The West Coast
Volcanic flows and famous caves
The west coast is a truly unique and spectacular area, formed by recent lava flows from the massive Timanfaya eruptions that changed the face of Lanzarote forever. The coastline here is less than three hundred years old and consists of jagged black rocks in many kinds of bizarre formations, ochre mountains and colourful caves. The most famous landmarks on this route are the beautiful big cave at Los Hervideros, normally only viewed by tourists from the paths above, and the green lagoon which we can visit at lunchtime.
The west coast is very exposed to the ocean swells which roll in over the winter, so we can only paddle this area when the swells are very small. Los Hervideros is a famous attraction where people come and watch the waves smashing into the rocks and where the water gets so churned up that it appears to 'boil', hence the name, which means 'the boiling places'. But even with this fearsome reputation, knowledge of the area and of the conditions needed to paddle here mean that we can run trips along this stunning coastline and even paddle inside the bright and beautiful Los Hervideros cave.