In the north of Lanzarote, near Órzola, there are two caves people constantly mix up — and with good reason, since they're really the same thing seen two different ways: Jameos del Agua and Cueva de los Verdes. Both come from the same volcanic tube, sit five minutes apart by car, and are worth visiting for completely different reasons. Whether you only have time for one or want to do both in a day, here's what you need to know.
About 3,000 years ago, the eruption of the La Corona volcano sent a river of lava toward the sea that cooled on the outside while still flowing inside, leaving behind a lava tube several kilometres long. Jameos del Agua and Cueva de los Verdes are two accessible sections of that same tube — it actually continues under the sea and resurfaces on La Graciosa, in what's known as the Atlantis Tunnel. One section was turned into a garden; the other was left exactly as nature made it.
In the 1960s, Lanzarote-born artist César Manrique turned this section of the lava tube into an art and culture centre that, decades on, is still one of the island's defining landmarks. Inside you'll find a crystal-clear lagoon home to the tiny blind white crab (Munidopsis polymorpha), a species found nowhere else on Earth; a tropical garden built inside the open crater; a pool once reserved for the house's guests (no swimming allowed today); and an underground auditorium carved into the rock with acoustics good enough that it still hosts concerts.
The most practical way to see it is as part of an excursion that also takes in Timanfaya, since the two are just over half an hour apart. The full-day Lanzarote tour (9-10 hours, €75 per adult) combines Timanfaya National Park with skip-the-line access, El Golfo's Green Lagoon and entry to Jameos del Agua, with a live guide in 5 languages and pickup included.
A little further north, the same tube is explored on foot with a guided walk of around 50 minutes through galleries lit to bring out the shapes in the solidified lava. The moment everyone talks about afterwards is a flooded lower chamber that, thanks to the lighting, looks like it reflects a towering ceiling — when in reality it's barely a metre deep. It fools everyone the first time.
The name has nothing to do with colour — it comes from the Verde family, who owned the land for generations. And its history is darker than it looks: through the 16th to 18th centuries, when Berber pirate raids were a real threat along the coast, locals hid here with their livestock, sometimes for days, because the maze of galleries was nearly impossible for outsiders to find.
Tickets for Cueva de los Verdes are bought on-site at the entrance. If your plan is to spend the day exploring the north and save Timanfaya for another day of your trip, the half-day Timanfaya excursion (6 hours, €59 per adult, with pickup from Playa Blanca, Puerto del Carmen, Costa Teguise, Arrecife and Puerto Calero) leaves your mornings or afternoons free to combine it with the caves on your own.
Are Jameos del Agua and Cueva de los Verdes the same cave? No, though both come from the same lava tube from the La Corona volcano. Jameos del Agua is the section César Manrique transformed into a garden and cultural centre; Cueva de los Verdes is a different stretch explored in its natural state, on a guided walking tour.
How much does it cost to visit Jameos del Agua? The full-day tour that includes Timanfaya, El Golfo and entry to Jameos del Agua costs €75 per adult. If you only want Timanfaya and La Geria, the half-day excursion costs €59.
Can you visit both caves in one day? Yes, easily. They're five minutes apart by car, in the north of the island near Órzola.
Planning more days on the island? Find out how to visit Timanfaya, the buggy tour through the volcanic north and all our things to do in Lanzarote.
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