Lanzarote

Lanzarote, called by the islanders "conejera", is also known as the island of the Hundred Volcanoes. It therefore has a volcanic origin that has been decisive for the configuration of a geography of more than three hundred volcanic cones. It is the northernmost and easternmost island of the Canary Archipelago and is located very close to the African coast (about 125 km) and the North of Fuerteventura. Its surface area is 846 km2 and its maximum width is about 21 km. To the north of the island we find a group of islets that are called the Chinijo Archipelago, they are formed by La Graciosa, Alegranza, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del West.

The island is named Lanzarote after the Genoese sailor Lancelotto Malocello, one of the first explorers of the island. Titeroygatra is the indigenous name with which the native natives called the island, whose meaning is Las Coloradas Lomas due to the reddish color of its landscape.

Warm temperatures all year round. Lanzarote is the least mountainous of the Canary Islands, with many low-lying plains. Due to the low altitude, Lanzarote is below the zone of influence of the humid and warm air of the trade wind. This causes, in general, an arid climate with little rainfall and with a practically constant humidity throughout the island. The average temperature is 24º in August and 17º in January, and the temperature of the sea water oscillates between 17º and 24ºC in surface. The sun shines many hours a year, which allows sea lovers to enjoy its long white sand beaches and clear waters: those of Famara, Papagayo, Órzola, Puerto del Carmen or Las Cucharas. The wind is constant and moderate almost all year round, making Lanzarote a suitable place for practicing dinghy sports, windsurfing or kitesurfing.

Characteristic landscape. The palm trees, almost the only arboreal representatives of the native vegetation, are located in the channel of ravines and valley bottoms. A particular attention deserves the immense palm grove of Haría, located in the vicinity of the town.

In general, the Island has a vegetation composed of species adapted to live most of the year in rather harsh conditions due to drought, badlands and wind. For this reason, the peasant has had to look for other alternatives for agricultural development. In this way, the sands have spread and the reddish and ocher lands of Lanzarote have been stained "black-lapilli", thus giving a different and characteristic appearance to the landscape. The island's landscape is influenced not only by natural factors and by the process of geological evolution, but also by the action of man, that is, the ways of farming in La Geria; all conditioned by a sub-desert climatic environment. But even though the island is so arid and with little relief, it has a set of endemic species, as beautiful and rare as in the rest of the islands.

Lava fields make up another botanical environment of great importance. Highlighting the lava fields in the Timanfaya National Park, declared a Natural Park in 1974. Thus, the entire island is a large volcanic edifice made up of successive eruptions on an unstable base.

Something that we must be clear about is that without volcanism the landscape of Lanzarote cannot be understood: in historical times entire towns disappeared and others arose. The Fire Mountains flooded the island with lava, forming attractive landscapes such as Los Jameos del Agua or La Cueva de los Verdes. Volcanic landscapes, constantly moving clouds, light and wind, white houses, unique architecture created by the international artist César Manrique, crystal clear waters, beaches covered with golden sand ... all this is characteristic of Lanzarote. Come and meet her!