Guatiza

Guatiza is a village in the municipality of Teguise. It is located in the northeast of the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Spain. Situated on a large flat and fertile land surrounded by volcanoes and boilers, its landscape contrasts with the blue sky and sea. It has 841 inhabitants (2005).

Today their houses are scattered, forming a more compact core near the church. All around, the volcanoes of Genia, Tinamala, boiler and Stews are sometimes a good shelter for the winds. Originally the town was located on the mountainside where the cemetery is today.

The Cactus Garden is undoubtedly the best known and visited site in Guatiza. Designed by Cesar Manrique, it is an old quarry from which volcanic material was extracted. It spans an area of approximately 5,000m2 and in 1400 displayed more than 1,000 different species of cactus originating from around the world: America; Madagascar and Canaries.

Administratively it belongs to the municipality of Teguise, the largest on the island and Lanzarote’s former capital until 1852. To reach Guatiza from Arrecife, the capital of the island, you head north, passed the village of Tahiche and after about 10 kilometers, you find Guatiza. Continuing north you reach the village of Mala (2km) in the town of Haria. The coast is situated about 2km to the east.

To the west lies the town of Teguise (8km), the capital of the municipality. The weather in Lanzarote is conditioned by the low height of the island, causing the island’s trade winds. This results in a dry climate with little rain, constant humidity and moderate winds. The average temperature is 18ºC in January and 25ºC in August. The sea temperature varies between 15ºC and 23ºC.