El Rubicón is a flat gravel plain located at the southernmost end of the island 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 ...
in the
Yaiza municipality. The plain is to the south of the 'Los Ajaches' range of hills and the lava fields of
Timanfaya
Timanfaya National Park ( es, Parque Nacional de Timanfaya) is a Spanish national park in the southwestern part of the island of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands. It covers parts of the municipalities Tinajo and Yaiza. The area is , and the park ...
national park.
Etymology
The typonym 'El Rubicón' is derived from the Latin word 'rubicundus' (red or ruddy). This probably comes from the colour of the surrounding landscape
or perhaps a specific association with Montaña Roja, a red-coloured hill in the area, formed from a dormant volcanic caldera.
Natural Environment
The El Rubicón plain is an arid, environment with sparse vegetation. The area, however, is popular with birdwatchers as it attracts a broad range of species.
Human Environment
In the south east of El Rubicón, one of the earliest bishoprics in the Canaries, San Marcial del Rubicón, was founded by the French adventurer,
Jean de Béthencourt at the start of the fifteenth century. At San Marcial's site, near Papagayo beach, the establishment's original medieval wells can still be seen.
The southern end of El Rubicón is now dominated by the tourist resort of
Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca (Spanish for "White Beach") is the southernmost town of the Spanish island of Lanzarote. It is the newest resort on the island, and is part of the municipality of Yaiza
Yaiza is a small town in the island of Lanzarote in the Ca ...
. This ribbon development extends some nine kilometres along the coast between the '
Faro de Pechiguera' in the west to the Sandos Papagayo hotel in the east.
References
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Lanzarote