Cueva del Viento, Lava tube cave system in Icod de los Vinos, Spain.
Cueva del Viento is a lava tube system that spans 18 kilometers of passages across three underground levels. The tunnels contain formations shaped by flowing lava, including draped mineral deposits, stone terraces, and calcified water features.
The system formed roughly 27,000 years ago when Pico Viejo volcano erupted, sending basaltic lava through what would become these underground passages. This ancient volcanic activity created the interconnected tunnels visible to visitors today.
Local Guanche people used these passages as shelter and burial grounds long ago, leaving behind traces of their presence deep underground. The cave remains an important connection to the island's earliest inhabitants.
Wear sturdy shoes with good grip since the paths are uneven and can be slippery underfoot. Guided tours lead you through the most interesting sections, and the pace is manageable for people with average fitness levels.
The cave hosts around 190 animal species, with 44 so adapted to darkness that they never leave the underground. About 15 of these species were first discovered here and live nowhere else in the world.
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