The Castle of San José was built between 1776 and 1779 on the seacoast near Arrecife to sight the arrival of pirates to the island and at the same time employ the people of the island, especially after the eruptions that happened in the middle of the century. King Charles the third ordered to build what it was known as "The Fortress of Hunger". The architect Claudio Lisle placed it near the port of Arrecife and finally it was used as a powder warehouse.

After a century of abandon, César Manrique, interested the authorities in the recovering and transformation of it into a Museum of Modern Art, within the politic of transforming Lanzarote into an attractive tourist destination.

To start with, Manrique had the stony and dusty open ground cleaned and designed a frontal esplanade, to give the building strength and character, he also placed some modern sculptures to give the castle an aspect of artistic place.

At the foundation level, he built a restaurant over looking the sea, protected by a glass window. There are two access into the castle, one in the upper part which leads to the exhibition rooms after going through a drawbridge and another that leads to the restaurant through an abrupt stair limites by local vegetation.

The fortress was transfonned by César Manrique into one of the most important modem Art museum of the Canary Islands, whose works of art show very clearly the modem tendencias of the twentieth century. The visitor can admire paintings by Tápies, Alechinski, Millares, Óscar Domínguez, Antonio González, etc. The castle offers the oportunity to visit itinerant exhibitions, lectures, round tables and press conferences of local authorities to inform about important events. It was here where Prince Felipe de Borbón, during his first official visit, reunited the different social, economic and cultural representatives of the island. There is also a very elegant restaurant overlooking the port of Naos and the dock of Los Mármoles, that offers an intemational and local cuisine. From the lamps to the leathered seats, every piece of fumiture and decoration was selected by the artist from Lanzarote to make the place into something more interesting than a simple restaurant.

We suggest the visitors to go down to the toilet area of San José Castle restaurant as it is as impresive as the rest of the building. The windows at the sea level, the plants, the music and the light make this area into a work of art.