The Cueva del Viento (Cave of the wind) is a jewel of speleology not only in the Canaries, but also in the world, since it is the fifth longest volcanic tube of planet Earth, only behind volcanic tunnels found on the island of Hawaii.
History of the Cueva del Viento
The Cueva del Viento is a living witness to many stories of the island of Tenerife. Its walls are reminders of the origins of the island itself. It was created 27,000 years ago after the first eruption of the Pico Viejo volcano, and of course, the aboriginals, the Guanches, used to inhabit these long tunnels until the arrival of the Spaniards conquerors.
However, it was not until 1776 that some written reference of its existence was created.
In-depth explorations were left waiting. It was not until 1970, when due to this, a first topography of 6 kilometers distance was made, which was conducted by the Speleological section of La Guancha. 3 years later, it expanded to 10 kilometers after a finding of the speleologists led by the Shepton Mallet Club Calving. In 1989, due to new explorations made by the Group of Speleology of Tenerife Benishare, it extended 4 kilometers further to the extension of the underground galleries known nowadays.
The Cueva del Viento has also marked the development of the caving activity on the Canaries, which is relatively recent, the main focus of this activity in the study of this historic cave.
Conditions in the Cueva del Viento
When you get into the bowels of the Cueva del Viento, the first thing you feel is that you are transported to ancient times and are beginning a journey into another world.
The conditions that you find this tour are total darkness and a very high humidity. Silence is such that it feesl that the world has stopped.
The darkness inside the Cueva del Viento reaches the point that the zoological investigations have shown that many species of cave-dwelling animals who lived inside, had to adapt to these conditions of extreme darkness, and transformed their biology. For example, insects lose sight but amplify the sensitivity of other senses, or other whose skin became extremely sensitive to light.
The guided tour
If you want to know the Cueva del Viento, you must book a guided tour.
The experience begins at the Visitor Center, where you can begin to learn about the formation of the cave and its history. Subsequently, the professionals of the Visitor Center transport the group by car to the starting point of the route.
The beginning of it is not in the very entrance of the cave, since previously there will be a walking path, where you can observe the environment surrounding the Cueva del Viento, part of which passes through a Camino Real that communicated some towns north and south of the island. Finally you will arrive at the entrance to the cave and begin the underground adventure.
The walkway enabled for the visits of tourists is not dangerous, but still we recommend to be careful inside the cave and be prepared with appropriate footwear and long sweatpants. For caution, the organization will distribute helmets to protect the head during the trip also accompanied with a flashlight, since the cavity has no artificial light in any part of the route. The rest, we leave you to discover for yourself, not to advance you too many surprises you’ll find there.
The visit in general is very interesting, but knowing in advance that you are walking through the fifth longest volcanic tube in the world, you expect the route adapted for the visit of the public to be longer, and in this sense, maybe when you finish the trip you’ve been wanting to walk a little further inland. Still, if you’re a fan of nature, different experiences and knowledge of the history of the places you travel, we recommend a visit to the Cueva del Viento.
How to visit the Cueva del Viento
The Cueva del Viento is located in the municipality of Icod, a place also known for its famous Drago Milenario, which we discussed on another occasion, so do not hesitate when you visit this town, you will not have time to get bored.
The Visitor Center is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 9 am and 16 pm, and it is necessary to make a reservation online to access the part of the cave enabled the general public.
The ticket prices are 16 € for adults (10 € for canaries residents) and 5 € for children
If you decide to enjoy your visit to the north of the island of Tenerife, staying in our Apartments Ambassador in Puerto de la Cruz, to reach the Cueva del Viento you must access the Autopista del Norte TF-5 towards Icod de Los Vinos. The Cueva del Viento is at Camino los Piquetes 27 and if you are traveling by car from the apartments, it can be reached in about 28 minutes.
An experience to remember
The visit to the Cueva del Viento will make a difference to a simple visit to the island, because it not only will allow you to see the beautiful landscapes of its exterior but also the interior beauty of the island. Witness of stories and very remote in time but whose memory still lingers along the fifth longest volcanic tube in in the world that how could it be otherwise, you can find in Tenerife.
