Cumbre Vieja Natural Park

Cumbre Vieja Natural Park is the volcanic ridge and protected area on the southern part of La Palma in the Canary Islands. The ridge is an active volcanic zone that has produced several historic eruptions.

The ridge has been volcanically active throughout the island’s geologic history, with recorded eruptions at Teneguía in 1971 and a major eruption on Cumbre Vieja in 2021, as well as earlier 20th century activity. These eruptions altered local topography and produced lava flows and ash that reshaped parts of the island’s southern landscape.

The natural park runs along the southern-central spine of La Palma in the western Canary Islands, forming the central volcanic axis of that portion of the island. It lies within La Palma municipality boundaries and is accessed from roads leading up the island from coastal towns.

• Eruption history: The ridge is an actively volcanic area with recorded eruptions in 1949, 1971 and 2021, the 2021 eruption being the most recent major event.
• Volcanic landscape: The landscape includes recent lava flows, volcanic cones and ash deposits; access and conditions can change after eruptions due to damage and restricted zones.

What to See #

• Cumbre Vieja ridge: The volcanic ridge itself, composed of multiple cones, fissures and lava fields that form the spine of the southern half of the island of La Palma.
• Teneguía cone (1971 eruption): The Teneguía volcanic cone, one of the historically active vents that produced the 1971 eruption on the southern flank of the ridge.