Timanfaya National Park—the Fire Mountains

Timanfaya is Lanzarote's absolute highlight and one of the most impressive national parks in Europe. Between 1730 and 1736—for six years—dozens of volcanoes erupted simultaneously, burying a quarter of the island under lava. The eruption was so powerful that it was heard 300 km away in Tenerife. Entire villages disappeared, and the population fled. What remained is a lunar landscape of solidified lava, ash, and craters that has hardly changed to this day—there is almost no vegetation here.

Visiting the Montañas del Fuego

The core area of the park—the Fire Mountains (Montañas del Fuego)—is only accessible via a bus tour. From the visitor center Islote de Hilario, you drive about 40 minutes on a route designed by Manrique through the lava landscape: past glowing red and black craters, bizarre lava formations, and vents from which hot gases still rise today.

At Islote de Hilario, park rangers demonstrate the geothermal activity: Dry gorse, placed in a hole in the ground, ignites by itself. Water poured into a pipe shoots up as a steam fountain. Just a few meters below the surface, temperatures exceed 400°C. The restaurant "El Diablo" (designed by Manrique) grills meat and fish over the natural geothermal heat—no joke, no show, real volcanic heat as a cooking source.

Hiking in the Surroundings

Free hiking is prohibited in the national park itself, but there are two guided routes (free, registration at the visitor center Mancha Blanca):

• Ruta del Litoral: Coastal hike through lava fields to the sea (3 km, 2 hours).
• Ruta de Tremesana: Through the heart of the lava fields (2 km, 2.5 hours, more challenging).

Both must be reserved weeks in advance (online reservation via the Cabildo de Lanzarote website).

Camel Riding (Dromedaries)

At Echadero de los Camellos, just before the park entrance, you can take a short ride on dromedaries over the volcanic slopes (about 20 minutes, 6 € per person). Touristy? Yes. But the dromedaries have been part of Lanzarote's image since the 19th century—they were introduced as working animals and are now the island's unofficial mascot.