An Introduction To The Lunar Landscape

The island of Lanzarote is very popular with tourists because its great weather and

fantastic beaches, but there is another attractive quality that draws people to the Canary Island.

In the years between 1730 and 1736 Lanzarote saw the creation of the Montanas del Fuego which rose from the ground and caused a series of eruptions that would change the surface permanently. A third of the islands landscape is scarred by those eruptions even today, and the best way to see what has been described as 'Lunar' and 'Martian' is to visit the Timanfaya National Park.

Timanfaya National Park is the most visited attraction on Lanzarote, and it's no surprise with the amount of sights to take in interesting facts to hear about. You won't be able to wander into this national park as there are designated entrances that demand a fee which is generally about 8 Euros. Visitors who make their way to the car park will immediately understand how hot the area is, as just a few metres below the earth's surface temperatures are around 400C to 600C. Whilst in the park you can enjoy a tour around the valley formations that have been created by the dried larva many years before. The tour has an audio commentary of a local priest who had witnessed the destructive eruptions.

The entire area is made up of volcanic soil and it will truly astonish you in comparison to some areas of the island. You can take a camel ride across the lunar landscape which is a great photo opportunity for families. High up one of the mountains the tour will take you to the 'El Diablo' restaurant.

Before you choose to enter the restaurant you can enjoy some entertainment outside where park staff will put a dry brush into a ground hole and it will catch alight almost instantly, they will also pour water into a bore hole which will make it react like a mini geyser, shooting steam out in the air. Once you enter the restaurant you will delight in the fact that most of your food will be cooked over a cast iron grill which is put over a large hole in the ground that takes advantage of the geothermal heat.

The rarity of such a landscape the world over meant that in 1993 Timanfaya National Park was designated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a Biosphere Reserve. This means that it is a protected area because it shows an example of the balance between man and nature.

by: Archie Arch

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