Annex: Protected natural areas of the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands Network of Protected Natural Spaces includes the 146 natural spaces that have some degree of environmental protection managed by the Government of the Canary Islands.

Objectives

The 146 protected areas together represent around 300,000 hectares of surface area. It is a regional network that aims to contribute to human well-being and the maintenance of the biosphere through the preservation of natural resources and the aesthetic and cultural values existing in each of the different natural areas.

Legal figures

These spaces, according to article 9 of Law 12/1994, of December 19, on Natural Spaces of the Canary Islands, can later be declared as a national park, natural park, natural reserve (integral or special), natural monument, protected landscape, site of scientific interest and rural park.

National and natural parks correspond to those environments that present the best state of conservation, where the presence of human settlements is less. It is intended to preserve to favor the relationship of man with nature. The divergences between the two previous categories lie in the reporting and management bodies. While the declaration of a national park is the responsibility of the State, the declaration of a natural park corresponds to the autonomous community. With respect to management, something similar happens, since national parks are jointly administered by the State and the autonomous community, while the natural park is managed by the council of the island on which it is located.

Rural parks propose the coexistence of the natural environment and human action in those ecosystems that would not be understood without human participation in shaping the landscape through agriculture, livestock, etc. Integral nature reserves are configured as rigorously restricted spaces. They do not admit practically any possible use, unlike the special nature reserves that do contemplate certain educational, scientific and punctually uses of a traditional nature.

Natural monuments and protected landscapes represent different areas that are included in the network due to certain emblematic or panoramic values that they contain in themselves. Sites of scientific interest are environments that are included under this formula with the aim of protecting a defined biological resource.

The total protected area of the Canary Islands reaches 40% of its extension, although this proportion varies from one island to another, with El Hierro being the island with the largest protected area based on its extension (58%) and Fuerteventura the least (29%). On the other hand, Tenerife is the one with the greatest number of protected areas (43) and the one that contributes the greatest extension under protection to the overall archipelago (98,910 hectares). It could also be noted that only two islands, La Gomera and Tenerife, bring together the 8 categories of protection in their territory.

National Parks

Timanfaya, Lanzarote.

Natural parks

Corona Forestal, Tenerife.

Archipelago Chinijo, Lanzarote.

Natural monuments

Tindaya Mountain, north of Fuerteventura Island.

Barranco de Guayadeque, east of the island of Gran Canaria.

Roque de Garachico, Tenerife.

Roque Bentayga in the foreground and the Nublo behind, Gran Canaria.

Las Playas, El Hierro.

Chipude fortress, La Gomera.

Yellow Mountain, Tenerife.

Nature reserves

Dunes de Maspalomas, south of the island of Gran Canaria.

Güigüi, Gran Canaria.

Malpaís de Güímar, Tenerife.

The Tilos of Moya, Gran Canaria.

Protected landscapes

Barranco de las Angustias, west of the island of La Palma.

La Geria, Lanzarote.

Las Lagunetas, Tenerife.

Rural parks

Betancuria, Fuerteventura.

Valle de Gran Rey, La Gomera.

Scientific sites of interest

Jameos del Agua, Lanzarote.

Salinas de Fuencaliente, La Palma.