Cueva de los Verdes; A Popular Tourist Attraction in Spain

Cueva de los Verdes also called “Verdes Cave” is a lava tube and a popular tourist attraction of the Haria municipality on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands Spain. It is protected area of Canary Island, and it lies within the Monumento Natural del Malpaís de La Corona. It is estimated, that cave was created somewhere 3,000 years ago by heavy lave flows erupted from the nearby volcano Monte Corona flowing across the Malpaís de la Corona toward the sea. The Caves are not named after the color “Green”, but rather a family whose surname was Verde (Green), although the Caves are really colorful, particularly since they’ve been carefully and thoughtfully artificially lit for the public. It is suggested that the caves are definitely worth a visit and if the molten wax-like rock isn't adequate to impress you, the secret of Cueva de los Verdes will be. The flow of lava streams cooled on top, emerging a solid crust, before the lava drained away leaving the top part as the roof of a cave.

There is actually a chamber within the tunnel which is known as “The Refuge”, because it was so often used for shelter. Almost on 20 spots, the cave roof was collapsed, developing a cavern recognized locally as a jameo. The cave is about 6 kilometers above sea level and for another 1.5 kilometers below the sea. Moreover one jameo forms the entrance to the Cueva de los Verdes and two kilometers of the cave system were developed for tourists in the 1960s, with the cave walls illuminated by colorful lights. The beautiful cave is also famed for its concert hall which is situated closes the entrance and exit of the cave. The concert hall has about 15 to 20 rows with 26 seats in each row, allowing up to 500 people in the concert hall at once.

The inhabitants of earlier centuries throughout Lanzarote hid in this cave to protect themselves from European pirates. It is absolutely a site worth visiting, the beauty of the caves is astonishing and it is undoubtedly one of the most interesting volcanic structures on the island. However it is a big cave which is lit for effect rather than visibility and some people may find it claustrophobic. So if caves and underground places really don't turn you on, you would probably be better visiting the Mirador del Rio. As there aren't a lot of facilities at the Green Cave, you really want to combine it with a visit to the nearby Jameos del Agua. Not like various tourist attractions, it is hard to tell that there has been any human intervention in the cave structure. Although the main work has gone into a splendid lighting system which highlights the walls of the cave amazingly well.