Guatiza, Teguise
Jardín de Cactus
365 days a year
Last admission 16:30
Visit at your own pace
Approximately 60 minutes
Nearly 500 species
From around the world
Av. Garafía, Guatiza
DirectionsComplementary experiences
Explore the Garden and add brunch
Brunch is booked separately and also requires admission to Jardín de Cactus.
Explore the Garden
The thousands of cacti show different ways of adapting to water scarcity. That same capacity is also part of Lanzarote’s agricultural history.
- Access to the traditional mill
- Walk past the pond
Brunch Jardín de Cactus
Among the Garden’s terraces, the menu brings together local produce, traditional pastries and prickly pear jam, made from the fruit of the cactus.
- Two menu options: Jardín or vegetarian
- Cheese, yoghurt and pastries
- Drinks included
Cooking with cactus
Jardín de Cactus Restaurant
Nopal and prickly pear fruit are used in croquettes, burgers, rolls, jams, ice creams and drinks. The menu also includes fresh cheese and wines from Lanzarote.
The terrace overlooks the Garden. Brunch Jardín de Cactus offers two menus, one of them vegetarian, and is booked separately. You also need admission to the Centre to enjoy it.
Origins
A former rofera
Before becoming a garden, this site in Guatiza was a rofera, a quarry for volcanic material that was also used as a landfill. César Manrique used the excavated shape of the land as the starting point for transforming the site.
The cochineal landscape
Prickly pear plantations historically linked to cochineal production extend around the Garden. The natural dye obtained from cochineal was an important economic activity for Lanzarote from the late 19th century onwards.
The shape of the quarry
The project developed over two decades. The terraces, paths and volcanic-stone walls follow the contours of the excavation. Basalt monoliths left behind by the quarrying were incorporated as sculptures.
Architecture, sculpture and gardening
Manrique brought these disciplines together in an intervention encompassing the layout, planting and elements designed for the site. In 2017, the Garden received the International Carlo Scarpa Prize for its relationship with land conservation and local culture.
What to see
- The Euphorbia candelabrum: the first specimen planted in the Garden by César Manrique and his team, on 18 January 1989, grows in front of the shop. This African succulent reaches a height of 6 to 7 metres.
- The mother-in-law’s cushions: around twenty specimens from Mexico. Their low height and circular shape explain this popular name.
- The pond: water introduces a contrast between the volcanic stone and the planting. Orange fish and a sculpture share the pond.
- The restaurant interior: a mural by Manrique and lamps inspired by prickly pear pads extend the Garden’s design into the interior.
- The spiral staircase: it surrounds a hanging structure made from old buoys and a framework of rods recalling the forms of cacti.
- The maize mill: standing at the top of the Garden, it is one of the last traditional mills remaining on Lanzarote. Its interior reveals how grain was milled to make gofio during the 19th century.
What to do
- Try dishes made with prickly pear: from the restaurant terrace, you can combine views over the Garden with dishes featuring prickly pear and nopal.
- Book Brunch Jardín de Cactus: a gastronomic addition to your visit. Brunch and admission to the Centre are booked separately.
- Find the Hembra and Macho drawings: beside the entrance to the toilets, these figures reveal César Manrique’s humour and graphic inventiveness.
- Explore the Garden shop: it brings together local and artisan products, seeds, botany books and cactus-based products.
Visitor guide
- Visit duration: approximately 60 minutes.
- Food and drink: outside food and drink may not be brought into the Centre. A café is available on site.
- Families: admission is free for children under 7. High chairs are available in the café and baby-changing facilities are provided in the toilets.
- Clothing: wear comfortable clothing and suitable footwear for the stone paths. A hat and sun protection are recommended in summer.
- Photography: you may take photographs during your visit. The entrance provides an overall view of the terraces and planting.
- Accessibility: part of the site is adapted for people with reduced mobility, although the ground includes uneven stone paths. The mill and shop do not have ramp access.
- Pets: pets are not permitted, except assistance dogs in accordance with Law 3/2017 of 26 April.
Timanfaya
Jameos del Agua
Cueva de los Verdes
Mirador del Río
Castillo de San José
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FAQs
Prepare your visit
At Montañas del Fuego and Cueva de los Verdes, tickets can only be purchased online and always for a specific date and time.
At the other centers, you can buy tickets directly at the ticket office, but we recommend purchasing them in advance to make access easier.
Yes. Canary Islands residents can benefit from a special price, as well as residents of Lanzarote and people with disabilities. Please note that these rates cannot be combined and are only available at the ticket offices upon presentation of the required physical documentation.
Some centres do not have a box office. We recommend purchasing your ticket in advance on the website to secure your access to the centre.
It is not necessary to print it, however, you must have the QR code downloaded and ready at the entrance to speed up access.
In some areas coverage is limited, download the ticket on your mobile or take a screenshot of the QR code before arriving.
We are sorry you haven’t automatically received your tickets. We recommend checking your spam folder or ensuring that your email address is correctly entered. If you still can’t find them, please contact our Customer Service department at 901 200 300, via WhatsApp, or by sending an email to info@centrosturisticos.com. Our customer service hours are Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 15:00.
Yes, it is mandatory for Cueva de los Verdes and Montañas del Fuego. You must select the date and time when completing your online purchase.
You can also, if you are interested in discovering our spaces in a different and more exclusive way, the “Experiencias Insólitas” (our premium guided tours in small groups) require advance online booking with a fixed date and time. – They are offered at Montañas del Fuego and Jameos del Agua.-
For the rest of the Centres and general visits, it is not necessary to book a fixed time. You have full flexibility, although purchasing your ticket in advance helps reduce waiting times and supports a more balanced management of the space.
Still have questions?
Contact our customer service team at info@centrosturisticos.com or by phone at +34 928 84 84 84.