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LANZAROTE
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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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: 928.52.93.97.
Opening Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 hrs.
Services: Bar and cafeteria 10:00 to
17:00 hrs. |
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