San Bartolomé – the center of Lanzarote
The municipality of San Bartolomé is located right in the middle of the island of Lanzarote and is often underestimated – despite the immense number of inhabitants and visitors. Guacimeta Airport is the most important “gateway to the island” in the municipal area. In 2019 alone, over seven million passengers used the airport. Added to this is Playa Honda, the second largest resident area on the island, with over 10,000 inhabitants. No wonder that you can find many good restaurants here.
The center of the municipality is the town of San Bartolomé, which is located way above the coast at approximately 240 meters above sea level. In the town center there are some interesting old buildings, such as the Casa Ajey, the Tanit Museum, the church Iglesia de San Martin and even a theater that regularly hosts events.
The only real tourist magnet is the Monumento al Campesino, created by César Manrique. A museum dedicated to agricultural workers with a striking sculpture, a very good restaurant and several workshops and shops selling handicrafts.
The wine region of Lanzarotes also starts from the Monumento al Campesino and the capital of the municipality is the seat of the local wine regulation authority. A third part of the total area of the municipality of San Bartolomé is protected.
The liveliest place in the municipality is Playa Honda, located directly on the coast and in the immediate vicinity of the airport. The island’s first large shopping center was built here and the kilometer-long beach attracts residents and tourists. On the well-developed beach promenade you can walk to the capital Arrecife or along the airport area to Puerto del Carmen.
The historical name of the place is Ajey, and it is said that the place was built above the coast to be better protected from the pirate attacks that used to be common in the past. Today San Bartolomé is a quiet place where mainly locals live.
There is a large kart track between San Bartolomé and Playa Honda, which is used by many visitors. Above you can see the Montaña Mina wind farm. In the nearby town of Güime, many foreign residents have settled, large villas and high property prices are proof of the popularity. The other two towns belonging to the municipality are El Islote and Montaña Blanca. With less than 500 inhabitants, however, they are much smaller than the other places.