The Canary Islands​—Benign Climate, Seductive Scenery

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN SPAIN

FAR across the sea, it was said, beyond the Pillars of Hercules, lay some enchanted islands. The soil was so rich, the climate so benign, that anything and everything would grow there. These were the Fortunate Islands. We now know them as the Canary Islands, “Canary” being derived from the Latin canis, referring to the large, fierce dogs that once abounded there.

This romantic blend of fact and fiction, idealized by Roman and Greek writers, was based on the yarns of the few intrepid sailors who plied the Atlantic before the time of Christ. Today, it is the tourist who retraces the steps of those ancient mariners. The islands are real enough, although some of the magic and most of the mystery have evaporated. Their climate is indeed benign, seductive enough to attract millions of visitors who seek a respite from the harsh winters of Northern Europe.

The mild climate is not the only attraction. The islands harbor a singular variety of scenery and vegetation that more than justifies the creation of national parks in four of the seven principal islands.

Tenerife​—A Rock Garden Above the Clouds

The largest island, Tenerife, is dominated by Pico de Teide, a dormant volcano towering above the clouds that roll in from the Atlantic. Surrounding the volcanic dome lies a huge subalpine amphitheater, which along with the majestic volcano constitutes the Teide National Park. The park is host to a unique flora that comes to life in the late spring and early summer when the plants take advantage of accumulated moisture from winter snows. Suddenly the stark volcanic terrain is transformed into a rock garden ablaze with color.

Two of the most unusual flowers of the park are found nowhere else in the world. They are the red tajinaste and the Teide violet. The red tajinaste is arguably the most impressive plant of the archipelago​—a myriad clusters of red flowers growing in tight spirals around a solitary stalk that reaches a height of six feet or more. The tall blooms look like red floral chimneys saluting the deep-​blue sky.

The Teide violet, which decorates the volcano’s throat with a lilac garland, is remarkable for its tenacity. It grows just a few feet from the 12,000-​foot [3,700 m] summit, where no other vegetation survives.

La Palma​—A Verdant Volcanic Caldron

La Palma has one of the largest craters in the world. Its rim has a circumference of about 17 miles [27 km] and is almost 8,000 feet [2,400 m] high. The immense hollow below, which occupies the center of the island, is a collapsed volcano that over the years has been sculptured by wind and rain into what looks like a massive caldron. Hence the Spanish name caldera (Spanish for caldron), a word that is applied to similar craters throughout the world.a

The caldera, all of which is now a national park, is almost completely covered by a magnificent pine forest. The Canary pine, the dominant tree, covers all but the steepest slopes, protecting the walls of the caldera against further erosion. Nearly cut off from the outside world by its inaccessibility, the unspoiled caldera is a haven of beauty and peace for nature lovers who venture inside.

Gomera​—A Stepping-​Stone to America

It was from this obscure island that Columbus sailed into the unknown. It had just been conquered by the Spanish, and Columbus stopped in the small port of San Sebastián to take on water and provisions.

At the time of Columbus, the inhabitants of the island, the Guanches, were still living a primitive life, but they were an adaptable people. Because of the hilly nature of the terrain, they had developed a unique language consisting of whistles enabling them to converse with one another from ridge to ridge over distances of a couple of miles or more. Although largely forgotten, this “telewhistle” technique is still used by elderly ones when they wish to pass on a quick news item. Jehovah’s Witnesses preaching in isolated villages have heard on more than one occasion the message “The Witnesses are here!” whistled from the hilltops.

On the higher slopes of the island is a national park created to protect a primeval forest. Its dark interior, invariably swathed in mist and full of tortured boughs covered with feathery lichen, conjures up memories of long-​forgotten fairy stories. Strange as it may seem, it usually rains here underneath the trees. Clouds whipped over the forest by the prevailing northerly winds are “milked” of their water by the trees. Thus, beneath the trees there is usually a steady drizzle, whereas in the open it may not be raining at all.

Fossil remains indicate that this laurel forest (called laurisilva) once existed throughout the Mediterranean region. But a change in climate millenniums ago drastically reduced its range to just a few hilltops of the Canary Islands.

Lanzarote​—A Desert Island With a Difference

Lanzarote is a desert island that, while not deserted, is certainly desertlike. Rainfall is nearly nonexistent. Life here had always been difficult for the small population, but then two centuries ago a series of violent volcanic eruptions changed the face of the island. The volcanoes brought death and life. Death, in that a quarter of the island was entombed by lava flows bringing an abrupt end to many villages and homesteads. Life, in that from the ashes of the volcanoes the islanders have wrought a livelihood.

Thanks to vast quantities of porous volcanic gravel, a leftover from the eruptions, the islanders can cultivate fruit and vegetables even though it may not rain for months. The fields are covered with a four-​inch layer of gravel that not only preserves the humidity of the underlying soil but actually captures moisture from the humid night air and transmits it to the soil below. Vineyards, fig trees, tomatoes, corn, and other crops sprout unexpectedly from the black gravel.

The Timanfaya National Park includes spectacular craters and a vast surrounding area engulfed by the lava they discharged. The desertlike climate has preserved the congealed lava almost intact, and the visitor who tours the park may well imagine that the eruptions ceased only yesterday. The dramatic volcanic landscape, along with the white picturesque villages, gives the island a surrealistic beauty all its own.

Doubtless these fascinating volcanic islands are a tribute to the adaptability of their inhabitants and the vegetation that grows there. Above all, their natural beauty moves the reverent visitor to attribute praise to the Creator of such variety.

[Footnotes]

[Box/​Pictures on page 18]

Canary Island Fauna and Flora

The canary. (1) Named after the archipelago, these birds are still plentiful, although, in the wild, they are not as colorful as the popular caged birds whose vivid colors are the result of over four centuries of selective breeding.

Aeonium species. (2) Over two dozen types are found throughout the islands, many growing in rocky crevices. Some, such as Aeonium lancerottensis, (3) even grow out of petrified lava.

The Teide violet. (4) These delicate blooms thrive in a hostile volcanic environment nearly 12,000 feet [3,700 m] above sea level.

The banana plant. (5) Bananas have been cultivated in the Canary Islands for centuries. Spanish colonizers took them to the Caribbean shortly after the discovery of America.

The red tajinaste. (6) Clusters of tiny red flowers grow in spirals around a solitary stalk that often reaches a height of more than six feet.

The dragon tree. (7) The most unusual and beloved tree of the islands, this example is said to be three thousand years old. Ancient specimens such as this one are carefully nurtured in municipal parks.

[Map]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

La Palma

Tenerife

Gomera

Hierro

Lanzarote

Fuerteventura

Grand Canary

[Pictures]

Tenerife is dominated by Pico de Teide, a dormant volcano

1. The Canary.

2. Aeonium species.

3. Aeonium lancerottensis

4. The Teide violet.

5. The banana plant.

6. The red tajinaste.

7. The dragon tree.

[Pictures on page 16, 17]

1. Granadillo

2. Tabaiba Majorera

3. Verol dulce

4. Ercila

5. Hierba blanca

6. Teide violet