Timanfaya National Park () is a Spanish

national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

in the southwestern part of the island of

Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the islands in the archipelago. With 163,230 inhabi ...

, in the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

. It covers parts of the municipalities

Tinajo Tinajo is a place in the municipality with the same name Tinajo in the western portion of the island of Lanzarote in the Las Palmas province in the Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocea ...

and Yaiza. The area is , entirely made up of volcanic soil. It is the only National Park in Spain which is entirely geological. The statue ''El Diablo'' of

César Manrique César Manrique Cabrera ( or ) (24 April 1919 – 25 September 1992) was a Spanish artist, sculptor and nature activist from Lanzarote, known particularly for the architectural projects in which he was involved as artistic director in his islan ...

is its symbol. Timanfaya National Park represents a sign of recent and historical volcanism in the

Macaronesian Macaronesia (; ) is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of Atlantic oceanic islands, which were formed by seamounts on the ...

region. The last volcanic eruptions occurred in 1824, however, most of the area covered by the national park was transformed by the eruptive period from 1730 to 1736.

Volcanic activity

The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736. The eruption period started outside the national park area, at

Caldera de Los Cuervos A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the str ...

volcano on 1 September 1730 and ended with the eruption of

Montaña Colorada Montana or Montaña is a surname and given name. People with the surname * Allison Montana (1922–2005), New Orleans cultural icon who acted as the Mardi Gras Indian "chief of chiefs" * Bob Montana (1920–1975), cartoonist who drew the characte ...

volcano, north-east of El Cuervo, which has ceased the activity on 16 April 1736. The volcanic activity continues as the surface temperature in the core ranges from at the depth of . This natural phenomenon is used as a tourist attraction in which water is poured into a cavity, followed by an almost instantaneous expulsion of steam.

Ecological value

In 1993,

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

designated a

Biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

covering the whole of Lanzarote. The national park is one of the core areas of the biosphere reserve. Access to the park by the public is strictly regulated to protect the delicate flora and fauna. There is a public car park from which one can tour the volcanic landscape by

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

using a road that is otherwise closed to the public. There are only two footpaths which are accessible exclusively with a prior authorization and a guide.

References

External links

* *https://www.miteco.gob.es/en/parques-nacionales-oapn/red-parques-nacionales/parques-nacionales/timanfaya.html
More Information and how to get there
Tourist attractions in Lanzarote National parks of Spain Biosphere reserves of Spain Protected areas established in 1974 Protected areas of the Canary Islands Volcanism of the Canary Islands 1974 establishments in Spain {{Canaries-geo-stub