Not all that much is known about the Island's early history, because most
archaeological evidence has either been buried under lava or carried off by raiders. The Phoenecians were there,
followed by the Romans. The Arabs then settled the island, the French explored it, and the Spanish conquered it.
The island thrived for a while by producing cochineal, an expensive, crimson dye taken from the carapace of a
scale insect that lives on cactus. Cochineal is used for dying fabric, decorating china, in cosmetics, and as a
food colouring.
The eruptions in 1730-1736 covered a quarter of the island's surface, destroying its most fertile farmland and
eleven villages. Still, visitors marvel at how stone walls and semi-surrounds are used to capture moisture to grow
crops elsewhere on this decidedly desert island.
The coherence and beauty of the island's cultural and tourist centres is largely the legacy of the local artist
César Manrique (1919-1992). He also played a key role in having the island declared a World Biosphere Reserve by
UNESCO in 1993.
