CACTUS GARDEN IN LANZAROTE (Jardín de Cactus)

All You Need to Know about the Cactus Garden in Lanzarote

The cactus garden in Lanzarote (also called Jardín de Cactus) was César Manrique‘s last work in Lanzarote. It is located near the village of Guatiza on the road to Mala (Community of Teguise) and is very easy to identify by an 8-meter-high cactus sculpture made by Manrique and located just in front of the park.

The cactus garden with a size of about 5000 square meters has 10,000 cacti from more than 1000 different species from America, Madagascar, and the Canary Islands. They were brought to the island of Lanzarote by botanical expert Estanislao Gonzalez Ferrer.

The Cactus Garden is one of the main attractions in Lanzarote (here are the 25 best things to see on the island). We absolutely loved our visit to this place.

In this post, we explain all you need to know about the Cactus Garden. Enjoy the visit!

WHY VISIT THE CACTUS GARDEN IN LANZAROTE?

Visiting the Cactus Garden in Lanzarote is to discover hundreds of amazing cactus in a beautiful area designed by the legendary César Manrique. This is not the standard botanical garden. Like everything Manrique did, it is always very special.

The Cactus Garden is a major tourist site in Lanzarote. And for good reason, it brings together an incredible number of specimens of huge, and also rare cacti, according to an arrangement fine-tuned by the artist Cesar Manrique.

Not visiting the Cactus Garden while in Lanzarote would be a pity. Hence we highly recommend this garden in your itinerary of things to see in Lanzarote

A GARDEN IMAGINED BY CÉSAR MANRIQUE

Created in 1991, the Cactus Garden was César Manrique’s last project, and it is one of our favorite attractions in Lanzarote. Its Spanish name is Jardín de Cactus.

Manrique had the idea of transforming an old quarry, from which the picon was extracted (sand/volcanic gravel). As always, he liked to integrate his work with the natural environment.

There are now 450 different species of cacti and succulents from all over the world, for a total of around 4500 plants (official figures from the Garden). The contrast of the green against the dark ground and the blue sky is breathtaking:

Due to its location in a former quarry, this botanical garden resembles an amphitheater with terraces on each side. The advantage is that it protects the plants from the wind.

This makes this place unique and a perfect spot for great photos. There is an old restored windmill above the garden! It’s really heaven for a photographer.

If you are not aware of who is César Manrique, we wrote a full post about his heritage here. Read more about this artist before visiting Lanzarote, as most of the attractions are related in a way or the other to the artist.

OVERVIEW OF THE CACTUS GARDEN

The garden was built on a quarry where the local growers extract the volcanic ash called rofe or picon, they use it to cover the young shoots and keep the night humidity in the ground, very important due to the lack of water .

The architectural work was created as a multi-level construction of stone quite similar to a Roman amphitheater. Most striking is the portico at the entrance, the shop and the restaurant-café built of hand-worked basalt stones. The garden is completed by a windmill restored by César Manrique in 1973.

The visitor can choose for himself where to go. There are different routes. The garden invites you to admire the special beauty of many cacti. Those in bloom are wonderful. Also, there is a nice pond with fish, where the visitor can take some rest. Before leaving the garden, be sure to take a look inside the windmill, which offers a wide panorama of the volcanic landscape in the garden. A great place to take a picture!

USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CACTUS GARDEN

Address: Carretera General del Norte, s/n, 35530 Guatiza, Lanzarote
Telephone: +34 928 52 93 97
Hours: daily from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Café, restaurant and shop: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour
Prices: €5.50 per adult and €2.75 per child (7-12 years old)
Official Website: here

If you do not have a car while in Lanzarote, it is very easy to book a tour group that combines some of the best sights in Lanzarote. We recommend this tour.

OTHER THINGS TO SEE NEAR THE CACTUS GARDEN?

Teguise, the old capital of Lanzarote

Not far from the Cactus Garden, if you have a rental car, you can easily visit Teguise the old capital of Lanzarote.

Teguise in Lanzarote is considered the oldest town in the Canary Islands, dating back to the 13th century. The Villa of Teguise, as some still call it, was the capital of Lanzarote for over 450 years, until 1852 when Arrecife became the new capital.

Visiting Teguise is a must if you are in Lanzarote. To help you with your visit, we listed the best things to see in Teguise here.

Arrieta, a charming fishing village

Located in the northeast of Lanzarote, Arrieta clearly stands out from the other seaside resorts in the south of the island. Nestled in a fishing village with many small restaurants, you can enjoy fresh fish with a view of the beach. The calm and authenticity of Arrieta will charm you.

Jameos del Agua

Jameos del Agua is one of the most famous places to visit in Lanzarote. If you ask us to choose our #1 favorite place on the island, we will certainly choose Jameos del Agua. In 1 word: SPECTACULAR!

César Manrique has optimized the mix of architecture and nature in natural caves created by lava tunnels: a unique place to discover!

We wrote a full post here about Jameos del Agua for more information. Check it out.