Jardín de Cactus

Jardín de Cactus is a cactus garden located on the island of Lanzarote, part of the Canary Islands archipelago. It sits in the village of Guatiza, occupying the site of a former quarry where volcanic sand known as lapilli was once extracted.

Where exactly is the garden located?

The garden is situated in Guatiza, a small village on Lanzarote. Its approximate coordinates are 29.0804 latitude and -13.476281 longitude. The location is directly tied to the site's past: before becoming a garden, the ground was quarried for lapilli, a fine volcanic material.

Why was this site originally a quarry?

Before the garden existed, workers extracted volcanic lapilli from this spot. This porous material, a product of Lanzarote's volcanic activity, was spread across cultivated fields in the surrounding area. A layer of lapilli on the soil surface helped retain moisture, which was essential for farming on an island where water is scarce and the volcanic terrain makes traditional agriculture challenging.

What is the garden's connection to cochineal dye production?

Prickly pears (cacti of the Opuntia genus) are grown in the Guatiza area to support the cultivation of cochineal, an insect used in the production of a natural dye. This agricultural tradition, centered on raising prickly pears for the dye industry, is closely linked to the farming history of the region where the cactus garden was later established.

What is cochineal, and where does carmine dye come from?

Cochineal is an insect that lives on prickly pear cacti. Its body is used to produce carmine, a natural red dye that has been used for centuries to color textiles and other materials requiring a durable, naturally derived pigment. Growing prickly pears around Guatiza was historically part of the local economy built around this dye production.

Does the garden have botanical significance?

Jardín de Cactus is described as a botanical garden in the Canary Islands. Its character reflects the volcanic history of the site directly: a former lapilli quarry was transformed into a space dedicated to cacti, bringing together the island's geological and agricultural heritage in a single location.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Jardín de Cactus located? In the village of Guatiza on the island of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands.

What was this site before the garden was created? A former quarry where volcanic lapilli sand was extracted, later spread on farmland to help retain soil moisture.

How is the garden connected to carmine dye? Prickly pear cacti grown in the area host cochineal insects, from which the natural dye carmine is produced.

What are the coordinates of Jardín de Cactus? Approximately 29.0804 latitude and -13.476281 longitude.