Franz Lindenmayr / Mensch und Höhle

22. International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology
Kanarische Inseln
November 2026

"In uns wütet die Zeit, in der wir leben." Hacke, Wie fühlst du dich? 37

Lanzarote

Vom 4. - 8. November findet auf Teneriffa das 22. ISV-Treffen statt. Vor diesem Haupttreffen wird eine Exursion auf die Insel Lanzarote organisiert, hinterher soll die Insel La Palma besucht werden.

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Preliminary Information
22nd International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology
Canary Islands, November 2026
Introduction
The 22nd International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology (ISV22) will be held in the Canary
Islands in November 2026. The core symposium activities (presentation sessions, welcome
reception, symposium dinner and two days of excursions) will take place on the island of
Tenerife. These activities will be preceded by optional field trips on Lanzarote Island. There will
also be an optional post-symposium field trip to the island of La Palma that will include a short
presentation session focussing on the eruption of Tajogaite volcano in 2021.
The symposium and field trips are being organised by a small team of cavers and scientists with
generous logistical, organisational and financial support from the museums organisation of the
Cabildo (ie, local government organisation) of Tenerife; the Cabildo of La Palma; and the
Cabildo of Lanzarote.
To ease the burden on organisers, participants will need to make all their own reservations for
accommodation, flights to and from and, where applicable, between the islands, as well some
land transport arrangements and most meals.
A draft program outline appears at the end of this document.
Presentation sessions
Presentations will be held over two days in a conference room at the Museum of Science and the
Cosmos in La Laguna, Tenerife.
Field excursions
Field excursions will be organised on three islands. The cost of participating on the two single
day trips on Tenerife is included in the symposium registration fee. These trips will involve
some easy-to-medium-difficulty walking on the surface and in caves (see page 4 for more info).
The field excursions to La Palma and Lanzarote are optional and will be at additional cost.
Some of the caves proposed for visits on La Palma and for Option A of the Lanzarote excursion
may be more difficult than some of the cave trips on Tenerife, and SRT gear may be required on
La Palma. More specific advice on trips will be provided at a later date. The flexible self-
guided trip on Lanzarote (Option B) can be as easy (or difficult!) as you make it.
Preliminary registration fee information
There will be a separate registration fee for each island. The following details are not firm, as
some elements are still under negotiation and some businesses have not yet set prices for late
2026. However, the price indications below will help intending participants estimate their total
costs (which would need to include travel to/ from the Canary Islands; inter-island travel; all
accommodation; and all meals, except as noted below). Estimated fees for each island are:
Lanzarote. There will be two field excursion options, each covering 3 full days:
Option A (two show caves and several wild caves). Fee: €100 per person.
This will cover transport by minibus, caving guides and access to two show caves.
No meals are included. Limit of 16 people.
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Option B (self-guided). No registration fee, but participants will be required to make all
their own transport arrangements (suggest renting a small car – relatively cheap in
the Canaries) and pay any applicable entrance fees, such as for Jameos del Agua and
museum (€21.50), Cueva de los Verdes (€16.50 – tickets only available online) and
Timanfaya National Park (€22.00). There is no set itinerary, but participants will be
provided with directions and information on suggested site visits and walks.
Tenerife. €300 per person
This will cover the welcome event; attendance at the presentation sessions (including tea
and coffee, use of conference room facilities with associated technical support and two
lunches); symposium dinner; public liability insurance; transport, access and lunches for
field excursions to Teide National Park, and to caves in the Icod de los Vinos area,
including Cueva del Viento (Cave of the Wind).
La Palma. €200 per person
This will cover bus transport on afternoon of 9 November from the airport to Puerto Naos
and the return trip on 13 Nov. The 9 Nov bus will stop in Santa Cruz de La Palma to pick
up participants who arrive early and want to look around the city. The fee will also include
field excursion transport and site access on 10, 11 and 12 Nov, but no meals are included.
Accommodation
As noted above, you will need to make all your own accommodation arrangements on each of
the islands that you choose to visit.
On Lanzarote, we will be recommending people book accommodation in the centre of Arrecife.
The whole island is a very popular tourist destination and rooms and apartments will be quite
expensive - and 1-2 November will be a public holiday weekend. Room prices for 2 people start
at around €450 (for 4 nights). Some well-known hotels near the waterfront in the city centre are
Hotel Miramar, Hotel Lancelot and Arrecife Gran Hotel and Spa. There are also many
apartments in this area.
We will provide suggestions for La Laguna (Tenerife), and Puerto Naos (La Palma) later.
Inter-island travel
For participants interested in doing the pre and/or post symposium field excursions, a full day
has been allowed for each inter-island transfer (Lanzarote-Tenerife and Tenerife-La Palma).
We suggest travelling by air, and for Tenerife, using Tenerife North Airport - Aeropuerto
Tenerife Norte Los Rodeos (TFN), as it is much closer to La Laguna than Aeropuerto Tenerife
Sur Reina Sofía (TFS). There are good bus connections between TFN and central La Laguna.
Alternatively, taxis are cheap (€10-12 for the journey).
Inter-island travel by ferry is also possible. It is cheaper than flying, but is slower and less
convenient. For example, the Lanzarote-Tenerife ferry goes via Gran Canaria Island and takes a
whole day. For travel between Tenerife and La Palma, most ferries depart from/ arrive at Los
Cristianos on the southwest coast of Tenerife, which is about 70km from La Laguna. With the
ferry ticket, you can include a transfer by bus (from the same ferry company) from Santa Cruz to
the ferry dock in Los Cristianos for a modest price.
An overview of the islands (that will be hosting ISV activities).
The Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean about 100km (at the closest point) off the
coast of Morocco. The archipelago comprises seven major islands and numerous smaller ones
and is largely the result of volcanic eruptions over the past 70 million years. Initially, the
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eruptions were on the ocean floor, but geological evidence suggests islands started to emerge
above the ocean surface about 20 million years ago.
The Canaries archipelago is an autonomous region of Spain and has a population of
approximately 2.27 million inhabitants. The islands are a very popular year-round tourist
destination, especially from Spain and other European countries. We have chosen the month of
November for ISV22 as autumn is the best season for a period of calm and still very pleasant
weather; it is after the end of the summer holiday season, but the weather will still be very
enjoyable. It should be mostly dry and daytime temperatures of 23-26˚C are common.
Many visitors travel to the islands for the sun, beaches and diving. Others go to experience the
fascinating blend of cultures, the local traditions, arts and festivals, or the rich flavours and
traditions of the local cuisine and the very fine wines. For some, it is the attractions of nature,
such as rugged volcanic landscapes and the endemic flora and fauna. For just a few, it is the
caves.
Lanzarote
Lanzarote is one of the few places in the world where most different types of volcanic
subterranean voids can be observed. The island hosts an exceptional variety of volcanic caves
including lava conduits (pyroducts), anchialine caves (having a subterranean connection to the
ocean), multilevel lava conduits, inflationary mono-trunk caves, complex labyrinthic pyroducts,
lava and gas domes, magma-chamber caves, volcanic sea caves, lava lake caves, and more - all
within an island measuring just 60 x 25 km.
Another major advantage is that all these features lie in an open, treeless landscape, free from
dense vegetation, making them easy to locate and access.
As result of the year-round sunshine and its short distance from Europe, Lanzarote has become
one of the most visited islands in the region. With a population of around 160,000 inhabitants,
the pressure from more than 3.5 million visitors each year is enormous.
The island is now governed by strict regulations and an extensive permit system for many
activities. In addition to being a UNESCO Global Geopark, Lanzarote includes national and
international nature reserves. Rangers and substantial fines help enforce the protections. As a
result, it is not easy for scientists or cavers to obtain access approvals for many sites.
The more than 250 caves on Lanzarote can be divided into several categories. The first consists
of caves for which it is impossible to obtain access without a specific scientific research purpose
(such as those in Timanfaya National Park). Another category lies on private land, where
permission may be negotiated directly with the owners. A third category includes caves for
which the Cabildo (local council) can grant permits. The fourth and final category covers caves
located on malpaís - the island’s barren volcanic badlands.
Keeping all this in mind, the ISV22 organisers are endeavouring to compile an itinerary that is
feasible. On one hand, participation in the Option A program has to be limited to 16 cavers; on
the other, we are targeting caves for which permits could realistically be obtained and would
make the long journey to the island worthwhile.
The Option B program will provide an opportunity for self-guided participants to visit a range of
recommended localities all related to vulcanospeleology.
Tenerife
With a population of almost 1 million inhabitants, Tenerife is the most populous island in the
archipelago. It is also the largest island, covering an area of around 2000 km2. The triangular-
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shaped island is about 80km long and up to nearly 50 km wide. Most inhabitants live close to
the coast, including in the two large cities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (210, 000) on the northeast
coast and San Cristóbal de La Laguna (160,000) which lies a short distance inland from Santa
Cruz. Relatively few people live in the northeast corner of the island or in the rugged interior,
dominated by Mt Teide (Pico del Teide), a strato-volcanic peak that last erupted in 1909. At
3718m high, it is the highest point in the Canaries and of Spain. The mountain is in the 190km2
Teide National Park, established in 1954 and in 2007, UNESCO declared the area as a World
Heritage Site. ISV participants will spend a day in the park (details will be available later).
Cueva del Viento is the most widely known cave on the island. It is a complex pyroduct (lava
tube) about 18km long with multi-level areas and several collapse entrances. A short (200m)
section on the edge of Icod de los Vinos is open to the public on guided tours. The cave is
managed by the Organismo Autónomo de Museos y Centros (OAMC), the autonomous
museums and centres organisation on Tenerife, which is supporting the ISV. For the field
excursion, participants will be split into a number of groups and visit different sections of the
cave. At least two or three of the groups will be taken to sections of Cueva del Viento that are
somewhat difficult to pass through, with short narrow passages and crawling, suitable for
participants who are comfortable with passages of medium difficulty. These parts can be
considered as wild caves. Time and resources permitting, a group may be able to visit the Cueva
de San Marcos on the coast of Icod. For participants seeking an ‘easy’ trip, the standard tourist
trip will be available. This includes the show cave section and a guided walk through the
surrounding forest to explore aspects of the local flora, fauna and ethnology.
La Palma
La Palma lies about 100km west of Tenerife. It is further out into the Atlantic Ocean than the
other islands and is more than 400km off the coast of Africa. It covers an area of approximately
700km2, making it one of the smallest of the ‘large’ islands. It is around 45km long and about 25
km across at its widest point.
The island has about 85,000 inhabitants. The capital city of the island, Santa Cruz de La Palma,
on the east coast, is the largest population centre with around 16,000 residents. Puerto Naos, on
the west coast, which is where the post-symposium field excursion will be based has a
population of about 600 permanent residents.
Topography of the island is dominated by the huge Taburiente caldera, more than 10km across
and up to 1500m deep, in the north central part of the island. Although the caldera is a volcanic
feature, much of the topographic expression seen today is erosional in nature. The caldera did
not form by collapse of the volcano into an empty magma chamber, but rather by a massive
landslide that collapsed the southern and southwestern sides of the volcano about 500,000 years
ago. Since then, water has carved deep valleys, with one large canyon running all the way to the
west coast.
A ridge (the Cumbre Vieja) running south from the caldera has many cones and craters along its
length. It is the most geologically active area in the archipelago with three major eruptions being
recorded over the past 76 years.
The most recent occurred over the last 3 months of 2021 and formed the Tajogaite volcano.
Eruptions of lava, tephra and ash resulted in catastrophic damage to parts of the island. The
town of Todoque was completely buried, connecting roads to other parts of the island were cut,
many houses, farms, businesses and jobs were destroyed and there was massive damage to
power, communications and water infrastructure. About 7,000 people were evacuated from the
area. Lava from the volcano flowed all the way to the west coast, a distance of about 6km,
creating a number of pyroducts in the process. The eruption was officially declared over on 13
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December 2021 and almost immediately, plans for repair and reconstruction were initiated. In
2022, a Special Commissioner for Reconstruction of La Palma was created to coordinate and
promote actions adopted by the General State Administration, controlled by the Spanish
Government. Some of the reconstruction initiatives have not been universally supported by local
residents.
Draft program
The dates in the following program are firm. However, amendments may be made to field trip
details, in response to access approvals, party size limits and other logistical considerations.
Optional pre-symposium field excursions on Lanzarote
Date Activity Accommodation in
Sat, 31 Oct Arrive Lanzarote Arrecife
Sun, 1 Nov Option A participants
Lanzarote field trip Day 1 - Jameos del Agua & exhibition on local
caves and Mars/ lunar investigations; Cueva de los Verdes show
cave.
Option B participants
Self-conducted program, but suggest:
making bookings for Jameos del Agua & exhibition on local caves
and Mars/ lunar investigations; Cueva de los Verdes show cave.
Early evening meal suggestion for all participants: El Castillo de
San José Restaurant, Arrecife.
Arrecife
Mon, 2/11 Option A participants:
Subject to permissions, visit Cueva de Los Naturalistas/ Bermeja
(el Golfo)/ Carmelo (el Golfo)/ Cueva del Camion, or other caves.
Option B participants:
Suggest visit to volcanic island of La Graciosa leaving from Orzola
(by ferry); or visiting the museum at Fundacion César Manrique
near Tahiche, including gas domes; vineyard/ winery area of la
Geria; and/ or a walk into Volcan del Cuervo.
Arrecife
Tue, 3/11 Option A participants:
Subject to permissions, visit Jameo de la Gente/ Maguez/ Tisalaya
5 and 6 (la Florida /Masdache), Cueva de Ye + lavafall (Risco de
Famara), or other caves.
Option B participants:
Suggest visit to Timanfaya Volcanic Park, including el Golfo lago
Verde, Volcanic Sea caves of Los Hervideros, Playa de Montana
Berbemeja.
Arrecife
Wed, 4/11 All field trip participants transfer to Tenerife (self-booked). La Laguna
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Core ISV22 Activities on Tenerife
Date Activity Accommodation in
Wed, 4/11 (Day free)
Evening reception at Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología
(MUNA) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
La Laguna
Thu, 5/11 Presentation session (Day 1) at Museo de La Ciencia y El Cosmos
(MCC), La Laguna.
[A meeting of the UIS Commission of Volcanic Caves will form part
of the presentation session on either this day or 7 Nov.]
La Laguna
Fri, 6/11 Field excursion to Teide National Park. La Laguna
Sat, 7/11 Presentation session (Day 2) at Museo de La Ciencia y El Cosmos
(MCC), La Laguna.
La Laguna
Sun, 8/11 Field excursion to caves near the town of Icod de los Vinos,
including Cueva del Viento.
Late afternoon: Symposium Dinner at a local restaurant near the
cave.
Evening: Return by bus to La Laguna.
La Laguna
Optional post-symposium excursion to La Palma
Date Activity Accommodation in
Mon, 9/11 Field excursion participants transfer to La Palma (self-booked)
Afternoon: Bus transfer from the airport (on the east coast) to
Puerto Naos (on the west coast) via Santa Cruz de La Palma
Puerto Naos
Tue, 10/11 La Palma field trip Day 1
Morning: hike to Tajogaite volcanic crater and view its lava flow
surroundings from several viewpoints. Tour of Las Palomas cave
(a pyroduct).
Afternoon: visit to Caños de Fuego Interpretation Centre. Attend
short presentation session focused on the recent eruption of Tajogaite
volcano and the formation of associated pyroducts (lava tubes).
Refreshments afterwards. Then return by bus to Puerto Naos.
Puerto Naos
Wed, 11/11 La Palma field trip Day 2
Visit pyroducts in the Tajogaite area. Some entrances have short
(5-6m) entrance pitches requiring SRT gear. Maximum group size
of 8 per visit, but possibility of multiple visits, transport between
caves by 4WD minibus.
Puerto Naos
Thu, 12/11 La Palma field trip day 3. Visit caves in the Mazo – Brena Alta
area, such as Fuente de La Canaria, Fuente del Niquiomo, Cueva
del Llano de Los Caños or Cueva Honda de Miranda. Transport by
4WD minibus.
Puerto Naos
Fri, 13/11 Depart La Palma/ participants own arrangements
We are looking forward to welcoming you to the Canary Islan

Literatur:

Hacke, Axel (2025): Wie fühlst du dich? Über unser Innenleben in Zeiten wie diesen, Dumont, Köln 2025

Links:

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