Lanzarote's Prickly Attraction.

Officially the last work of Cesar Manrique and is considered a symbol of the island's history

. The Jardin de Cactus is a place where you can see over 10,000 cacti in the setting of a converted quarry. This has the form of an amphitheatre which is a beautiful backdrop for these plants. This is truly a celebration of the plant worlds spiniest species and actually comprised of one of the best collections of cacti in the world.

The Jardin de Cactus will not be hard to find as there is no way you're going to miss the eight metre high, green, spiky behemoth cacti sculpture. This sculpture stands over the car park and at the main entrance. Be aware you will see the cacti motif repeated everywhere, door handles, in the big wrought iron front gates and also in abstract forms such as in the beautiful glass ball sculpture that adorns a sinuous spiral staircase in the stylish bar, situated beneath the restored Gofio mill, at the rear of the garden.

In the centre of the garden there are a series of water features with bridges that link pathways, here you can see glimpses of orange in the water as goldfish swim by. There is also a bar and restaurant area that is set into the far wall of the quarry located under an old windmill. From the terrace you can get a beautiful view of the gardens below, whilst inside there is a spiral staircase with a central sculpture that leads to the terrace. The windmill is small with a curved wooden staircase that takes you up to the eaves of the roof. Here you can see how the sails move by the mechanism; this is according to the wind direction of course. Also from here you get to see a great view of the north, here you can see Mala and the coastal village of Arrieta.

The 10,000 types of cactus consist of more than 1,400 different species originating from America, Madagascar and the Canaries that were all gathered together by the late expert botanist, Estanislao Gonzlez Ferrer, who also oversaw the design and the layout. The intention of this Cactus garden and the creator's other works, isn't meant to educational but aesthetic and recreational. Many of the plants display incredible complexities and colours on close inspection and even produce stunning flowers at certain times of the year.

The Garden itself is located in the middle of a sea of cactus in between Guatiza and Mala. Also Costa Teguise is located nearby so if you want to stay at some of the best Lanzarote Villas and visit here you could. This is a significant area, as it is considered as the heart of Lanzarote's traditional cactus growing country, with over 300 acres of Tunera cacti cultivation still growing today. The insect cochineal lives off this type of cactus. The natural dye carmine is derived from the handpicked larva; this is used in the textile and cosmetic industries and was especially in high demand and the mainstay a thriving island industry in the past before the discovery of synthetic dyes which reduced the demand for this natural dye although it is still used in certain items of food and drink especially as it toxic unlike its chemical cousins. In the car park outside the cactus garden there is a local farmer that demonstrates how to actually harvest a beetle, this is very popular with tourists.

by: VacationRentalPeople

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