The municipality of San Bartolomé is one of the smallest of Lanzarote. It is home to the island’s international airport known as Guasimeta. This airport, with its modern installations, receives a large number of flights daily, both regular and charter, which communicate Lanzarote with the other islands and with the main European cities.
The relief of this area is very varied, due to the characteristics of the soil, which contains different types of volcanic earth and of lava layers. This is the cause of the great diversity of scenary which we find in this zone situated on the cornice of the island.
Althouhg its sea front is small, we can find there, fine sandy beaches between Playa Honda and Guasimeta. They accumulate part of the sand transported by the wind across the “El Jable” area.
The agricultural landscape of the interior of San Bartolomé is of inmense beaty, since almost all the crops are covered by a layer of volcanic ash or picón, of an intense black colour, against which the verdant vines stand out, forming a picturesque panorama.
The “Islote” which gives its name to one of the villages of the municipality, occupies all the northwest part of the area. An enormous lake fo solidified lava covers what was formerly a low-lying area.
The cultivation of vines in holes sheltered from the strong winds by walls of volcanic stone attains here its most spectacular forms. This work requires inmense effort, as it is frequently necesary to perforate up to five or six metres in oder to reach fertile.
To mention San Bartolomé is to speak of sweet potatoes or “Boniatos”, which are exquisitely sweet. This crop is grown mainly in the “Jable” a white belt of moving sand and dunes which cross the island from northwest to southeast carried by the wind. Among mills formed by wooden towers and the perfect outline of these areas of cultivation called “Jables Marinos”, are situated the noble sixteenth-century buildings of San Bartolomé.
The Church of San Bartolomé is another interesting place, from architectural point fo view. Finally, near the willage of Mozaga situated smbolically in the geographical centre of the island, is the “Monumento al Campesino” (Farmer Monument), the work of César Manrique erected in honour of island’s, farmers community. Near the monument is the “Casa – Museo del Campesino”, a museum where one can admire the tools and domestic implements employed by the island’s farmers soil. The desolate aspect which these fields offer at first sight changes when one discovers the vines and fig trees hidden in the protecting crevices made by the islanders.
For further information visit: http://www.turismolanzarote.com/en/san-bartolome
