Land of Lava
For nearly three months in 2021, lava flowed from the volcanic Cumbre Vieja ridge, covering more than 3,000 acres of La Palma. Recently, microbial life-forms have been discovered inside the still-cooling lava tubes that took shape in the extended eruption’s wake.
The towns of Todoque and El Paraíso
remain buried in lava; residents are
prohibited from returning.
Hiking trail
La
Laguna
Lava tube system
SPAIN
El Paraíso
Todoque
Canary
Islands
Tajogaite
Site of 2021
eruption
2021
lava field
Canary Islands
(SPAIN)
Lanzarote
La Palma
Historical lava
flow from
Cumbre Vieja,
which has been
volcanically
active for
hundreds of
years
MAP
AREA
Fuerteventura
Tenerife
La
Gomera
Gran
Canaria
El Hierro
Atlantic Ocean
50 mi
AFRICA
50 km
2 mi
2 km
Christine Fellenz, NGM Staff
Sources: Octavio Fernández Lorenzo, Canary Islands Speleology Federation; Island
Council of La Palma; Spanish Ministry of Agriculture; Geotenerife; NASA/JPL
Land of Lava
For nearly three months in 2021,
lava flowed from the volcanic
Cumbre Vieja ridge, covering
more than 3,000 acres of La
Palma. Recently, microbial
life-forms have been
discovered inside the
still-cooling lava tubes
that took shape in
the extended
eruption’s wake.
SPAIN
Canary
Islands
Canary Islands
(SPAIN)
Lanzarote
La Palma
MAP
AREA
Fuerteventura
Tenerife
La
Gomera
Gran
Canaria
El Hierro
Atlantic Ocean
50 mi
AFRICA
50 km
The towns of Todoque and El Paraíso
remain buried in lava; residents are
prohibited from returning.
Hiking trail
La
Laguna
Lava tube system
El Paraíso
Todoque
Tajogaite
Site of 2021
eruption
2021
lava field
Historical lava flow from
Cumbre Vieja, which has been volcanically active for hundreds
of years
2 mi
2 km
Christine Fellenz, NGM Staff
Sources: Octavio Fernández Lorenzo,
Canary Islands Speleology Federation;
Island Council of La Palma; Spanish
Ministry of Agriculture; Geotenerife;
NASA/JPL