Islote de Fermina is an islet off the seafront of Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote, laid out as a public leisure space to a design by the artist César Manrique and completed decades after his death in 1992. It holds a café-bar with an outdoor terrace, a pool set into the landscape that is not for swimming, and a history space with exhibits and videos, all of them labelled in English.
Islote de Fermina
César Manrique-designed islet off the Arrecife seafront, with a no-swimming pool, café terrace and history exhibits.
- Entrance
- Free.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance and wheelchair-accessible parking.
- Parking
- Paid public car park about 380 m away in a straight line; another car park about 420 m away is private.
- Difficulty
- No real approach: a walk of about 400 m in a straight line through town from the car park or bus stop, then straight in.
- Transport
- Bus stops Casino Club Náutico and Doctor Ruperto González Negrín – Casino, both about 400 m away.
- Hours
- Daily, 10:10–17:00.
- Address
- Calle El Islote de Fermina, 35500 Arrecife, Las Palmas, Spain
What makes it special
The pool is the first thing you see, and nobody is in it. Swimming is not allowed: the water is there to be looked at, ideally from a terrace table with a coffee in hand. The café-bar is the reason many people come over, with friendly staff and prices that stay reasonable for a setting like this.
Give the history space more time than you planned. Every exhibit carries English text, and the videos reward anyone who sits through them. The pace of the whole islet is slow, and the noise of the capital drops away once you are across.
Good to know
- Swimming in the pool is not permitted, so there is no point packing swimwear.
- The outdoor seats have no shade and get very hot; bring a hat and sun cream.
- The toilets on site are clean.
- The café takes cards and contactless payment.
- The exhibits are labelled in English, and the videos are worth the extra time.
Getting there
The islet lies off Arrecife's seafront, and the last stretch is on foot whichever way you arrive. The nearest public car park is about 380 m away in a straight line. Another one, at about 420 m, is private, so do not count on it. By bus, two stops near the Casino and the Club Náutico sit about 400 m away, and from either of them you walk the rest through town.
Best time to visit
Best: the morning, soon after opening, when the terrace is still comfortable.
Avoid: the middle of a hot day if you want to sit outside.
The outdoor seats have no shade, and under the midday sun they get very hot; the history space indoors works in any weather.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
Can you swim at Islote de Fermina?
No. Swimming in the pool is not permitted; it is there to look at.Is the information in the history space available in English?
Yes. Every exhibit has English text, and there are videos as well.Are there toilets?
Yes, there are clean toilets on site.Can I pay by card at the café?
Yes. Credit and debit cards and contactless payment are accepted.