Timanfaya National Park

timanfaya national park

Lunar route

heat

timanfaya devil

The volcanic action has been the principal cause for geological formation in Lanzarote, that has its origin about nineteen million years ago and makes it the oldest island of the Canary Archipelago. Rivers of incandescent lava modified the shape of the island until the last eruption in 1824, when the Volcano Tinguatón, located in the municipality of Tinajo, erupted. The eruptions of the 18th and 19th centuries transformed a great part of the landscape of Lanzarote, covering a dozen villages and part of the richest agricultural area of the island. A cloud of
ashes and volcanic rests stood still over an extension of 200 Km2 forming the “malpaís” (badlands) of the Fire mountains, today the National Park of Timanfaya. More than a hundred new craters came up to the surface in Timanfaya from 1730 to 1736. That is why the park has a spectacular lunar aspect with different tones of ochre and grey and most of all its frightening silence.

Geyser Pipìng Hot

Although the volcanic activity has stopped in Lanzarote, researchers are still studying the micro earthquakes that happen on the surface of the Earth’s crust, of interest for scientists but harmless for the island people. On the contrary, thermic anomalies are amusing for the visitors that watch a bit of water introduced in a hole the ground becoming a geyser of boiling steam in seconds, due to a magmatic camera situated three kilometres deep down that reaches from 100 to 200 degrees centigrades on the surface.

The visitor is deeply impressed by the rustic nature as well as by the recorded explanations he will hear along the tour, of the priest of Yaiza who lived an eruption that affected great part of the south of the island. After the tour amongst craters it is absolutely necessary to visit the mirador restaurant “El diablo” where the visitor can taste some of the delicious specialities of the island cooked with the heat that comes from the bowels of the earth, and the crafts shop, both placed on a small hill known as Hilario Islet. The architectural complex of Mountains of Fire is another of the space works of César Manrique, who the same as he did with the “Mirador del Río” (The Mirador of the River) converted the building into another element of the landscape, when he covered it with volcanic rock and glass. The dining room, of circular plant, offers wonderful views of the lunar landscape of Lanzarote, whose spirit of still life was introduced right to the centre of the restaurant by César, when he put a dry fig tree next to a dromedary skeleton both protected by a glass window. The park contains a great diversity of phenomenons in relation with its volcanic origin and surprisingly a great biological variety with 180 species of vegetation, fighting to survive in a land apparently infertile. People arriving to or leaving the park from Yaiza will find the “echadero de camellos” and the possibility of making a short tour riding a dromedary on the south side of Timanfaya to experiment the sensation of being riding on an animal that was widely used on the island until 50 years ago.

The information contained above is accurate at the time of uploading should ammendments need to take place, then this will be carried out on the next upload.

Photo Gallery: Lanzarote-UK