Cueva del Viento: the volcanic caves of Tenerife

The Cueva del Viento is a volcanic tube on the island of Tenerife, in the middle of the Canary archipelago. These underground cavities form a long tube 17 km long beneath the arid soil of the island's volcanoes. The Cueva del viento is considered to be the largest volcanic tunnel in the European Union. The world's largest volcanic caverns can be found in Hawaii.

However, the Spanish island's Cueva del viento is still considered the most complex. Within its network, numerous passages and entrances form a veritable labyrinth on three different levels.

According to experts, the Cueva del Viento was formed around 27,000 years ago from basaltic rock, or cooled lava.

This was caused by the eruption of Pico Viejo, one of the volcanoes attached to the Teide volcano, which formed during the latter's first eruptive phase.

The tunnel is called Cueva del viento because of the very strong winds that blow through it. It's quite a breathtaking experience to hear the winds singing as they rush through the narrow tunnels.

Since its discovery, many people have wanted to discover all the secrets of the Cueva del Viento.

Despite scientific research, the tunnel remains largely unexplored. Its infinite ramifications make it a mysterious and exciting place to visit.

In 1998, Tenerife introduced a natural resources management plan to protect the Cueva del Viento.

As the cave is of great historical value to mankind and its history, it must be carefully preserved. It is an invaluable geological, biological and ethnographic heritage site.

Venturing into the Cueva del Viento is an extraordinary experience. Within these rocky, damp walls, numerous geological formations will pique your curiosity... Here and there, you'll see stalactites or lava waterfalls, large lateral terraces and even lava lakes. The components of these capricious shapes are all different and vary in age. In fact, the colours and textures change throughout the visit.

The Cueva del Viento is full of surprises in terms of extinct fauna, with the remains of species that have disappeared from the surface of the planet, including the giant rat, Canariomys Bravoi, and the giant lizard, Gallotia Goliath.

Today, the cave is home to more than 290 species, most of them invertebrates and troglobites, i.e. those that have adapted to the subterranean environment. New species are still being discovered, such as the recently discovered eyeless cockroach, Loboptera Subterrane.

Within the tunnel, there are sections that can be visited with a guide and sections that are off-limits to the public. It is absolutely safe to visit the parts of the Cueva del Viento that are open to the public, but because of the difficulty of the walk and the pace involved, children under 5 years of age are not allowed to visit, and the elderly are not recommended.

The Autonomous Organisation of Museums and Centres of the Island Council of the Island of Tenerife offers a guided tour of the Cueva del Viento. The cave can be visited with a guide. The guide will take you on a 3-hour tour of the geological phenomena behind the creation of the volcanic archipelago.

In French, English or Spanish, you follow your guide from the visitor centre, where a short drive awaits you. You will then walk to the start of the tour. The guide will provide you with helmets and headlamps for this caving-style tour.