Volcano tubes and caves

Today we went north into Cesar Manrique country. Jameous del Agua and Cuevas los verdes - a cave and a lava tube.
We drove up the delightful hairpin bend hill climb and there is no way I am driving in the dark up there on our return to the airport!!
Otherwise an uneventful drive but warm. The lava tube had timed tickets so there was a short wait as we arrived just after 11:30 for our 12 pm slot. The descent appeared out of nowhere after we’d passed the ticket person and the first bit was just descent to a holding area with some leafy plants and a bit of shade. Then as a group we moved down to the first point for a general overview and health and safety - don’t go if you are claustrophobic, and don’t bang your head - take care if taller than 1.8m. We descended the first set of steps; twisting, narrow with overhangs that made me ( less than 1.7m) have to duck s bit, and the handrail disappeared without warning. The first stop was s look at the tube ( whole length 7km but we walked just 1 km) and the rock types then we continued along the undulating tube including s section where we had to bend double to get through!! Another stop to admire formations then more bending and ducking to an area used as an auditorium we then were told about an experiment we were going to see on the upper layer - so then up to a level above ( the tube has layers created at different times in different eruptions). We were marshalled carefully in two groups then moved forward to a flat area in front of a drop, one volunteer was selected and given a stone to throw. We all had to be silent and no phones / photos. Tne volunteer threw the stone towards the drop and instead of the long drop we expected it splashed into a shallow pool - very clever reflection trickery. Then back up a steep climb and out
Back down the road to Jameos del Agua - part of Cesar Manrique’s stuff. First was a pool in a cave ghat houses the blind albino crabs that are only found here then to the cafe for an icecream then up to the weird ( pointless?) pool that manrique created and a quick nosy into another auditorium before heading to the casa del volcanes - the volcano centre. Initially this seened a bit underwhelming - some old bits of seismology kit and a lot of rocks with deeply uninformative labels - location but not type! That said we were were lightly amused by a bit that demonstrated the seismological impact of us jumping snd tapping our feet.
Then we went up to the next layer which had all sorts of stuff including a VR simulation of a trip along a lava tube, a mission to mars, some plant and animal identification and a Lanzarote / Mars photo identifier - 3 mistakes each! A couple of hall of mirrors rooms and more rocks.
Eventually we emerged back jnto thr hest of the car park. After a minor diversion to look st natural tidal swimming pools ( too busy no where to park / change) we headed home driving across the centre of the island this time, past vineyards using the lava in a really interesting way to shelter the plants.

Back to the beach for a quickish swim ( sub 45 mins) chilly but fun and then dinner - which was not so good - mexican theme seemed to be the idea so spice to avoid and some dubious dishes. Then flump!Read more