Cueva de los Verdes is a spectacular lava tube and show cave on northern Lanzarote formed by the eruption of the Corona volcano. The accessible tourist route runs for about 1 km inside a much longer volcanic tube system that reaches several kilometres.
Geology and formation
Type: Basaltic lava tube created when the surface of a lava flow cooled and the molten interior drained away.Age and scale: The tube formed during the Corona eruption roughly 3,000–23,000 years ago depending on the source; the full system extends up to about 6–8 km, with chambers up to 50 m high and 15 m wide in places.
Mineralogy: The cave is dominated by volcanic rock (basalt); limited secondary deposits such as white calcite coatings occur where mineral-rich water has percolated.
History and cultural significance
Refuge and legend: Islanders used parts of the tube as a refuge from pirate raids in the 16th–17th centuries; the name is linked to a local family called Verde.Adaptation for visitors: In the 1960s the Cabildo of Lanzarote commissioned Jesús Soto (later a collaborator of César Manrique) to adapt the route for tourism while preserving the natural tube; ambient lighting and a small auditorium were added for concerts.
