Walking On The Moon – On Lanzarote

There are plenty of holiday destinations that claim to offer visitors an out of this world experience but few can come close to actually fulfilling this promise.  One island that does deliver however is Lanzarote – the eastern most of the Spanish owned Canaries chain – that is situated just off the coast of North West Africa and which is a hot favourite with British tourists.

Science Fiction Scenery
Lanzarote has been welcoming holidaymakers since the 1970´s and boasts great weather all year round along with over 90 superb beaches.  However the island´s true beauty lies inland away from the coast, where terrain measuring some 200km square was transformed into something resembling a scene from a science fiction film during enormous volcanic eruptions in the 1730´s.

UNESCO Protected Biosphere
This was one of the modern world´s longest ever eruptions (raging on for over 6 years) and it left large swathes of Lanzarote buried beneath a sea of lava, punctuated with the spent cones of burnt out volcanoes.  Today this eerie landscape is often likened to the surface of the moon and legend has it that the Apollo 13 astronauts were shown pictures of this region, known locally as Timanfaya, in order to prepare them for their own lunar mission.  Indeed the terrain here is so unique that Lanzarote was declared a UNESCO protected biosphere reserve back in 1992.

This part of the island boasts a very delicate eco system as in geological terms the eruptions occurred very recently, so the terrain here is still pristine and supports very little in the way of plant life beyond a few lichens.  As a result visitors are asked to avoid setting foot on the lava flows – although there are certain volcanoes, such as the Caldera Blanca, where visitors are permitted to get up close and personal in order to view the power of Mother Nature first hand.

The Volcanic Legacy
The eruptions also play a central role in many other aspects of life on Lanzarote, impacting pretty much everything from farming methods to art.  The local campesinos developed an ingenious method of mulching plants and vines with small black volcanic chippings called picon, which basically absorbs overnight moisture so alleviating the need for watering.  Whilst the rich colours and unique textures of the lava fields and volcanoes feature vividly in many of the best known paintings of the famous local artist César Manrique.

Hail Cesar
Manrique was born on Lanzarote in 1919 and was a principal figure in Spain´s surrealist movement in the 1950´s.  During the 1960´s and 70´s he also advised the local island government on the ecologically friendly developmentof tourism, ensuring that visitor attractions were made to work in harmony with Lanzarote´s unique volcanic terrain.

Combining Art With Nature
At the time, General Franco was busy bulldozing the southern coast of Spain to make way for phalanxes of high rise hotels and holiday apartments, as he opened the country up to tourism in a bid to bring in much needed foreign currency.  Manrique was horrified by these actions and resolved to fight for the preservation of his birthplace, preaching a more sensitive approach to development that combined art with nature.

Nowhere is this enlightened philosophy better exemplified than at the Jameos del Agua, a lava tunnel measuring some 6km long that was being used as rubbish dump by locals before Manrique transformed it into a stunning tropical gardens and concert venue.  The Jameos first opened to the public in the late 1960’s and really helped to put Lanzarote on the map.

Manrique also weaved his magic at six other sites around the island, creating a whole series of Centre’s of Art, Culture and Tourism which remain Lanzarote´s most popular attractions to this day.

Author Bio
Rachel Reed is a long term Lanzarote resident and recommends visiting the LanzaroteOne website for more information about the island and a wide range of self catering accommodation options.