Timanfaya NP has an area of 51 square kilometres, entirely made up of volcanic soil. The last volcanic eruptions occurred in 1824, however, most of the national park was formed by the eruptive period from 1730 to 1736. The vast area now occupied by lava was one of the most fertile parts of Lanzarote. Eight million cubic metres of lava cover the land where small villages and isolated farmsteads had once stood. Around 420 houses and the livelihood of its people were destroyed.
We had not managed to buy tickets, so we arrived before 9 am, hoping for the best. Luckily, they sold us tickets anyway, and we could enter the NP without waiting in a queue, which happened to everybody who had arrived later in the day.
Back at the visitor centre, we could watch a demonstration of the high temperature of the ground in the area. Dry twigs were stuffed into a hole in the ground, which burst into flames immediately. In another demonstration, water is poured into a pipe driven vertically into the ground. As the temperature just a few metres below the surface exceeds 400°C, a fountain of steam shoots up explosively. César Manrique built the circular restaurant El Diablo, which offers incredible views over the craters. The kitchen uses a hot pit in the ground as a grill.
We were delighted, that we had managed to visit the landscape of the Timanfaya NP on such a perfect day. It was a spectacular experience, topping all the other volcano landscapes on the Canary Islands. Next, we are eager to explore the wine area of Lanzarote – more soon!