Brief reminder of Part 1 (without mistake ) :
Lanzarote is an island in the Canary Islands, bordering the Atlantic. It is called ' the ochre island ' because of the colour that predominates on the site. It enjoys a pleasant temperature all year round. What characterises it is its volcanic character : 300 craters and black ash everywhere. It was created 23 million years ago, but there were two major eruptions in 1730 and 1824, creating 100 volcanoes. To this day, geothermal activity is still present.
With an area of 84594. km2, the island has an altitude of 674 metres. It is aproximately 60 km long and 25 km wide. The climate is dry, sunny and mild every month of the year. Temperatures range from 21°C in January to 29°C in the summer months, making it a popular destination for tourists.
When you arrive on the island, the panorama is disconcerting, especialy for lovers of large green spaces, because its vegetation-free landscape often has an arid, lunar and desolate appearance. All the houses, low and very often white, stand out in this volcanic world of frozen lava. Everywhere the black ash (lapillis = lava fragments ), pushed by the wind, has been deposited on the solpes of ancient volcanoes.
This site presents a superb gradation of red tones. The rock, rich in iron, has oxydised in contact with the air and has produced somptuous colours. Although this land is arid, one can see that life is returning with the growth of lichens on the sides of the volcanoes despite the aridity of the terrain.
Over the lack of rainfall, there are agricultural areas where farmers and winegrowers managed to dig through the lava to reech the fertile land by creating stone screens to adapt to the climate ( drougt and wind ). It is a permanent strugle of man against a hostile environment.
Apart from its volcanic landscape reflecting the burning of the earth and its uncontrolable force, the island offers other particularities with the cactus garden, the lava tunnel at Jameos del Aguas, the salt pans of Janubio, bordered by a wild coastline of numerous beautiful beaches and cove. |
