Lava Tube on La Palma

June 30, 2020

T3 Cueva Palomas

Photographer: Antonio Gonzalez
Summary Author: Antonio Gonzalez 

This panoramic composition shows an immersive 360-degree image of a volcanic cave, or lava tube, on La Palma island in the Canary Islands of Spain. The Canaries, like the Hawaii islands, were born as a result of volcanic activity.

In 1949, the San Juan volcano expelled lava that passed through the area where the cave is now. The upper part of the lava flow was in contact with the air and cooled very quickly; while in the lower part of the flow, where the panorama was made, lava continued to circulate well after the upper part cooled. As the lava level came down, it eventually formed this cave – a hollowed out river of hardened lava approximately 1800 ft (549 m) in length. It’s open to the public and very easy to walk through. Note that the formation of lava caves is very different than caves that form in a karst topography

This panoramic picture was made with a group of 3 immersive 360-degree photographs on June 27, 2015. Click here to see similar photos. Thanks to the Innovation área of Cabildo La Palma and to Eduardo Diaz y Paco Govantes for their help.