Lanzarote, Canary Islands.


Without humans in the picture, I cannot imagine a more desolate place than Lanzarote.

The Canaries are located 125 km off the Moroccan coast in the Atlantic Ocean. The islands are governed by Spain and fed by tourism. Tourists come in their millions because of the wonderful climate, particularly in winter.

Lanzarote has a population of 140,000 and is the fourth biggest island in the Canary group. The island is about 70 km long and 30 km wide. It is comprised of lava fields, volcano rock and sand! 

The rainfall is minimal - 110 mm/yr on average. It's water all comes from desalinating sea water. (The Canary Islands have 2% of the worlds desalination capability) It's electricity from diesel and solar but it has huge thermal potential. And it gets 3 million tourists each year from all over the world but particularly the UK.

The last major eruption was in from 1730 to 1736. The lava flows from that eruption covers about 65% of the island. It is just black and raw scoria. Even lichen has hardly started to grow on the lava yet.
There is a coordinated colour scheme for virtually all houses – any colour you like as long as its white. Looks very nice against the black scoria.
We were there in the high tourist season and the beaches were crowded. European crowded. I pity big families going to the beach – it could be hard to find a space big enough for everyone. The beaches are beautiful, the water clear and blue, natural shade virtually non-existent.
We hired a car so we could drive around the island and go to most of the main beaches. The Papagayo National Park was interesting. It said it was protecting native flora and fauna. A more lifeless and desolate moonscape you could not imagine.
Come the first week in September, I am sure Lanzarote would be a different place. The UK and European high  holiday season would be over and a good proportion of the crowds would have gone back to work and school.
 


Lanzarote Island is the smallest of the 4 main islands in the Canaries. It is about 70 km long and 30 km wide. The Canaries are part of Spain but are situated directly west of Morocco.

Permanent population, 70,000
Tourist each year, 3.5 million

Papagayo Beach

Looking out towards Playa Blanca in the south of the island

Playa del Pozo and Playa Caleton in the Papagayo National Park

The Lava Fields - huge, desolate, utterly raw and lifeless

Laiza on the edge of the Lava Fields


Probably 20 kms from Laiza and still in the Lava Fields
Handling tourists - 2 people per camel, 7 camels per train and about 20 trains working with a huge queue waiting to go for a ride upto the little knob mid-right of the photo.

Papagayo National Park - "preserving the natural flora and fauna". Totally dry and desolate but the beaches around its southern edge were divine - and 10,000 others agreed with us.

Graciosa Island just north of Lanzarote. Amazing pattern in the mountain in the background

Orzola, right at the north of the Lanzarote. All buildings can either be white or white or ....


Walking back from the Playa Francesco to the ferry on Graciosa Island. It was a really windy  day.

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