Graciosa, Canary Islands

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For the island named Graciosa in the Azores, see Graciosa.

La Graciosa
Geography
La Graciosa from Mirador Del Rio
Graciosa, Canary Islands
Archipelago	Canary Islands
Area	29.05 km² (11.22 sq mi)
Highest elevation	266 m (873 ft)
Highest point	Las Agujas
Country
Spain
Autonomous Community	Canary Islands
Province	Las Palmas
Largest city	Caleta de Sebo (pop. 656)
Demographics
Population	658 (as of 2006)
Density	21.93 /km² (56.8 /sq mi)

Graciosa Island or commonly La Graciosa (pronounced: [la ɣɾaˈθjosa]; Spanish for "graceful") is a volcanic island in the Canary Islands of Spain, located 2 km (1.2 mi) north of the island of Lanzarote across the strait named Río. It was formed by the Canary hotspot. The island is part of Parque Natural del Archipiélago Chinijo, Reserve of the Biosphere, "Marine Reserve of La Graciosa and the islands to the North of Lanzarote" and it is linked to the municipality of Teguise. The island forms a part of the Chinijo Archipelago. The village is in the southeastern part of the island with houses encircling the harbor which has two piers and a yacht area in the bay. The only two settlements are Caleta del Sebo and summer-residence Casas de Pedro Barba. The island is entirely made up of volcanic rock and sands.

The population is 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 bank branch (in danger of elimination as of September 2013^[1]), port, beaches, and — except bar-restaurants — a square where bicycles can be hired (plaza).

Streets and roads on La Graciosa are unpaved sand. The Gracioseras can often be seen early each morning sweeping the streets smooth of the previous night's footprints. Motor vehicles are strictly prohibited and limited to a handful of licensed vehicles for special purposes. Since the roads are bad, and cars have to be shipped to Lanzarote for repair, about 70% of the motor vehicles on the island are old Land Rovers which often can be repaired by a local serviceman. Usually there are Land Rover taxis available by the port offering island tours, lasting about an hour. Alternatively they take tourists to their preferred beach and pick them up later.

Access to the Island is by a 35-minute ferry crossing from Orzola on Lanzarote 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.

Geographical features

As part of the easternmost islands in the archipelago, and the smallest inhabited Canary Island, the island is extremely arid and entirely made up of bushes and dry soil. Its length is 8 km (5.0 mi) and the width is 4 km (2.5 mi), making an area of 29 km² (11 sq mi). There are no natural water sources on the island; desalinated water has been piped directly from neighbouring Lanzarote since 2001.

The mountains lie to the northern and the western part. The southern and the eastern part are hilly. The tallest mountain is Aguja Grandes rising to 266 m (873 ft). The second tallest is Las Agujas Chicas at 228 m (748 ft). Other mountains include Montaña Amarilla (Spanish for yellow mountain), situated in the southwestern part, and the crater-peaked Monte Bermeja to the northeast. It is partially eroding in the lower part. The elevation is 152 m (499 ft).

The island's many beaches include Playa Francesa to the southwest, Playa de la Cocina to the west, Playa Lambra to the east, and the magnificent Playa de las Conchas on the far side. Points include Punta Gorda.

Panorama photo taken from Lanzarote showing La Graciosa

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to La Graciosa.

↑ El Cabildo pide reconsiderar el cierre de Bankia en La Graciosa, Canarias 7, Carlos Inza, 4 september 2013.

Pott, Joachim/Hüppe, Joachim/de la Torre, Wofredo Wildpret Die Kanarischen Inseln. Natur- und Kulturlandschaften = The Canary Islands. Natural and Cultural Landscapes, Ulmer : Stuttgart 2003, 320 S., 295 color photos, 28 colored graphica, 3 tables. (represented and illustrated by Geobotanik)
http://www.golagraciosa.net

v t e Islands and provinces of the Canary Islands

Main islands	Fuerteventura Gran Canaria La Gomera El Hierro Lanzarote La Palma Tenerife

Other islands	Alegranza Graciosa Lobos Montaña Clara Roque del Este Roque del Oeste

Provinces	Las Palmas Santa Cruz de Tenerife

v t e Outlying territories of European countries

Territories under European sovereignty but closer to or on continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information).

Denmark	Greenland

France	Clipperton Island French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern and Antarctic Lands Adélie Land Crozet Islands Île Amsterdam Île Saint-Paul Kerguelen Islands Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean Guadeloupe Martinique Mayotte New Caledonia Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Wallis and Futuna

Italy	Pantelleria Pelagie Islands Lampedusa Lampione Linosa

Netherlands	Aruba Caribbean Netherlands Bonaire Saba Sint Eustatius Curaçao Sint Maarten

Norway	Bouvet Island Peter I Island Queen Maud Land

Portugal	Azores Madeira

Spain	Canary Islands Ceuta Melilla Plazas de soberanía Chafarinas Islands Peñón de Alhucemas Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera

United Kingdom	Anguilla Bermuda British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Falkland Islands Montserrat Pitcairn Islands Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands

Coordinates: 29°15′07″N 13°30′29″W / 29.252°N 13.508°W / 29.252; -13.508

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