Mountains of Fire

The sun was shining this morning and the temperature was a warm 25 degrees centigrade so we stayed by the villa until mid-afternoon before driving over to the Timanfaya National Park. Yesterday we’d seen the park under a mantle of cloud so it was a relief to arrive and see the beautiful blue sky and sunshine.

First stop was the camel rides and Sophie and Mikey had a private tour all to themselves as the place was much quieter than yesterday when there were crowds of people. They both had a great time and came back after about 20 minutes full of what they’d seen.

We then continued through the lava fields to the barrier where we paid to gain access to the interior of the park. It was very dramatic as we drove up and up to the car park and the restaurant which are situated right on top of a volcano which is still active. The staff demonstrate this in several ways, to the amazement of the tourists!

First up is the burning of the hay. There is a hollow dug into the ground in which the staff member piles a clump of hay. You can see it smoke, then catch light and within seconds it’s burning strongly even though the man only put it in the shallow hole! It makes you realise how hot the volcano is and how near the heat is to the surface.

Secondly, the same man pours a bucket of water into a pipe and within seconds it shoots back up again in a plume of steam! The last demonstration is the huge barbecue where the restaurant cooks its meat. As you peer into the cavernous depths you can feel the ferocious heat below you.

We had a drink in the restaurant which was designed by Cesar Manrique and then took the coach tour further into the park. The views were simply stunning and nothing had been done to the landscape since the volcanoes erupted back in 1730. The last eruption on the island was in 1824 but no doubt at some point in the future they will go off again as the heat they generate is still very much alive! The whole area was eerie, full of dark chasms, jagged mountains and vivid colours with stunning views over to the coast in the distance.

The plan was to try and take the last tour of the day and then have a drink and dinner in the nearby town of Yaiza, but we were still a bit early so we made the decision to go back to the villa, freshen up and then walk into the resort for dinner.

Tonight, rather than turning left on the promenade, we turned right to explore the bars and restaurants nearer the port. We were immediately accosted by a couple of waiters from a restaurant and literally had a menu thrust into our faces! Not a good move! Keith waved them away and we walked up to a bar we’d visited last week.

After a quick drink we cut through to the main street, thus avoiding any more encounters with over-zealous waiters and chose a restaurant called La Cuadra which specialised in grilled foods. What we didn’t realise was that it backed onto the promenade so we had a great view over the harbour.

The waiter who looked after us was very friendly and we had a great meal. We decided to have starters again – chicken soup for the children and Canarian “Wrinkly potatoes” for Keith and I. When our potatoes arrived there was enough to feed an entire family, but they were very good, especially dipped in a garlicky sauce.

For mains, Sophie and I went for a chicken paella, Keith went for salt encrusted sea bream and Mikey chose lasagne which he found a bit disappointing. It didn’t matter, though, as there was enough paella left over to feed us all again! With a half bottle of San Valentin, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and the attentions of the waiter, who made sure we all had a great time.

Our waiter preparing our Paella

 We called into the ice-cream parlour once more to eat an ice-cream on the walk home and then Keith and I sat outside for an hour with a drink. It was still pleasantly warm so that was a bonus!