Cueva de Las Palomas, the La Palma Lava Tube
The Cueva de Las Palomas lava tube on La Palma: a tube from the 1949 San Juan eruption, not the 2021 one; the Cabildo's rules, the two guided visits, the two-person minimum and what reviewers say.
The Cueva de Las Palomas is a lava tube at Las Manchas, on La Palma’s west side, formed by the eruption of the San Juan volcano in 1949, not by the 2021 eruption of Tajogaite (Cabildo de La Palma). You can only go inside on a guided visit with an authorised company. La Palma Outdoor’s La Palma: Cueva de Las Palomas Volcanic Tube is from US$28 each for at least two people (checked November 2026): one adult alone could not book it on any of the three dates we read. If you are travelling alone, La Palma Natural’s visit, below, took one adult on two of them.
The calendar shows La Palma Outdoor’s dates; choose two participants to see the times. Two adults could book at 3:00 PM on 20 January 2027. You can reserve now, pay later and cancel free until 24 hours before.
What the Cabildo says
The Cabildo de La Palma runs the Caños de Fuego visitor centre (its interpretation centre for the volcanic caves and the Cueva de Las Palomas) at Las Manchas, built after a system of lava tubes was found there, formed as the lava of the San Juan volcano’s 1949 eruption cooled. Its page sets the rules for going into the Cueva de Las Palomas (read November 2026):
- Visits must be booked in advance with the companies authorised to run them.
- A visit takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, about 20 minutes of it inside the tube.
- At most 14 people with one guide; a helmet with a light is provided.
- Ages 5 to 75, good fitness, closed shoes, no pets. People with claustrophobia or mobility problems should not go in.
- Visits are cancelled without notice when there is an adverse weather alert.
The centre also has walkways and a glass viewpoint at the cave entrance, and is open from 10:00 to 18:00 every day. Its fee table is dated 2019, so we do not print it.
The tube had been closed since the 2021 eruption; in November 2023 the Cabildo reported it was preparing to reopen it.
The two visits
| La Palma: Cueva de Las Palomas Volcanic Tube (La Palma Outdoor) | Cueva de Las Palomas Volcanic Tube: Your Caving Experience (La Palma Natural) | |
|---|---|---|
| From | US$28 each, at least 2 people | US$28 |
| One adult alone | Could not book on 27 Nov, 20 Jan or 10 Mar | Could book on 20 Jan and 10 Mar, 10:00 AM |
| Time | 2 hours; 3:00 PM on 20 January | About 2 hours, about an hour of it inside the tube |
| The tube | 500 m long and 3 m wide | A walkway over the 1949 lava first, then inside |
| Included | Entrance fee, helmet, torch, guide, insurance | Helmet, headlamp, licensed guide, insurance |
| Guide | Spanish, English | English, Spanish |
| Not for | Children under 6, people with mobility impairments | Children under 5, people with claustrophobia or mobility impairments |
Booking calendars read for 27 November 2026, 20 January and 10 March 2027 (checked November 2026).
The time inside is where the sources part. La Palma Natural sells about an hour inside the tube; the Cabildo’s page gives about 20 minutes inside a visit of about an hour and a half; and reviewers of La Palma Outdoor’s visit mention “a little over half an hour” (27 August 2026) and 20 minutes (3 June 2026).
Book whichever fits you:
La Palma: Cueva de Las Palomas Volcanic Tube
La Palma Outdoor: 2 hours, the entrance fee, helmet, torch and insurance included, guide in Spanish and English. One adult alone could not book on the dates we read.
Check dates →Cueva de Las Palomas Volcanic Tube: Your Caving Experience
La Palma Natural: a walkway over the 1949 lava, then about an hour inside with a helmet and headlamp. One adult could book at 10:00 AM on 20 January and 10 March 2027.
See the visit →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
What reviewers say
La Palma Outdoor’s visit has 719 reviews on GetYourGuide. We read the 350 newest, the oldest dated 4 September 2025 and the newest 7 November 2026: 19 give three stars or fewer, and 13 of those have text. At least 8 of the 13 are about language: a guide switching between Spanish and English, or a tour booked in English and given mostly in Spanish (for example 17 December 2025, 30 January, 10 May and 2 July 2026). The guide row lists Spanish and English, and the reviews describe groups that mix both.
Two one-star reviews of 5 January 2026 say the visit was cancelled that day. One says the guide never came and the promised refund was not paid. The other says the reason given was that the cave was closed, but that at the visitor centre the same tours were on offer for half the price, without a reservation, every hour from 10:00. That is a reviewer’s account; the Cabildo’s page says visits are booked in advance with authorised companies. One review of 8 December 2025 calls the tube “only 250 metres long”.
How it fits with the volcano walk
The tube is a short visit, so it can share a day with a walk to the new volcano. It lies just south of the 2021 lava field, below the cone, as the map above shows. The route comparison compares the walks to the cone.
More on La Palma
Tours on La Palma with Open Dates
Volcano walks, caves and boat trips on La Palma with live availability. What is included and the cancellation terms show before you book.
Go Inside the 1949 Lava Tube
La Palma Outdoor's 2-hour visit: the entrance fee, a helmet, a torch, a guide and insurance included. At least two participants on the dates we read.
Check dates