What Grows Well in Volcanic Ash and Rock? Apparently Cactus

Day 94, 2025 Grand World Voyage

Tuesday, April 8, 2025; Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands.

Today I did a little jig as I returned to the Zuiderdam from a day ashore on Lanzarote. No injuries! When last in this port, I fell and fractured my patella. My goal today was to avoid a repeat, and I succeeded.

Lanzarote is the easternmost of the Canary Islands, only about 80 miles off the coast of Africa. I recommend that first-time cruisers here visit Timanfaya National Park, the site of volcanic eruptions between 1730 and 1736. Unlike more typical volcanoes, which seem to originate from a single mountainous cone, the Lanzarote event consisted of 32 new volcanoes spewing lava that covered a quarter of the island. Today it looks like a wide expanse of flat sea, but composed of jagged lava instead of water.

I have visited the national park twice, once in 2011 with my mother and again in 2023 with my sisters (when I fractured my kneecap). It’s a fascinating tour; unlike any others I’ve taken before. But twice is enough, so today I set off in other directions.

The volcanic eruptions of the 1730s were only the latest, as Lanzarote was created 15 million years ago by volcanoes. Instead of dirt and topsoil, the surface is covered by volcanic rocks and ash. In fact, farmers use the ash to capture and hold the scarce rain. Everywhere are terraces and walls built of the dark volcanic rocks.

Our tour started in the former capital of Teguise, positioned for early warnings of frequent pirate raids of past centuries. Today the sleepy town was just awakening. I had thoughts of visiting Natural House, a local boutique where I bought dresses and blouses two years ago. It wasn’t yet open, which probably was good for my pocketbook.

After stopping at a viewpoint high on a mountain, we headed to the northern tip of the island to visit an aloe vera farm.

Apparently the island has just the right combination of tropical climate and volcanic soil to enhance the plant. Of course, we had an opportunity to buy any of a number of health and beauty products.

The highlight of the tour was the Jardin de Cactus, created by César Manrique, a native-born Spanish artist and sculpture. His works, including El Diablo, the symbol of the Timanfaya National Park, are all over the island. Wind sculptures grace every rotary. As architectural director of the island, he stopped the development of high-rise resorts and campaigned for the almost universal use of white paint on every home and building exterior.

At the Jardin de Cactus, Manrique transformed an old landfill using architecture and design, with the result a large multilevel garden with 4,500 specimens of cactus from five continents. I didn’t dare risk taking the lava rock steps, preferring the gently sloping ramps (also of lava) to wander through the installation.

My Merlin app identified the birds hidden within the cactus plants as Spanish sparrows.

I wish there had been more signs describing each of the 500 kinds of cacti and that more time was allotted for the visit. If (or when) I return to Lanzarote, I will take a taxi to the garden and spend much more time there, adding on a visit to Manrique’s house.