Timanfaya National Park or Parque Nacional de Timanfaya is a Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 national park covering the municipalities of southern portion of Tinajo

Tinajo, Las Palmas

Tinajo is a Canarian municipality in the western portion of the island of Lanzarote in the Las Palmas province in the Canary Islands. The population is 5,066 , its density is 37.45/km² and the area is 135.28 km². It is located on a main highway linking Taiza and Teguise as well as east to...

 and the northern portion of Yaiza

Yaiza, Las Palmas

Yaiza, Lanzarote is the gateway to the south of the island of Lanzarote and onward to Playa Blanca. It is a pleasant sleepy village where most of the local council business is done....

 in the southwestern part of the island of Lanzarote

Lanzarote

Lanzarote , a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 km2, it stands as the fourth largest of the islands...

. The area is 51.07 square kilometre. The parkland is entirely made up of volcanic soil.
The statue "El Diablo" by César Manrique

César Manrique

César Manrique was an artist and an architect.-Biography:Manrique grew up in the area of San Ginés lagoon. At age 23, he participated in his first exhibition in Arrecife. He attended the University of La Laguna. In 1945, Manrique attended the art school San Fernando in Madrid for five years...

 is its symbol.

Volcanic activity

The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736. The volcanic activity continues as the surface temperature in the core ranges from 100 to 600 °C at the depth of 13 metres (42.7 ft), which is demonstrated by pouring water into the ground, resulting in a geyser

Geyser

A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...

 of steam

Steam

Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...

 which is an attraction for tourists.There is only one active volcano, Timanfaya volcano which the park is named after.

Ecological value

In 1993, UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 designated a Biosphere reserve

Biosphere reserve

The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...

 covering the whole of Lanzarote. The national park is one of the core areas of the biosphere reserve.

Access to the park by the public is strictly regulated to protect the delicate flora and fauna. There are one or two footpaths, and a popular short route where one can visit by camel. There is a public car park from which one can tour the volcanic landscape by coach

Coach (vehicle)

A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...

 using a road that is otherwise closed to the public.

External links

• http://reddeparquesnacionales.mma.es/en/parques/timanfaya/index.htm