Today we visited what I believe is the most unusual of the Canary Islands — Lanzarote. It is very different than the other islands we have visited so far, but it is also a story about resiliency. It is the easternmost of the Canary Islands, being only 80 miles off the African Coast. It’s also the fourth largest of the islands and the third most populous, behind Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Because of its location, it became the first island to be conquered during the Spanish conquest. As such, it became the main base for conquering the rest of the archipelago. Many of the residents were enslaved and the remainder had to withstand frequent pirate raids. If that wasn’t enough, starting in the 1730s, an ongoing series of massive volcanic eruptions wiped out dozens of towns and a lot of its fertile land. Oh, and just to add insult to injury, there was precious little fresh water on the island. Part of this is due to the very small amount of rain (16 days/year with scirocco winds that immediately dry up surface water). I should mention that we arrived shortly after the biggest rainstorm in over 60 years, turning the hillsides green — a short-lived, once-in-a-lifetime event for the residents. Despite all these challenges, in the spirit of “making lemonade from lemons,” the island has persevered. One of the positive aspects of the volcanic activity was the distribution of ash. It turns out that it serves as a mulch for underlying soil, thus retaining precious moisture. As a consequence, the wine industry took hold here. In order for that to work, deep holes have to be dug with rock walls around them and vines are planted at the bottom of each hole, letting the vines grow on the ground, protected from the winds. Since no irrigation is allowed, the vines have to survive on nightly condensation from the rather humid air. We stopped for wine tasting at one of the wineries and I have to say that we weren’t big fans of their wine, but apparently they do a good business. Also, to get around and provide much of the agricultural labor needed, dromedaries were imported from Northern Africa, starting in the 1400s shortly after the Spanish conquest. While their numbers peaked at 3000 in the late 1940s, there are still around 400 that remain, primarily for tourism. The next uptick for the island occurred in the 1960s when Spain installed the first desalination plant. A second plant was recently brought online, doubling the daily output. That enabled tourism which is now the number one driver of the economy. Another thing that is different here than the other islands is the architecture. Houses are low, with flat roofs and all lime washed white. It certainly makes sense given the environment, but it is definitely different!
Probably most dramatically to the development of Lanzarote was the impact of native-born artist César Manrique who pushed for sustainable development and living in harmony with nature. He didn’t just talk about this — he lived it, building his home (Los Jameos del Agua) out of a volcanic tunnel. He had so many innovations with his home that he was visited by architects and artists from all over the world. He also had a distinct impact on the development of the rest of the island. It was interesting to visit Lanzarote but, at least for me, once was enough.
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
