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Lanzarote: Timanfaya National Park Volcanic Craters Tour
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As soon as you set foot on Lanzarote, you will immediately realise that you have arrived in a place that is unique in the world. The views of this island are incredible, so much so that you will feel as if you were on the moon because of the colours of the earth surrounding you, the presence of volcanic cones here and there, and the almost total absence of vegetation, except for a few cacti and palm trees. But if you want to experience this feeling to the full and really feel like you are on another planet, visit the Timanfaya National Park, located in the south-west of the island, and you will really realise that Lanzarote is truly an island unlike anything you have visited so far.
The Timanfaya National Park covers an area of about 50 square kilometres, and straddles the municipal territories of Tinajo and Yaiza, around the Timanfaya volcano, which gives the park its name. It is a completely volcanic terrain, shaped by numerous eruptions, the most important of which occurred at the beginning of the 18th century, while the most recent date back to the 19th century. Even today, the area is volcanically active, and you will see this for yourself when one of the guides throws water into a hole in the ground, which erupts into a geyser of steam.
Today, the Timanfaya National Park is a must-visit for anyone travelling to Lanzarote. Its naturalistic importance is enormous, especially after UNESCO declared the entire island a biosphere reserve in 1993. Visiting the Timanfaya is easy and a lot of fun: you proceed by bus – the only motorised vehicle authorised to enter the park – and then, if you wish, on foot along a couple of marked trails, or even on camelback. At the end of the tour you will find the El Diablo restaurant waiting for you, where expert chefs cook meat directly on the embers produced by the volcano: a truly unique experience!
We recommend that you start your visit to the park from the visitor centre, located along the LZ-67 road from Tinajo to Yaiza, which has a convenient free car park. Once inside, you will have the opportunity to visit an exhibition and a documentary that will introduce you to the park, in several languages. There is also a shop – bookshop inside the visitor centre.
Please note that the visitor centre does not coincide with the entrance to the park! In fact, it is located 4 kilometres south, also along the LZ-67, where you will find waiting for you the famous sign that you will no doubt have seen in all the souvenir shops in Lanzarote, designed by Cesar Manrique. Here the road becomes narrow, leading to Islote de Hilario, where you will find a larger car park and the El Diablo restaurant. Beware that it is strictly forbidden to get out of the vehicle during this stretch of road.
After parking, an exciting ride in a typical Canarian bus awaits you right away, up and down narrow, steep streets. Curve after curve, surrounded by lunar landscapes of solidified lava, volcanic cones and craters, you will travel a 14-kilometre loop, the so-called Ruta de los Volcanes, which begins and ends at the Islote de Hilario. Not recommended for those suffering from motion sickness, great fun for everyone else.
Off the bus it is time for a geothermal demonstration, during which the park’s expert guides will explain to you that volcanic activity still exists. They will demonstrate this by throwing water into a crater, which will come out after a few seconds in the form of geysers, steam under pressure that will shoot up several metres.
The Timanfaya National Park also has other surprises in store, including the Echadero de camellos, a camel trail on which you can climb and sway. There is also an information point that will explain the traditional use of camels and dromedaries on Lanzarote when it was just a small island dedicated to agriculture. The cost is not included in the park ticket.
If you prefer to explore the park on foot, there are two hiking trails: the Ruta de Tremesana and the Ruta del Litoral. The first is a guided hike of about 2 kilometres, to be booked at the visitors’ centre and available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; the second is 9 kilometres long and is rather demanding: it can be done independently or in a guided manner after booking.
Visiting the Timanfaya National Park is no small feat. The visit usually takes at least 2-3 hours, although the time could be much longer if you decide to take the trails on foot, or stop for lunch at the El Diablo restaurant attracted by the smell of meat cooked on volcanic embers.
Remember that it is absolutely forbidden to stray off the beaten track. Remember that the area is volcanic, and that extreme heat can reach the surface: in some places, temperatures reach 100-120 °C at ground level. It is also essential not to disturb the animals and not to remove rocks, stones or minerals, as well as the (few, actually) plants you will encounter.
It is not possible to drive vehicles outside the paved areas open to the public and walking on lava is not permitted.
We reiterate once again that part of the visit to the park consists of an adrenaline-filled bus ride, not recommended for those suffering from motion sickness.
Although you may think that walking among the volcanoes is an alienating experience, the park also provides many services and amenities, including free Wi-Fi at the visitor centre, parking, a souvenir shop and the El Diablo café-restaurant.
The entity that manages visits to the Timanfaya National Park, as well as numerous other attractions, is CACT Lanzarote, where CACT stands for Centro de Arte, Cultura y Turismo. Tickets can be purchased directly at the park’s ticket counters or in advance online to avoid the queue at the entrance, which can take some time, especially in high season.
There are reductions for children from 7 to 12 years of age (50 per cent off the tariff), while children under 7 years of age get in free. There are also large discounts for residents of the Canary Islands and Lanzarote. Once purchased, the ticket is valid for 3 months from the date of issue, but only allows one entry.
The ticket also includes parking and the bus tour that departs and arrives at the Islote de Hilario.
Given its extent, the best way to visit the Timanfaya National Park is with a guided tour.
The Timanfaya National Park is open every day of the year from 9:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. during the winter season, while from 15 July to 15 September it closes at 5:30 p.m. The Echadero de camellos is open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 15:00.
Being a national park, and therefore a protected area, there are no facilities to sleep in the Timanfaya. If you want to be the first to enter in the morning and avoid the crowds of tourists as much as possible, we recommend finding accommodation in Yaiza, from which you can reach the park entrance in a few minutes by car driving north, or in Macha Blanca, from which you can reach the park by driving south. In both cases, the accommodations are mostly flats, often finely renovated in perfect Canarian style and equipped with all the necessary amenities and services.
The rather central location of the Timanfaya National Park means that it is never too far from the main tourist resorts of Lanzarote. From southern Playa Blanca it takes about 20 minutes by car, driving along the LZ-2 to Yaiza and then continuing on the LZ-67. From Puerto del Carmen it takes a few minutes less, but here too the route idea is the same: you first drive to Yaiza, this time via Puerto Calero, Barranco del Agua and Uga, and then proceed north on the LZ-67.
From Arrecife or the airport, take the LZ-2 westwards towards Tias, continue to Yaiza and then the LZ-67 to the park. From the villages in the north of Lanzarote, such as Famara, Orzola or Punta Mujeres, you first reach La Vegueta and then Macha Blanca, which are practically in the centre of the island, and then the LZ-67 southwards to the park.
All these directions are only valid, of course, if you have rented a car: unfortunately there is no public transport to the park, apart from taxis. Getting there will not be a problem, but make arrangements for the return journey, as there are no taxi zones at the entrance to the park and taxis do not run very frequently.
The Timanfaya National Park is located in the south-west of Lanzarote, within the municipalities of Yaiza and Tinajo. The entrance to the park is along the LZ-67 road.
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