Last Updated on 6th March 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
Of all the attractions on the island of Lanzarote, top of your list should be Cueva de los Verdes, a mesmerising lava tube that’s a must-see on any visit to the volcanic island. Here’s how to visit Cueva de los Verdes, as well as travel tips, and what to know before you go.
The name Verdes is named for a family of goat herders (the caves are not green!) and the lava tube is located in the very Northernmost region of Lanzarote in a non-built up area of land that’s known as Monumento Natural del Malpaís de La Corona.
Towns of note nearby include the fishing village of Arrieta (a ten minute drive away) and the town of Haría (a 12 minute drive away). For more inspiration about Spain, here’s a guide to the best Spain quotes.
In times gone by, people would have used the caves to hide from marauding pirates and slave traders. One particular cavern was used to hide in so regularly that it is now known as ‘The Refuge’. Today, tours of the lava tunnels take place throughout the day in English and Spanish.
The tunnels have been open to visitors since the 1960s and local artists, Jesus Soto, was hired to create mood lighting for the tunnels (it truly is very well done), as well as ambient music.
Contents
How were the tunnels formed?
Around 3000- 5000 years ago, the tunnels were formed when hot molten magma flowed down from the volcano of Monte Corona to the sea. The lava stream cooled and formed a crust before draining away into the sea and leaving behind a tunnel.
The Cueva de los Verdes lava tube extends for 6 km above sea level before reaching the sea and extending a further 1.5 km below sea level. There are around 20 sections where the roof of the tunnel has collapsed, thus forming caverns which are known as jameo.
One of these can be visited in the form of Jameos del Agua and has since been transformed into a major Lanzarote attraction thanks to the endemic white crab species that lives there. Yet another jameo is actually the entrance to Cueva de los Verdes today. The tunnels have been open to the public for over 50 years.
Tips for your visit
Of all the tips I could give you, it would be to visit as early in the day as possible. The Lanzarote attraction opens at 10 AM and so I recommend aiming for this time (or even just before) to ensure that you can get into the tunnels on one of the first tours.
We personally found that the easiest way to get around the Canary Islands was by renting a car (in my opinion, Cicar is the best car rental experience we’ve ever had).
There is ample car parking which is free and just across the road from the entrance to the lava tube. Once you arrive in the queue, be prepared to wait for a while since groups are limited to 50 people at a time.
Tours are by guided visit only (there is no possible way to visit Cueva de los Verdes on your own) and take around 40- 45 minutes. However, you’ll probably be at the site for a couple of hours once you factor in queuing time.
Each tour is in both Spanish and English, with the guide repeating each part of the visit in both languages before continuing onto the next section of the tour.
The visit covers the area of about 1 km worth of tunnels, with two galleries visited; the top gallery and the lower gallery. It remains a constant and rather balmy 19 degrees all year ’round in the tunnels, meaning that you’ll only need to wear shorts and a t-shirt (though you’ll need a jacket for the wind when you’re in the queue).
I would personally recommend wearing suitable footwear such as comfortable trainers on account of the fact that the tunnels can be steep in places and there are a number of steps to walk up and down.
Those with claustrophobia should also note that there are parts of the tunnels that are quite narrow and you’ll have to bend down in a number of places to get through the cave tunnels. Finally, there are very few facilities at Cueva de los Verdes so do not plan to visit when you’re hungry around lunchtime!
Highlights of Cueva de los Verdes
Highlights of a visit to the tunnels include seeing various rock formations, including mineral deposits. Another of my favourite highlights was seeing the concert hall, which is located inside a natural cave in the lava tube.
Concerts are only ever held at night and the acoustics are said to be some of the best on the island. Rather impressively, the piano at the very centre of the concert hall had to be brought into the cave in several parts due to the narrow steps that lead into the place. Up to 500 people can sit in the concert hall at once.
Last but not least, there is an amazing surprise and secret in the upper gallery of Cueva de los Verdes that our guide revealed to us makes it a favourite among almost all visitors to the lava tube. I won’t reveal any more to you as I don’t want to spoil the surprise!
Tickets for visiting Cueva de los Verdes
One of the most important things to note is that, even if you’ve purchased your ticket through a different vendor, you have to wait in line for your turn to enter, just like everyone else. There is no skip-the-line option to visit Cueva de los Verdes.
We personally opted for one of the ‘bonos’ (vouchers) option which gives you a slightly reduced entrance rate if you opt to buy a ticket that includes several island attractions.
You have to know which attractions you want to visit at the time of purchasing the tickets as these monuments are printed on the ticket you receive.
We personally bought a combination ticket for the Cuevea de los Verdes, the nearby Jameos del Agua (which is another part of the same lava tube that has since been transformed into a tourist attraction), and the Jardín de Cactus as these were the attractions that appealed most to us.
Enjoyed reading about how to visit Cueva de los Verdes? Pin this article now, read it again later:
Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A Francophile at heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as much as she can! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.