The essentials
- CACT does not permit exploring the park freely on foot, and MITECO allows free walking access only along the park's coastal path.[1][2]
- The park authority's Tremesana walk is 3.5 km, guided and of low difficulty, taking about 3 hours including transfers.[3]
- Tremesana places are booked online at least 25-30 days in advance; groups are small and the service is free.[3]
- The short coastal route is 2 km, guided, about 2.5 hours; the long coastal route is 9.75 km, self-guided, 5-6 hours.[4][5]
- On GetYourGuide, a guided volcano hike with transfers starts from US$48 for 3.5 - 4 hours, and a 3-hour Timanfaya hike from US$51.[6][7]
- Timanfaya landscapes hike from US$51 Duration3 hours[7]Route namedAcross Timanfaya's volcanic landscapes[7]GroupLimited to 10 participants[7]Rating4.80 from 1,450 reviews[7] See this tour
- Volcano hike, transfers from US$48 Duration3.5 to 4 hours[6]Route namedGuided volcano hike with transfers[6]GroupLimited to 8 participants[6]Rating4.85 from 929 reviews[6] See this tour
- Natural Park trekking from US$54 Duration3 hours[8]Route namedTimanfaya Natural Park trekking[8]GroupLimited to 9 participants[8]Rating4.82 from 907 reviews[8] See this tour
Lanzarote is pure geology, underwater and moon-like landscapes, pristine water, thirsty land, palm-tree oasis, harmony between men and nature.
Free guided walk, self-guided coast, or the Timanfaya trekking tour
Booking the park walks
On the trail
Hiking in Timanfaya National Park: what is allowed
Can you walk in Timanfaya National Park? Only on its authorised terms. CACT states that exploring Parque Nacional de Timanfaya freely by car or on foot is not permitted, to protect its fragile ecosystem, and Turismo Lanzarote's visitor advice is that it is not possible to walk over the lava or on other volcanic material.[1][9]
MITECO sets out the exception: on foot, free access is permitted only to the park's coast, along a path that runs the length of its coastline.[2] The park authority's advice for visitors is that the free routes are done on foot, and the guided ones on foot or aboard internal park buses.[12]
The Ayuntamiento de Yaiza counts the camel route as one of the five routes authorised in Timanfaya.[13] MITECO's list of activities forbidden inside the park includes collecting plants, animals or rocks of any kind or size, or any part of them.[11] The Ayuntamiento de Yaiza reports more than 500,000 visitors a year and says that pressure is already causing conservation problems, above all around Hilario.[14]
Tremesana, the Timanfaya National Park guided walk
The Canary Islands park authority describes the Tremesana route as a linear walk of 3.5 km, guided and of low difficulty, taking about 3 hours including transfers.[3] It calls the route accessible for most walkers over the age of 16.[3]
The walk is compulsorily guided, and joining it means contacting the central reservations office of the OAPN.[3] Bookings are made online with a minimum of 25-30 days in advance, since groups are small, and the service is free.[3] MITECO names that booking channel as the Central de Reservas online of the Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales, at reservasparquesnacionales.es.[15]
The meeting point is Plaza de los Remedios in the village of Yaiza, 15 minutes before the departure time.[3] Turismo Lanzarote describes a guided walk of some 2 km reserved at the Mancha Blanca Visitor Centre, while the park authority's current route page gives 3.5 km and online booking.[3][9] In the south of the park, around Montaña Tremesana, MITECO notes traditional fig growing on private plots, sheltered from the strong prevailing winds by volcanic stone walls.[16]
Craters and volcanic trails across Timanfaya
The two coastal routes
The short coastal route runs from the village of El Golfo to near Playa del Paso. The park authority gives it as 2 km, guided and of medium difficulty, taking about 2.5 hours, and it requires a prior booking through the central reservations office.[4]
The long coastal route is a different kind of walk: 9.75 km, self-guided with free access, of high difficulty and taking 5 to 6 hours.[5] It runs in a line from Playa de la Madera in Tinajo to Punta del Jurado, inside the National Park, and ends in the village of El Golfo.[5]
That coastline is where MITECO says free walking access to the National Park is allowed, along a path that follows the coast.[2] Inland, MITECO classes roughly 70% of the park as a sea of lava whose vegetation is reduced to lichens, and about 20% as cones and hornitos, one of the preferred nesting places for birds because they are so hard to reach.[17]
Volcano walks just outside the park boundary
The Natural Park of the Volcanoes forms a wide ring around Timanfaya National Park, and the Ayuntamiento de Yaiza gives it 10,158.4 hectares.[14] Its Montaña Colorada circular route is a 3 km loop that takes 1 hour, or 1h30 with lots of photos, with no technical difficulty and a height difference of 53 m.[18] Canarias Lovers singles out the volcanic bomb beside it for its size and the distance it travelled.[18]
Barceló Experiences describes the Caldera Blanca hike as taking less than 4 hours and one of the best options for hiking in Lanzarote, with a crater 1,200 metres in diameter.[19]
Parts of this ground are under restoration. The Gobierno de Canarias is using Next Generation EU funds to restore about 465 hectares of habitat in the Natural Park of the Volcanoes, with Montaña Colorada, Caldera El Cuervo, its car park and the LZ-56 road among the work zones, and the works were due to finish in the first quarter of 2026.[20]
25-30 days
How far ahead the park authority says to book the free Tremesana guided walk online, as groups are small.[3]
Guided volcano hikes you can book
On GetYourGuide, the Hike Across Timanfaya's Volcanic Landscapes lasts 3 hours, is limited to 10 participants, has a live guide in Spanish and English and pickup available, and starts from US$51.[7] The Guided Volcano Hike with Transfers lasts 3.5 - 4 hours, is limited to 8 participants with a guide in English, French and Spanish, and starts from US$48.[6]
The Timanfaya Natural Park Trekking Tour lasts 3 hours, is limited to 9 participants with a guide in English, Italian and Spanish, and starts from US$54.[8] Its title names the Natural Park, and the Ayuntamiento de Yaiza treats the Natural Park of the Volcanoes as a separate protected area around the National Park.[8][14] The Volcano Hike listing also runs 3 hours, from US$51, with pickup available.[21] Two more listings widen the choice: the Guided Hike discover volcano history and culture runs 3.5 hours from US$62 with a guide in Spanish, English, French or German, and the La Geria Vineyards Hiking Tour runs 4 hours from US$54, limited to 10 participants.[22][23]
For a private guide, Feeling Lanzarote Tours sells a guide by the hour from €193 with a 5-hour minimum, without transport or meals.[24] Its guides are official guides of the Canary Islands Government, with expertise that includes hiking routes, volcanology and geology.[24]
How long and how hard each walk is
Within the park, the park authority rates Tremesana as low difficulty at about 3 hours with transfers, the short coastal route as medium difficulty at about 2.5 hours, and the long coastal route as high difficulty at 5 to 6 hours.[3][4][5]
Outside it, the Montaña Colorada loop is easy walking with some slopes and takes 1 hour, while the Caldera Blanca hike takes less than 4 hours.[18][19] The paid guided volcano hikes on GetYourGuide sit between 3 hours and 3.5 - 4 hours.[6][7][8] On the paid hikes, group sizes run from 8 to 10 participants.[6][7][8]
What to wear, bring and expect on the lava
CACT's visitor guide for Montañas del Fuego recommends comfortable clothing and footwear, a cap or sun protection in summer between June and September, and warm clothing in winter between October and April, as the area is windy.[10]
AEMET's climate normals for Lanzarote Airport give 2,986 hours of sunshine a year, a daily maximum of 29.1°C in August and just 111 mm of rain a year.[25] MITECO describes wide surfaces of different lava types in the park, among them very viscous aa lava, which cools into a rough, jagged and impassable surface known as malpaís.[26]
For the Tremesana start in Yaiza, bus line 6 between Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca serves Yaiza, at the stops named Supermercado de Yaiza, Aljibe de Yaiza and Centro de Salud de Yaiza.[12][27]
How far each walk goes, in kilometres
The two Tremesana figures come from two publishers for the same route; Montaña Colorada lies outside the National Park.[3][4][5][9][18]
Price a guided volcano hike for your group
Each amount is that listing's own "from" price in US dollars, and the calculator applies the same listed figure to every traveller.[6][7][8]
When to book and arrive
Joining the Tremesana walk
Book 25-30 days ahead
Reserve online through the OAPN's Central de Reservas at reservasparquesnacionales.es.[3][15]
Meet in Yaiza
Be at Plaza de los Remedios 15 minutes before the departure time.[3]
Walk with the guide
The route is compulsorily guided and runs 3.5 km in a line.[3]
Keep off the lava
Walking over the lava or other volcanic material is not possible.[9]
Finish in about 3 hours
The park authority gives about 3 hours, transfers included.[3]
Add the Timanfaya Natural Park Trekking Tour to your walking plans
from US$54
