The surroundings of Charco de San Ginés were occupied by the aboriginal population. The conditions of natural port, protected for a barrier of islands and reefs, which led to the visitors of Lanzarote to use this enclave. Behind this islands: Cruzes, French, Castillo and the Quebrado; in the bank of Charco del San Ginés, a nucleus of fishermen settled down at the beginning of the XV century.

The first information we have about this port dates in the year 1403 when it was used to bring provisions to Gadifer. In 1445, an agreement was reached among Diego de Herrera. Inés Peraza and the Catholic Kings to fortify a circular silo to store goods and to build a paved ramp (the first pier in Arrecife). In 1477 it served as a base to Diego of Herrera for his expedition to Africa. One year later it was Juan Rejón who used it and whose name still exists where his ship was tied up. In 1544. to defend ofthe external attacks. the outpost of El Quemado was built, and later on, San Gabriel's Castle (from 1574 to 1599). In 1630 the French merchant Francisco Garcia Santellas erectcd a small hermitage in this place in honour of Saint Ginés. In 1771 the Saint José's Castle waas built. In 1776, neighbors' increased in numbers from 20 to 72, and then a chapel some new factories, houses. cellars. boilers of distilling brandy and two ports were built; Caballos Port and Naos Port. In 1798 this hemitage became a parish.

The birth like a city, at the beggining of the XIX century, are known in a detailed way thanks to D. José Agustin Alvarez Rixo, natural historian of this incipient municipality, and its "Historia del Puerto de Arrecife" (History of the port of Arrecife). In 1802 there are already 1393 occupants among sailors. merchants, traders and workers. In 1821 the municipality is gotten; in 1847 the transfer of the Military Tribunal. And finally, in 1852 it reaches the insular capital city that Teguise flaunted, thanks to the important trade of the barrilla, the cochineal and to the fishing flect. The construction of its first commercial port was earried out in 1908.

The last great development took place in the seventies with the arrival of the tourism.

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