DISCOVER DESCUBRIR
18
MAY / MAYO 2017 NUMBER · NÚMERO: 47
GRAN CANARIA, THE LANDSCAPE RESERVE BY / POR MÍCHEL JORGE MILLARES
Landscapes are the collective construction of the true soul by living beings, of the biosphere. They are not just a snapshot or a video of panoramic views, although these do represent them, rather they are the evolution of their forms and contents by the elements, and –on many unfortunate occasions- by man, which is the underlying difference between natural landscapes and cultural ones. But it is also to do with the perception humanity has towards its surroundings, a way of seeing and feeling which has changed with the passing of time: from virgin landscapes to be explored, discovered and lived in, we have moved on to landscapes to feel, to reach within their soul, which is in turn part of every one of us. The disappearance of a certain kind of tree, plant or animal, or a historical building, or an object that becomes a wall and blocks our view over the horizon, or that building that alters the shape of a silhouette of a mountain or beach… these are all elements that provoke sentiments within our soul, and produce either happiness or sadness within us. For this reason we all need to get involved in this advancement which allows us to generate the perception and feelings for our landscapes, so we can concern ourselves with their care and enhancement, indeed we should even spread the word about the importance of landscape in our everyday lives and in our wellbeing. Landscapes are made up of the Biosphere,
the space in which we share with flora and fauna, and the shallow layer of multicoloured skin that covers the earth. But there are lots of different landscapes in the Biosphere, some of which are declared Biosphere Reserves by Unesco, as in the case of Gran Canaria. That’s right... the island you find yourself on at this moment is one of the 630 Biosphere Reserves dotted around the planet, with the Archipielago as a whole representing six of them. This serves to underline the importance and the variety of Canarian landscapes. On
Risco de Faneque.
every single island we can find a wealth of different landscapes, from coast up to summit, from north to south and east to west, because any slight difference in altitude or wind direction makes each place uniquely special. Or, as Domingo Doreste 'Fray Lesco' quite rightly said a century ago, in Gran Canaria there are so many different landscapes that the best way to describe the island is by calling it a 'Miniature Continent'. For this reason we would like to invite to go out and delve around every corner of
Gran Canaria, and discover its soul, and to get a complete feeling that you have experienced the uniqueness of a fortunate and mythical isle. It is a territory packed full of legend and beauty, which fits in perfectly with its unique, healthy climate. For centuries this climate has favoured creativity and the desire to live life to the full, to enjoy all those experiences with all your senses that the natural surroundings offer, if you would like to go beyond the sun and beach. There are stunning volcanic landscapes, horizons over the Atlantic with the outlines of neighbouring islands which are within tantalizing reach, such as the imaginary island of San Borondón, or the dreams of sailors such as Columbus who crossed the ocean with their hearts in their mouths to hitherto unknown lands –or rather to mistaken lands- in search of Cipango and Catay in the opposite direction to the course taken by Marco Polo. We therefore propose you take off round the island and explore every corner of this tiny territory. Look around you as you go, capture the sounds and natural aromas, touch the products that come from the land and try out the flavours of a gastronomic culture which boasts centuries of interchange and acclimatization, so you can say that you have truly touched the generous and healthy soul of our landscapes. You are sure to have unforgettable experiences that will make you want to come back and re-live them time and again.