Islet Hilario — Attraction in Tinajo

We arrived at Islet Hilario via our coach tour, I wasn't expecting much from the tour after all its only a volcano(not my thing)!, but as the tour started our guide was giving us a very interesting and informative history of the area.We arrived at the cafe (Devils Oven) after a steep climb in the coach we disembarked, following our tour guide we gathered around what looked like a pile of gravel but this wasn't any normal gravel it was small hot stones heated by the volcano very soon to be placed into our palm of our hands to see how long we could hold on to them and for the record it was only seconds because they were very hot!! The next demonstration was to show us how quickly dry bushes would catch fire needless to say that only took seconds to. The third and final experiment was the best and loudest with what looked like vertical tubes inserted into the red rock one of the staff poured water down the tube and within seconds you could hear the build-up of angry steam start to rumble up the tube until there was a loud explosion of noise and steam shooting up into the sky, amazing, now I'm won over. Time to get back on the coach now for the last part of our tour this was not for the faint hearted, the only way to describe what we faced was if you imagined a train on its track then that was us in our coach going up a single tarmac road wide enough for one vehicle only. So off we set, our tour guide giving us a excellent and very interesting account of the landscape and volcanos we now found ourselves trundling up towards getting higher and higher (and I mean high!), as the skilful coach driver negotiated the twists and turns with expert ease. We arrived at a height I can only describe as "in the clouds" and what a view totally amazing! Just don't look down! Needless to say as we descended my heart rate started to return to normal. This truly was a cracking, enjoyable and informative tour. I would definitely recommend that you give it a go. My wife even managed to get a tiny piece of of volcanic rock for our 10 year old volcano...

The Islet of Hilario (Islote de Hilario) is a volcanic area located within the Timanfaya National Park on the island of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands. This area is renowned for its geothermal activity and dramatic volcanic landscapes.

Key Features: Geothermal Activity: The Islet of Hilario is known for its intense underground heat. Just a few meters below the surface, temperatures can reach up to 600°C (1,112°F). This heat is used at the nearby Restaurante El Diablo to cook food directly using volcanic energy. Geological History: The area was shaped by the volcanic eruptions that occurred between 1730 and 1736, covering large parts of Lanzarote with lava fields. Islet Hilario stands out as a prominent point in this landscape. Demonstrations: Visitors to Timanfaya National Park often witness geothermal demonstrations at the Islet of Hilario. Park staff showcase the intense heat by: • Pouring water into holes in the ground, which erupts back as steam geysers. • Burning dry brush by placing it in shallow pits. Unique Landscapes: The area is surrounded by a barren, otherworldly terrain with colorful volcanic rock formations, making it a major attraction for visitors. Name Origin: The name “Hilario” is linked to a local legend of a hermit who supposedly lived in the area with his camel, tending a fig tree that never bore fruit due to the volcanic soil.

The Islet of Hilario serves as the starting point for guided bus tours of Timanfaya National Park, offering visitors a deeper exploration of the park’s extraordinary volcanic...

Our visit to this location was organized as part of an excursion through Norwegian Cruise Line. It was an interesting demonstration of the volcanic activity located there. For the first demonstration we were placed in a circle and the guide handed us rocks from just a few inches below the surface to show the heat stored in the rocks. After this we we brought to a location where they placed dry grass in a pit a couple of feet deep and within seconds the grass caught fire. The last demonstration was with a series of artificial geysers, just by walking nearby we could all feel the heat coming out from below, then the guide took a bucket of water and dumped it all in and the plume of steam came out instantly. It's so very impressive just how intense this geothermal process is. After the demonstrations we walked through the restaurant and saw the natural oven that was built to cook the food directly over a volcanic steam vent - it wasn't mentioned whether this was a natural vent but it's really cool to see this happen. The entire oven smelled really good with the chicken that was being cooked there. Unfortunately we didn't have time to taste any of the food. There is also a small cafe where you can buy threats, coffees and other drinks. After this, we went through the valley trail and saw all the different landscapes created by the Timanfaya volcanic events of the 17th and 18th century. It really felt like you were visiting another planet, many of the landscapes looked like the surface of...