Life under the influence of the volcanoes

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Everything you will find here has something to do with volcanoes, and the same applies to the rest of the Island. The light, yellowish tone of the houses and farmland here is an example of just how much the land's geological formation has influenced the area.

The reason for these ochre hues lies in the type of volcanoes that populate the area. During their explosive eruptions, huge clouds of ash known as pumice were blasted into the air and would slowly settle and gradually compact due to the rain and the passage of time. The outcome is a rich farming soil, known locally as "jable", as well as a great construction material consisting of blocks of pumice.

Among these volcanic materials, "chasnera" flagstones were exported in huge quantities to South America, where they were used to build houses and other buildings. On your way through this part of the Island, you can still see the remains of the piers used to load the boats, and mountains with chunks missing where the stone was mined.

It's interesting to see that not everything in this territory is light in colour. Here and there, geological structures rise from the ground that have formed since the pumice settled. You can see their much darker forms rising from the volcanic cones of Montaña Roja and Ifara, for instance.