The Fiery Birth of Lanzarote

Sept. 10, 2010 - PRLog -- Landing in Lanzarote can feel rather like landing on the moon. While you arrive in an airport and take taxi through the town, it is not long before you are looking at landscapes that seem from another sphere.

This is where the landscapes are most affected by the volcanic eruptions in the canary islands, leading to something altogether surreal and alien. With its fiery history Lanzarote has been shaped by with a brutal beauty, bearing its scars proudly, as distinct and unique beauty marks.

The eruption Timinafaya is quite a recent event in geographical history, the story of its origin is poetic and epic, writing in the 18th century Don Lorenzo Curbelo said of the explosion: “On September 1, 1730, between nine and 10 at night, the ground opened in Timanfaya, two leagues from Yaiza… and an enormous mountain rose from the bosom of the earth. ”

The resulting changes to the land have been inspiring locals and visitors ever since. This former sea of lava,  covered nearly a quarter of the Island for six years, settled now as towering mounds telling their own tale of violent creation.

The beaches and an almost omnipresent sun have rendered Lanzarote a vital destination for any sun disciple. Yet for those interested in strange nuanced geography Lanzarote is indispensable.

These mountains have not only shaped the land, but also how people interact with the land. For instance buildings over two storeys are no longer aloud in the isles and a tradition of painting window frames green, to engulf the image of the sea and rocks, has developed here.

So the mountains have become key to Lanzarote's aesthetic, and this is naturally reflected in the artworks of their most beloved artist Cesar Manrique.  The ever versatile Manrique was nothing if not prolific and diverse, during his lifetime he delved in to sculpture, painting, ecology, but for many Lanzarote natives, he is most admired for his landscape design. While images of the volcanoes are evoked in his art works, for his landscape design he actually worked with the mounds, creating bizarre and beautiful spaces.

Manrique's value to Lanzarote is not to be underestimated, he left more than a number of artworks behind as his legacy, he also left behind an idea of Lanzarote, as a country that cared for its looks, rather than a mere sunny tourist resort.

While the land is largely barren due to the lava here in recent years Lanzarote has managed to find property through its tourism industry. Visitors flock from all around the world to see the sights that Lanzarote has to offer.

Some naturally come here for the omnipresent sun, the crystalline waters, the white sand beaches. But others want to experience all the strange images the Island throws at you. Timinifaya deserves at least a good days viewing, and there are many tours to help you see it properly. As the Island is so small tourist can get from their Lanzarote Villas to anywhere in the island within less than two hours.

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