Los Volcanes

Los Volcanes Natural Park protects the volcanic landscape created by eruptions between 1730 and 1824 in the southern part of Lanzarote, adjacent to and complementing the Timanfaya National Park. The park encompasses approximately 10,158 hectares of volcanic terrain including lava fields, cinder cones, collapsed craters, and the agricultural landscape where Lanzarote's farmers developed ingenious techniques for growing crops on volcanic ash. Together with Timanfaya, this area represents one of the most extensive and recent volcanic landscapes in Europe.

Despite the barren volcanic appearance, the lava fields support populations of the endemic Lanzarote lizard, various gecko species, and invertebrates specialized for life in the dark cavities and under rocks of the volcanic terrain. Barbary falcons nest on the volcanic cones, while the open terrain supports stone curlew and the endemic Berthelot's pipit. The lava tubes beneath the surface provide habitat for specialized cave-dwelling invertebrates including blind spiders and unique beetle species found nowhere else on earth.

Vegetation colonization of the volcanic surfaces demonstrates primary succession at different stages depending on lava age, from virtually barren flows less than 200 years old to sparse lichen-covered surfaces and eventually pioneer shrub communities on older substrates. The agricultural areas demonstrate the human innovation of La Geria viticulture, where grape vines are planted in individual pits dug through the volcanic ash to reach the soil beneath, protected by semicircular stone walls from the constant wind. Scattered communities of Euphorbia, Launaea, and other drought-adapted plants colonize where ash deposits are deep enough to retain moisture.

The volcanic eruptions of 1730-1736, among the longest-lasting in recorded history, produced enormous volumes of basaltic lava that buried approximately one-quarter of Lanzarote's surface, destroying villages and transforming the landscape irreversibly. The 1824 eruptions added additional volcanic constructs including the Volcanes del Fuego group with its perfectly formed cinder cones and associated lava flows. The geological features include lava tubes, hornitos (rootless vents), collapsed sections revealing tube interiors, aa and pahoehoe lava surface textures, and volcanic bombs scattered around eruptive centers.

Lanzarote's climate is semi-arid with annual rainfall typically less than 150 millimeters, persistent northeast trade winds, and temperatures moderated by oceanic proximity to average 20-21 degrees annually. The volcanic ash covering, known as picón, actually aids moisture retention by reducing evaporation from the soil beneath, a property exploited by the La Geria farmers who use it as agricultural mulch. The extreme aridity means that volcanic surfaces remain unvegetated for centuries longer than they would in humid climates, preserving geological features in near-pristine condition.

The 1730-1736 eruptions were catastrophically destructive, burying numerous villages and forcing the evacuation of much of southern Lanzarote as lava flows advanced over six years of continuous activity. Following the eruptions, the survivors developed innovative agricultural techniques including the pit-planting of La Geria and the use of volcanic ash mulch (enarenado) that enabled productive farming in the arid volcanic landscape. The landscape that exists today represents the creative adaptation of a community to devastating geological catastrophe, creating a cultural landscape of global significance.

Los Volcanes was designated a Natural Park in 1987, complementing the Timanfaya National Park established in 1974 and extending protection to the broader volcanic landscape including the culturally significant agricultural areas. The park recognizes that the volcanic landscape has both natural and cultural heritage values, with the La Geria wine-growing tradition as important to protect as the geological formations. Management addresses pressures from tourism development, off-road vehicle damage to volcanic surfaces, and maintaining the traditional agricultural practices that sustain the cultural landscape.

The La Geria wine route passes through the extraordinary landscape of pit-planted vines in volcanic ash, with bodegas offering tastings of the distinctive Malvasia wines produced using this unique agricultural technique. Walking routes across the lava fields provide close encounters with volcanic features including lava tubes, hornitos, and perfectly formed cinder cones in an otherworldly landscape. The contrast between the completely barren volcanic flows and the green vineyards of La Geria demonstrates human ingenuity in adapting to extreme geological environments.

The park surrounds the Timanfaya National Park in central-southern Lanzarote, accessible from Yaiza, Uga, and other villages via the LZ-30 and local roads. The wine bodegas of La Geria serve as de facto visitor facilities, offering wine tasting and local gastronomy in spectacular volcanic settings. Information about the park is available through the Lanzarote Biosphere Reserve network and at the Timanfaya National Park visitor center that covers the broader volcanic landscape.

Protecting the delicate volcanic surfaces from vehicle damage, informal paths, and stone removal requires vigilance, as even minor disturbance of the pristine lava features leaves permanent marks in this extremely slow-recovering environment. Supporting the traditional La Geria agricultural landscape requires economic viability for wine growers, who face labor-intensive practices without the option of mechanization in their individual volcanic pits. The volcanic geological heritage is inherently irreplaceable—features damaged by human activity cannot recover within human timescales in this arid climate—making prevention the only viable conservation strategy.