Map of Jameos del Agua, Lanzarote Lanzarote, Canary Islands:

Jameos del Agua, Lanzarote
This was once just a hole in the ground! A jameos is the name given to a volcanic tunnel whose roof has collapsed. Typically, Cesar Manrique used this weird geological feature to create a fascinating tourist attraction. He opened out the entrance with a wooden stairway, so that visitors can descend underground, below sea level to the cave floor. Here, peaceful music plays and birds flutter around a huge bar and dance floor, with subtly lit pools and an underground lake. Children love to search these waters for the blind, white crabs which live there.

As you ascend into the sunshine, at the far end of the lake, through the terrace of yet another funky bar, you reach a dazzling spectacle: a man made swimming pool (closed for swimming) in brilliant white, with turquoise water, artistically arranged palm trees and flowering shrubs fringing its shore. Behind this is a large underground concert hall, which was unfortunately closed for renovation during our visit.

Above ground once more, there is yet another bar/cafe and a science museum, which explains to visitors the story of the island's volcanic history.

Three times a week, the caves are opened in the evening for use as a restaurant, up-market night club and concert venue.

Cueva de los Verdes is part of this same cave system and can be found about half a mile up the road from Jameos del Agua. It didn't really lend itself to panoramic photographs, being a one of the world's longest cave systems! The caves were created when old basalt was melted and flushed out by hot lava, creating long, underground tubes. Cave guides take tourists on a round trip of about 2km, lasting about one hour. The cave is narrow, with occasional low ceilings and some fascinating rock formations, carefully lit to show them off to maximum effect. The caves used to be used in the 17th century, to hide islanders from pirates and slave hunters!