Arrecife Shore Excursion
Arrecife Adventure Hunt is a new shore excursion – a fun way to explore, enjoy a stroll, and have some fun in Arrecife. Think of it as a self-guided puzzle walk – blending sightseeing with problem-solving, turning a simple walk into an engaging and inspiring experience. Only 19.50€ per group.
Adventure hunt is a completely new way to discover Arrecife. It is a hybrid of a scavenger hunt, an escape room and a simple walking tour. It consists of several puzzles that are in plain sight on buildings, landmarks, street art, in fact, anything that you see in daily life that you probably walk past and don't give a second look at. This means it is ideal for people who live in the city and know it well, as well as those visiting for the first time.
The Adventure Hunt App assists in navigation between each clue. You can also ask the app for extra help if you need. The App is available on both Android and iPhone.
This Adventure Hunt takes place on the seafront in Arrecife. We start near the Recinto Ferial, which is great for parking, and also near a bus depot.
It's a lovely stroll along the seafront, with a couple of children's play parks, places to eat and drink, and several interesting historical sites. This route is a loop which returns you to the bus station where you started. It covers around 3 km and consists of 21 clues and is fairly flat without the need to go up/ down steps.
Whilst the hunt can be completed in an hour, we recommend taking your time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city. Therefore, we recommend that it take around 2 hours. Obviously, if you want to get something to eat or refreshments along the way, you can take as long as you like. We would advise taking water along with you, but there are places along the route to buy snacks and drinks.
We do recommend that groups of two to four are better, and if your group is larger, then possibly split into smaller teams and have a competition between them.
Prepare to test yourselves, whether you're seeing Arrecife for the first time or just from a different perspective.
Arrecife FAQ
Is the Arrecife Adventure Hunt an escape room?
Not in the traditional sense of a walking tour. You are not in a large group and are guided by the app rather than a live guide. This means that you can stay in any place as long as you want, wander around the area if you see something taht takes your fancy or stop for drinks or even a meal.
The main aim of Adventure Hunt is FUN, rather than an in depth tour of the historical sites, focussing on the puzzles. It is ideal for families and this hunt was designed by a family including their 11 year old son, so there is something in it for all ages.
Is the Arrecife Adventure Hunt a good Shore Excursion?
We certainly believe it is a lovely route, primarily along the seafront, opening your eyes to some things that are hidden in plain sight. We include some trivia about the area and there are several information boards in English and Spanish.
Is the Arrecife Adventure Hunt suitable for families?
It was designed for families and groups of friends, by a family with children of mixed ages, with clues that, often, the children may spot more easily than adults.
Are the clues complicated?
This is a really difficult question! What we can say is that out of the 10 initial test groups, no single clue was found to be difficult by all groups. Every group did find a couple to be quite challenging, but they were almost always different clues from the other groups.
So we can assure you that you are not faced with any impossible puzzles.
How do I win?
Having fun is winning so there is no need to be too focused on the score. That said, Adventure Hunt has a scoring system, with each clue offering a maximum of 20 points. Collect as many points as you do your Adventure Hunt and compete with friends and other groups.
Can we compete against another group?
Live scores are available within the Adventure Hunt App. You will be able to see the scores of everyone doing the same hunt as you on the Clue Completed page. We encourage a 10-minute break between groups.
About Arrecife
Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote, didn’t start out as the island’s main hub. For centuries, it was just a small, vulnerable fishing settlement of wooden shacks, constantly targeted by pirates. Its name actually comes from the Spanish word for “reef” (*arrecife*), referring to the protective volcanic rock formations that guard its natural harbour.
The island was originally inhabited by the Mahos, an indigenous people of Berber origin. The area around Arrecife, with its natural saltwater lagoon (El Charco de San Ginés), was used primarily for fishing and collecting salt.
Jean de Béthencourt conquered Lanzarote for the Spanish Crown in 1402, establishing Teguise as the inland capital to stay safe from pirates. Arrecife grew slowly as a commercial port, but its wealth attracted brutal raids by British, French, and Barbary pirates. To protect the vital port, the first stone defences were built. This included the Castillo de San Gabriel (initially destroyed by the notorious pirate Morato Arráez in 1586 and rebuilt shortly after) and later, the Castillo de San José in the 1770s.
Thanks to its booming commercial trade in barilla (a plant used to make soap and glass) and later cochineal (a natural red dye), Arrecife officially took the capital title away from the ancient, inland town of Teguise in 1852
By the mid-20th century, Arrecife evolved into a hub for the Canary Islands’ industrial fishing fleet. Today, while tourism has taken centre stage across Lanzarote, Arrecife retains a distinctly local, authentic charm. The heart of the city still centres around **El Charco de San Ginés**, the very same saltwater lagoon where the town began, now lined with small blue fishing boats, lively tapas bars, and cafes.
Arrecife Shore Excursions
Over 600,000 cruise ship passengers visit Arrecife each year, and the Arrecife Adventure hunt gives you a lovely taster of the city on the 3 km route. An ideal way to spend part of (or all of, if you stop for lunch and a few drinks along the way) your day on Lanzarote.
You will pass by the tallest building on the island, the Gran Hotel and the lagoon of Charco de San Gines, as well as the Castillo de San Gabriel. You will enjoy the south-western end of Arrecife, before returning to the ship.
Contact Details
Opening Hours
Monday – Sunday, 07:30 – 19:30
The hours listed are approximate, you can do an Adventure Hunt whenever there is daylight.
Location
The start point for the Adventure Hunt is;
Av. Fred Olsen, 35500 Arrecife, Lanzarote
Contact Adventure Hunt
To contact Adventure Hunt you can use email or Whats App.
Book
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