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Flora y Fauna

Flora and fauna

 

Seven islands full of life. A unique territory which is home to thousands of living species, many of them exclusive to this small corner of the Atlantic. In the Canary Islands you will find plant species that disappeared in other parts of the planet millions of years ago. Others are already hundreds of years old, mute witnesses to the passing of time: think of the stories they could tell if they could speak!

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Flora y Fauna
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Earth, sea and air, home to remarkable plants and animals that you will only discover here.

When you come to the Canary Islands, you will be in the bio-geographical region called Macaronesia. It’s only then that you will begin to realize how special this area is in the world bio-geographical panorama. This is due to its particular importance from a biological and zoological point of view, both in terms of the diversity of species, the high number of endemic species, and the survival of types of plants that disappeared elsewhere in the world in the Tertiary Period. This is the case of the so-called Laurisilva, a forest formed by various species of trees (including Laurus azorica, Persea indica, Laurus canariensis, etc) which found refuge in this part of the world. It is an unforgettable experience to explore one of the dense, rich forests full of fantastic sights that take you back to the time of the dinosaurs.

If you are curious and interested in biology, you can also discover unique species in the Canaries that live in very specific, limited habitats, such as the volcanic tube which is home to the blind crab, or the Teide violet, found only on the foothills of the volcano. There are other species which, while still being endemic, occupy a much greater area, such as the Canary Pine, a tree which, among other things, is different from all other species of pine on the planet because of its special resistance to fire. In these islands, so rich in biodiversity, you will be thrilled to find examples of living creatures that were on the point of extinction but have been saved, such as the giant lizard or the guirre (Neophron percnopterus), a unique kind of vulture that inhabits the archipelago.

But when it comes to flora and fauna, there is no such thing as the finalword.You will be amazed at how the discovery of new species is a relatively frequent phenomenon in the Canary Islands.

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