The Cactus Garden was the last work of César Manrique, finished in Lanzarote in 1991. In 1973 the artisthad already restored the mill that ornaments the limits ofthe Centre, with the idea of changing some semiburied volcanic monoliths into the main sculptures of a beautiful garden.
The Cactus Garden is an excellent example ofhow to recover a deteriorated space because it was built on an old quarry ofvolcanic ashes extraction, also known as "rofe" or "picón" and used by the peasants of Lanzarote to cover the crops and keep the night humidity.
This spectacular botanical garden shelters about 10,000 types of cactus from more than 1,400 distinct species originating from America, Madagascar and the Canaries; gathered together by the late expert botanist, Estanislao González Ferrer.
However, the intention of this and the creator’s other works, is not educational but aesthetic and recreational.
The garden itself rises in the middle of a sea of cactus in the area of Guatiza and Mala, the heart of the island’s cochineal cultivation.
The cochineal is an insect whose female lives off a type of cactus known as the “tunera”. The natural dye carmine is derived from the hand-picked larva which is used in the textile and cosmetic industries, and was especially prized in the past before the discovery of synthetic dyes.
The garden also has a small restaurant with terrace, ideal for relaxing during a day of sightseeing, and a gift shop with handicrafts.
Location: Between Guatiza and Mala.
Phone Number: +34 928.52.93.97
Opening Hours: 10am to 17:45pm
Services: Bar.
