y Castillo in the classical eclectic style.

On Arinaga’s promenade stands the Museo de la Cal de Risco Verde, housed in a complex of old lime kilns; it presents the traditional production of lime from limestone sourced from the surrounding area. In traditional lime production, the wood fire was maintained at a suitable temperature of 900–1000 °C; the process could take several days.

Las Salinas de Arinaga are protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural in the Sitio Etnológico category. The salt pans continue to operate on a limited scale. At the same time, they represent a productive activity and form an element of the landscape and cultural history.

Nature and coastal landscape

Las Salinas de Arinaga function as an artificial salt marsh and provide habitat for numerous animal and plant species, as well as a resting and feeding area for migratory birds. The natural area around Montaña de Arinaga is home to an endemic lizard form, populations of the lesser short-toed lark and the trumpeter finch, as well as waders and migratory birds that occasionally stop along the coast.

Several endemic coastal plants also belong to this natural area, including Zygophyllum fontanesii, Convolvulus caput-medusae, Lotus leptophyllus, Atractylis preauxiana and Herniaria fontanesii.

Festivals and music

The large Vará del Pescao is a popular festival that recalls and celebrates the town’s historic relationship with fishing and the sea. In August, groups from Africa, Europe and America come together under the open sky at Playa de Arinaga for a diverse, multicultural music event; ensembles from these regions have been represented there since 1996.

Seaside paths

The coastal route from Faro de Arinaga to Playa de Vargas passes through Playa del Cabrón and along small cliffs, natural pools, and sandy and pebble beaches. The area north of Arinaga between Punta de La Sal and Punta de La Monja has a seabed suitable for diving.

To the overall travel overview: Gran Canaria.