Until the advent of tourism back in the 1970’s Lanzarote was, essentially, a rural island and farming, of both the sea and the land, lay at the heart of the local economy.

Picture of Monumento al Campesino

Today, times have changed, as growing tourist numbers rather than crops has become the main economic pre-occupation.

But whilst tourism may now employ an estimated 90% of the local workforce in some way, shape or form, Lanzarote’s rural roots still remain clearly visible.

Plots And Plans

Stray inland away from the coastal resorts and it is readily evident that many locals still maintain and cultivate plots and fields all over the island. Even those with limited land are adept at growing a large variety of vegetables and tropical fruits.

These agricultural skills were partly passed on by necessity, as the island has experienced many serious periods of hunger in the past. Domestic cultivation was therefore a sort of edible insurance policy.

Today, staples such as tomatoes, potatoes and spinach are still cultivated in abundance and little Lanzarote even manages to produce an eye-watering one-third of Spain’s annual onion quota.

None of this would be particularly big potatoes though — were it not for the fact that Lanzarote has less rainfall than the nearby Sahara desert, some 100km to the west, where the only things that ever grow are the sand dunes.

So how is it possible to cultivate anything in such arid conditions?

Picon Rocks

Ingeniously, local farmers managed to turn the island’s worst ever natural disaster on its head. After the major six year cycle of volcanic eruptions devastated Lanzarote in the 1730’s one third of the most fertile farming land was buried beneath fields of lava and rock.

Ironically, the very substance that had done so much to destroy agriculture also provided it’s salvation — as island fields are now instead covered in small black grains of chipped volcanic rock — called picon.

The picon basically serves as porous mulch, drawing moisture from the air, releasing it into the ground and preventing evaporation, so enabling a method of dry cultivation known as ‘enarenado’.

This ingenious agrosystem is entirely unique to Lanzarote and can be seen to best effect in the wine region of La Geria and the agricultural environs of San Bartolome such as La Florida.

Monumental

Fittingly, the Monumento al Campesino (Monument to the Farmer), which is both a celebration and illustration of the island’s rural roots and the spirit and resilience of her farmers, has been sited right here in the heart of Lanzarote’s agricultural region.

The Monument was created by island born artist and architect Cesar Manrique, who wanted to highlight the on-going struggles of local farmers and the historical significance of agricultural life on Lanzarote.

The centerpiece of this celebration of cultivation is a giant, 15 metre high, white sculpture depicting a farmer with his flock. This sculpture is highly symbolic as it’s made from old water tanks salvaged from boats, so emphasizing Lanzarote’s low flow of H2O.

As well as housing a living museum, where visitors can enjoy watching local artisans produce traditional island handicrafts the Monument also boasts a huge and stylish restaurant, designed by Cesar Manrique, set in the basement of a beautifully restored traditional farmhouse.

Fact File