Cueva de los Verdes
Cueva de los Verdes is a unique cave created by nature during the eruption of the Monte Corona volcano 5 thousand years ago. It is located in the north of the island of Lanzarote in the Canary archipelago. One of the largest volcanic caves in the world was once used as a shelter, now it is a tourist attraction.
Description
Hot lava erupted from the volcano gushed towards the ocean, burning rocks on its way. The upper parts of the stream managed to freeze, but the fiery flow continued inside. A cavity has formed that resembles a pipe, almost 6 km long, up to 15 m high, and up to 25 m wide. At its deepest point, the tunnel reaches 35 m below sea level. The temperature in the cave is 18-20 degrees all year round.
Cueva de los Verdes is considered one of the largest in the world, created by nature during volcanic eruptions. Inside the tunnel she herself created, the cooling lava randomly formed cracks, cracks, sagging, lava stalactites, woven into a unique futuristic pattern on the walls, vaults and floors.
A little history
The ancient Guanche tribes inhabited the island from the 13th century. used Cueva de los Verdes as a refuge from the first Spanish colonizers. Later, the Guanches hid in the tunnel from pirate attacks. Archaeologists have found objects here that once belonged to an ancient people.
In 1964, local authorities prepared the cave for tourists. Local designer J. Soto took part in improving the appearance. Paths and lighting appeared in the cave.
Through a gap on the Mal Pais plateau, a magical journey through a mysterious dungeon begins. Tight narrow passages give way to wider ones, turning into grottoes and spacious halls. There are sections where you need to bend down, and there are completely straight sections.
Information for travelers
The tourist route through the Cueva de los Verdes cave is about 2 km and is permeated with an atmosphere of mystery and fabulous magic. In addition, there are almost no fences here, and some sections are quite scary.
Tourists are accompanied by music, and the entire path is illuminated all the way to the Concert Hall. The hall space has excellent acoustics thanks to porous lava walls created by nature itself. Concerts are regularly held here, and seats have been prepared for spectators.
The Cueva de los Verdes cave has 2 levels. In the lower Jameos del Agua there is a salt lake with water from the ocean. What makes the place unusual is the daylight coming through the holes formed in the upper part of the vault.
The lower tier became accessible to tourists in the 70s of the last century. There is a small restaurant around the lake that serves delicious coffee.
On the lower level you can see one of the secrets of nature - a rare species of blind albino crab lives here.
The volcanic cave Cueva de los Verdes invariably arouses the interest of thousands of tourists. Lava surfaces with an intricate network of cracks, sagging and wrinkles greet visitors already on the plateau, reminiscent of fantastic lunar landscapes.
