National park of Timanfaya

The National park of Timanfaya located on the island of Lanzarote in the archipelago of the the Canaries (Spain) was created in 1974 as an eighth national park of Spain. It is also called Montañas del Fuego (mountains of fire).

General information

The island of Lanzarote has a surface of approximately 845 km ² and is covered with the ¾ with Lave which was spit by at least 300 crater S pertaining to 100 Volcan S. the major eruptions took place throughout one six year of September 1st 1730 at April 16th 1736 and covered approximately 167 km ² with Lanzarote. In comparison with the quantity of lava rejected and duration of these eruptions, those appear among the most important eruptions of the history of the Volcan ism. In parallel, the eruptions with ground were accompanied by many underwater seisms.

The national park of Timanfaya is located in the south-west of the island and account a surface of 51,07 km ². It extends from the limit of the commune of Yaiza to the mountain Montaña Timanfaya . To the west it is limited by the coast. This place saw the birth of 32 volcanic cones. One can reach the national park thanks to good tarred roads which were arranged at the time of the visit of the Général Free in 1950 and one can even carry out a circuit of visit of 14 km in the coach. Top of the mountain Montaña Rajada (350 m of altitude) one has a beautiful outline of the park. Before the volcanic eruptions, this immense wide covered today by a sea with lava appeared among the most fertile grounds of Lanzarote. After the catastrophe, these grounds were covered by 8 million cubic meters with lava and 420 houses were buried. The destroyed villages were Timanfaya , Los Rodeos , Mancha Blanca , Santa Catalina , Mazo , Jarretas , Tingafa , Peña Palomas , Testeina , Geria , Macintafe , Mozaga , Guagaro , Masdache and Iguadén as well as the arable lands of Maretas and Chupaderos .

The volcanos which compose the national park of Timanfaya are of the hawaïen type. Those form large columns of ash at the time of the eruption and their components, the Lapilli S, pushed by the wind, covered with vast extended and the slopes of older craters. This extent covered by the rains with ash is called Valle of Tranquilidad (valley of peace). Center of eruption was located at Maciso LED Fuego (solid mass of fire) high of 525 Mr. This volcano is today covered by ashes and slags with eruptions with XVIIIe S., but one has noted that the side postpones volcano, which radiates heat still enormously, is composed of very old lava. Many lines of small chimneys ( Hornitos ) and the volcanos " parasites" (named thus because they were formed with the foot of the central colossus) are interesting to observe. The imposing crater Corazoncillo , the largest crater of explosion of Lanzarote, has a Caldera a depth of 100m. It is the lava of this volcano which buried the village of Timanfaya .

It is only very slowly that the vegetation was reformed a little on the Malpaís , the " bad terre". One can discover there Fougère S, small succulent plants and much of small thorny bushes (Aulaga Majorera). These bushes are used by the employees of the park to highlight the great temperature of the ground close to Islote de Hilario . The branches inserted in a hole in the ground ignite immediately. Another impressive demonstration is made to the tourists by pouring the contents of a water bucket in a pipe inserted vertically in the ground. As the earth's crust reaches hardly two meters at this place and that in lower part the temperature exceeds 400°C, water is violently ejected ground in the form of a vapor fountain. In the west of the principal crater of the Montaña del Fuego the temperature reached 700°C with a 27 meters depth. It is close to this place that the artist and architect César Manrique made build the panoramic restaurant El Diablo ( the Devil ) which uses a grill located at the top of a volcanic chimney.

Last eruptions of 1824

The last volcanic eruptions on the island took place in 1824. July 31st of this year there, the volcano Clérigo Duarte entered in eruption. The lava flow extended on more than 14 km and, close to Punte del Cochino , it ran out in the sea. The 10 years which preceded the eruption were punctuated by many earthquakes. The characteristic of this eruption was the great fluidity of the lava as well as the enormous ebullient salt water columns which were ejected crater and which flooded the neighborhoods. The last lava flow threatened the village of Mancha Blanca. In their distress the inhabitants of this village borrowed the statue of the virgin Virgen of los Dolores from the village of Tinajo and formed a procession to go against the lava in fusion. The miracle occurred and the lava solidified right before reaching the first house of the village. Today a cross of wood rises at this place. In 1781 the inhabitants set up a small vault ( Nuestra Señora of los Volcanes ) and nowadays still a procession is organized every year at the date birthday of this event.

External bonds

Official site
Card of the park on site UNEP-WCMC

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