One of our most spectacular visits on the island of Lanzarote brought us to the Cueva de los Verdes, the lava caves in Lanzarote’s north.
A vast volcanic landscape spreads out over the Malpaís de La Corona National Park in the Haría municipality. This is where the Cueva de los Verdes caves are.
These lava caves on Lanzarote were created when the Volcán de la Corona erupted 5000 years ago. A tunnel of more than 6 km in length was formed that leads from the volcanic cone down to the ocean. The 40 m high caves are in there.
During the times when pirates frequented Lanzarote on their raids, the caves became an important shelter for a few thousand locals.
Today, about 2 km of the lava caves on Lanzarote are open for visitors. Galleries with vertical connections to each other allow visitors to discover different spaces in the caves. The different shades of red that are created by oxidising basaltic rock are particularly pretty. A 45 minute guided tour leads through narrow and small passages. A brief stop in the auditorium of the caves that is also used for concerts and the demonstration of a fascinating effect (no spoilers!) mark the end of the visit.
At the time of our visit tours were offered in Spanish and English. And, to my strong dislike, were quite hasty. Our guide started his elaborations at many spots way before the majority of the group had reached him. What we did hear of his explanations was very interesting and detailed. Visitors are not allowed to enter the caves by themselves!
Address:
35542 Arrieta,
Las Palmas,
Spanien
Opening Hours:
daily between 10:00 and 17:00
Admission (2017):
Adults: 9,50€
Children 7 – 12 years: 4,75€
Combi tickets for visits to other attractions are available and are cheaper than single tickets!
These pictures are stunning, I imagine it’s even more so in person! Caves do make me slightly fearful, so I would prefer having the guide take me thru them rather than going on my onw.
I always enjoy visiting a good cave. Especially love the ones that are super cold inside. ;) This one is so huge!
Wow, these lava caves look amazing! Our kids love visiting caves. I think this would be fun to visit if we’re ever in Lanzarote.
I’ve never heard of lava caves and now I want to go. The photos are amazing! I can imagine having a tour guide is important in navigating the cave.
Nice photos, I’ll defintely have to check this out the next time I’m in Lanzarote! I live in Gran Canaria and love that all of the Canary Islands are so different. We call Lanzarote the “Island of Fire” because of all it’s volcanic rock and cave systems created by lava. It’s such a unique destination!
We liked it a lot. Since we normally travel outside of school, it was not so crowded. You could see everything well.
The caves of Lanzarote are worth visiting as it erupted 5000 years ago. The different shades of red formed due to oxidising basaltic rock are looking very pretty.
Volcanic tubes and caves are spectacular and your photos superb. I have heard of this area in the Canary Islands and also heard hordes of tourists visit via the busload to the volcanic tubes. How crowded was it when you visited? Did you hike around on the surface at all?
less than 2km
I don’t think we visited the cuevas when we went to Lanzarote although I have gone inside some in Fuerteventura. The photos are really pretty What was the distance you covered in the caves in the 45 min tour?
The lava caves of Lanzarote are amazing. I am surprised that the caves are big enough to have an auditorium. The 2 km long tunnel would be so exciting to visit! Thanks for the information. Would love to visit it some day.
These caves on Lanzarote look amazing. The colours are enough to make me hop a flight. I think I am glad to have to go with a guide! I wonder how many km of caves exist and if they have all been explored.