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Graciosa Island or commonly La Graciosa (;
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
for "graceful") is a volcanic
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
of Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, located north of Lanzarote
Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located approximately off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the i ...
across the Strait of El Río
El Río ( es, Estrecho del Río) is the name given to the sea strait that separates La Graciosa from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. ''Río'', in Spanish, means 'river'. At its narrowest point, the strait is just over wide.
El Río is part of t ...
. It was formed by the Canary hotspot
The Canary hotspot, also called the Canarian hotspot, is a hotspot and volcanically active region centred on the Canary Islands located off the north-western coast of Africa. Hypotheses for this volcanic activity include lithosphere extension perm ...
. The island is part of the Chinijo Archipelago
The Chinijo Archipelago () is a small archipelago located in the northeastern part of the Canary Islands, north of the island of Lanzarote. The archipelago includes the islets of Montaña Clara, Alegranza, La Graciosa, Roque del Este and Roque ...
and the Chinijo Archipelago Natural Park (). It is administrated by the municipality of Teguise in the neighboring island of Lanzarote. In 2018 La Graciosa officially became the eighth Canary Island with few real effects. Before then, the island had the status of an islet, administratively dependent on the island of Lanzarote. The only two settlements on the island are Caleta de Sebo in the southeastern part of the island and summer-residence Casas de Pedro Barba
Casas de Pedro Barba, or simply Pedro Barba, is a small community of summer residences on the island of La Graciosa, Canary Islands, Spain. Its population, as of 1 January 2018 and according to the Spanish Statistical Institute, is of 3 inhabita ...
.
The population is about 700. Tourism is the main industry along with fishing. Every year, tourists flock to the island for its tempered climate and its sandy volcanic coasts. The island has a school, lyceum, post office, supermarkets, medical center, pharmacy, a Bankia
Bankia () was a Spanish financial services company that was formed in December 2010, consolidating the operations of seven regional savings banks, and was partially nationalized by the government of Spain in May 2012 due to the near collapse of ...
bank branch, port, beaches, bar-restaurants and a square.
Because of the transportation cost, everyday shopping is more expensive than in the other islands.
Streets and roads on La Graciosa are unpaved sand. Motor vehicles are strictly limited to a handful of licensed vehicles for special purposes. Access to the island is by a 25-minute ferry crossing from Órzola
Órzola is a village in the municipality of Haría on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, :es:Canarias, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, ...
on Lanzarote
Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located approximately off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the i ...
to the harbour in the village. There is a campsite on the island situated on Playa del Salado at the western edge of Caleta del Sebo
Caleta de Sebo (or Caleta del Sebo) is the main settlement and capital community of La Graciosa (Canary Islands, Spain).
With a population of 730 ( INE, 2018), Caleta de Sebo, together with the rest of the island of La Graciosa, is included in th ...
.
Geographical features
The island is extremely arid and entirely made up of bushes and dry soil. Its length is and the width is , with an area of . There are no natural water sources on the island; desalinated water has been piped directly from neighbouring Lanzarote since 2001. Water supply is at risk when the pipe gets broken. There are several isolated hills on the island, the tallest of which is Agujas Grandes, rising to . The second-tallest is Agujas Chicas at .Playa de la Cocina Playa de la Cocina is a beach on La Graciosa island, part of the municipality of Teguise in Lanzarote, Spain. It is situated near the southwestern point of the island, in a little bay at the foot of the Montaña Amarilla. It is a 10 minutes walk f ...
is a well known beach in the southwestern part of the island.
References