If you are a plant lover, surely when you go on vacation you choose places where you can visit a botanical garden or the like to unleash your passion. It’s normal. Therefore, how about recommending the Lanzarote Cactus Garden?
For those who love cacti and succulents, this place is going to be magical and the truth is that it is huge (although it doesn’t take long to see it). Want to know what you’ll find there?
Where is the Lanzarote Cactus Garden and who created it
The first thing we would like you to know about the Lanzarote Cactus Garden is that this beauty It was created by Cesar Manrique. In case you don’t know, this man was a very famous Spanish painter, sculptor and artist, who combined his work with the environment, that’s why he designed this work.
He did it in 1991 with the help of botanist Estanislao González Ferrerwho was the one who decided which were the best specimens to grow in the area.
From its name you already know that it is in Lanzarote, but inside the island you should know that it is in the prickly pear zone of Guatiza.
In the beginning, that is before the Lanzarote cactus garden was there, this area was used as a landfill. Around it, there were agricultural plantations of prickly pears which were responsible for the growth of the cochineal. For this reason, this place was chosen to give it an important change, not only aesthetically (we are talking about a garden) but also to improve the environment in this area.
In fact, it is currently considered one of the most important gardens in the world, where its creator was able to combine architecture, gardening, sculpture and interior design in one place.
What Lanzarote Cactus Garden Has
Now that you know the location and the person who gave birth to this Lanzarote cactus garden, do you know what you can find there? Obviously, these will be cacti. What you may not know if you haven’t searched for information is that there are over 4,500 specimens of 600 different species.
They are spread throughout the enclosure, but it is striking how much, almost at a glance, you can get an overview panoramic view of the place. And that’s it, César Manrique knew how to capture attention as soon as he set foot there.
You will see, as soon as you arrive you will see a poster in tribute to its creator and how he lives beyond a landfill. As a quarry you will have to descend and the first thing you will see, as soon as you cross the entrance wall, is a complete and general view of the whole area, with colors, designs, shades. .. It will leave you impressed at first and not quite sure where you want to go first.
in this domain, specifically in the highest part of the place you will also have a white windmill. It is in use, but only decoratively, since it was previously used to grind corn.
how long does it take to see
In case you plan to go to the Jardin des Cactus de Lanzarote to visit it, but you don’t know if you will have time or not, know that, according to what they say, it takes about 90 minutes to see it. An hour if you’re fast.
There are roads and paths through which to see the whole garden. It will depend on whether you stop to see certain specimens, or to take photos. But it doesn’t take long to see it.
Of course, the experience itself can take a while to forget you, especially if you like this type of plant.
What to see in the cactus garden
Talking about the experience you will have there, we are going to give you some reasons why you should visit it. And we already tell you that it will be something incredible.
As soon as you arrive on site you will come across a cactus 8 meters high. Of course, from what we know, it is metallic and corresponds to a huge iron door. But this impression that it will cause you is only the prelude to what you will see inside.
Next to the gift shop you have a cactus, the Candelabra spurge. It’s a African plant very popular there because it is the first cactus that César Manrique planted in 1989. Currently, it has a considerable height. We are talking about 6-7 meters.
Another of the cacti you should not miss is the so-called “mother-in-law cushion”. Or rather, “mother-in-law’s cushions” because it is not a single cactus but a group of about twenty Mexican native specimens that are characterized by a very small height and an original circular shape.
There are many more cacti to be seen, and especially if you visit it at different times, you may be surprised by the flowering of some of these species. It is therefore worth going there several times to see it in all its glory. Do you dare to visit the Lanzarote cactus garden?