| Los
Organos |
|
| La Gomera,
Canary Islands |
| |
| Earth's Natural Wonders in
Africa |
| |
| Height of Los
Organos basalt columns; up to
260 ft. 980) m. |
| Area of Garajonay
National park-9,844 acres. |
| |
| The beautifully formed rock
formations Los Organos, on the
northern coast of La Gomera, are
considered to be one of the most
beautiful basalt formations on
the Canary Islands. The slender
cliffs rise up out of the sea
to a height of 800 metres and
a width of 200m[2] |
| |
La
Gomera
Rock Formation[1] |
The most important rock
formation on the Island, Los Órganos
Natural Monument, is in the borough
of Vallehermoso in the north. This
is an impressive cliff that rises
up out of the sea, and has been eroded
into the form of towering parallel
tubes looking like a classical church
organ, thus giving the monument its
name. El Cedro National Park deserves
special mention as a magnificent example
of a cool shaded laurel forest, criss-crossed
by cold clear streams, that allows
you to forget the sun shining outside
Los Organos is a steep
cliff formation that rises out of
the sea on the north coast of La Gomera.
Viewed from the sea, the thousands
of tall, vertical basalt towers represent
the pipes of a gigantic church organ.
(hence the name Los Organos, "The
Organs").
The unusual rock formation forms part
of the circular volcanic island of
la Gomera, which is the second smallest
of the Canary islands (after El Hierro).
The Organos national Monument is located
in the borough of Vallehermoso on
the northwest coast of the island,
but it is not visible from the land.
However boat trips regularly take
visitors around the island affording
good views of the cliffs, especially
when the waters are calm. Dolphins
and whales are often seen in the waters
around the island.
La Gomera has not undergone any recent
volcanic activity, but water has eroded
a radial network of deep ravines.
Garajonay National Park occupies approximately
10 percent of the total area of the
island. The national park was created
in 1981 to protect the island's precious
laurel forests and its large number
of native species. In 1986 it was
designated a World Heritage Site
Garajonay
National Park
Garajonay National Park
(Spanish: Parque nacional de Garajonay)
is located in the center and north
of the island of La Gomera, one of
the Canary Islands (Spain). It was
declared a national park in 1981 and
a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in
1986. It occupies 40 km2 (15 sq mi)
and it extends into each of the municipalities
on the island.
The park is named after
the rock formation of Garajonay, the
highest point on the island at 1,484
m (4,869 feet). It also includes a
small plateau whose altitude is 790-1,400
m (2,600-4,600 feet) above sea level.
The park provides the
best example of laurisilva, a humid
subtropical forest that in the Tertiary
covered almost all of Europe. It is
also found on the Azores and the Madeira
Islands. Laurus azorica, known as
Azores Laurel, or by the Portuguese
names Louro, Loureiro, Louro-da-terra,
and Louro-de-cheiro, can be found
in the park, as well as Laurus canariensis,
known as Canary Laurel.
The forests are made
up of laurel-leaved evergreen hardwood
trees, reaching up to 40 meters in
height. Many of the species are endemic
to the islands, and harbor a rich
biota of understory plants, invertebrates,
and birds and bats, including a number
of endemic species.
Two species of reptile,
Gallotia gomerana (Gomeran lizard)
and Chalcides viridanus (Gomeran skink),
can be found. Amphibians include the
stripeless tree frog, Hyla meridionalis.
The park is renowned
as one of the best places to observe
the two Canarian endemic pigeons,
Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae) and
Bolle's Pigeon (Columba bollii).[3]
