CANARIAN TRIVIA

That the Canary Islands are provincial units of Spain, you undoubtedly knew. And that the Teide is Spain’s highest mountain you’ve known since primary school. But there are still so many things that are cause or attributed to the Canary archipelago and therefore Tenerife because it is part of it. To varying degrees, the islands have contributed to a collection of unknowns, curiosities, peculiarities and oddities. Canarian trivia … a short but incomplete list!

• The Canarian banana is smaller than its peers, its flavour is also more intense and fuller than its global competitors, which is why it is so coveted. But they barely leave Spanish territory because global demand cannot be met.

• In 1927, Agatha Christie spent some time in Puerto de la Cruz and began writing two novels at this location: ‘The mysterious Mr Quin’ published in 1934 and ‘Miss Marple and her Thirteen Problems’ not published until 1956.

• Expert climatologists claim that the microclimate of the Canary Islands is among the best in the world.

• The Gomeric flute language ‘El silbo Gomero’ was declared an intangible cultural heritage and the means of communication is instructed in schools. Only in this way will it be preserved for the future.
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• The Canary archipelago can call itself a world pioneer in seawater desalination. The technique was first applied there on a large scale. Lanzarote already had a desalination plant in 1964.

• Cumbre Vieja was responsible for the last above-ground volcanic eruption on Spanish territory in La Palma (2021), which began on 15 September and ended on 25 December of the same year. The volcano emitted 159 million cubic metres of lava that covered 1,219 hectares of land area. The lava flows buried 73.8 kilometres of roadway and 2,988 were damaged and destroyed. About 7,000 people were evacuated during the calamity.

• The waters around the Canary Islands are a privileged location for whale watching. The 1956 film ‘Moby Dick’, starring Gregory Peck, was filmed on Las Canteras beach in Gran Canaria.

• There is a small hotel on El Hierro, one with just four rooms.

• The Canary Islands gained a little brother in 2014. At the administrative level, there are now eight islands and so La Graciosa also became a member of the Canarian family.

• The carnival scene in the Canary Islands is recognised as one of the best in the world, alongside that of Brazil and Venice.

• Tenerife’s Teide is the highest mountain in Spain and the third largest volcano on earth if you measure its height from its base in the ocean. Over seven kilometres high equals more than 7,000 metres … hefty mountain!

• The prestigious Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar chose Lanzarote as the natural setting for his 2009 film “Los Abrazos Rotos” (Broken Embraces).

• The Auditorium of ‘Los Jameos del Agua’ in Lanzarote is located on the inside of a volcanic funnel; a lava tunnel that is home to a 4cm-long blind lobster called ‘cangrejito ciego’ (Munidopsis polymorpha)

  

• The Canarian community is a champion in reusing water. A third or 33% of all water used is recycled.

• El cueva del viento’ is one of the longest volcanic tunnels in the world with a length of more than 20 km.

• The Canary Island pine (Pinus Canariensis) is unique in its resistance to fire. Even after carbonisation of the bark, this pine can continue to grow.

• El Hierro has become the first island in the world to supply itself entirely with renewable energy sources.

• La Palma airport, on the other hand, is the leading one in the use of wind power.

• Gran Canaria is home to Spain’s oldest golf club. The Real Club de Golf de Las Palmas was founded in 1891 and the golf course was designed by English architect Ross Mackenzie.

• Every year, El Hierro celebrates the prestigious international underwater photography competition ‘Open Fotosub’ and produces excellent quality photos every year, thanks to the clarity of the sea water.

  

• The butterfly breed ‘Dromedary Camelus’ is found only in the Canary Islands.

• At 27 hectares, Jardín Botánico Canario Viera y Clavijo, in Gran Canaria, is the largest botanical garden in Spain.

• Some Canary Islands have a variety of climates because of their topography. While the beaches are paved with sunbathers, a short distance away you can enjoy the snow. What nation can claim the same.

• Sea pools filled and flushed with crystal-clear ocean water are the result of a mix between topography, lava flows and seawater. All islands possess these gems for swimming or just bathing.

• This list is incomplete and would become too long to publish all the Canarian trivia.

To experience all this first-hand, we suggest you plan your next holiday in the Canary archipelago and explore island by island. Of course, you will start on Tenerife, not for nothing the largest of the Canary Islands.

More trivia [HERE]

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Canarias trivia ©

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