Mancha Blanca – Caldera Blanca – Mancha Blanca
Difficulty: Medium. Distance: 12km.
Duration: Approximately 3 hours.
Route: Circular. Car or Bus: Own transport or the local Arrecife bus route number 16 .
Essentials: Suitable clothing (depending on the time of year), sturdy walking shoes/boots, water, suncream, mobile phone, snacks and/or picnic, hat, walking poles & binoculars (if you have them).
Warning: This walk is not recommended to those who are afraid of heights, or who suffer from vertigo. This walk can be windy at times as there is no shelter as you walk around the rim of the crater. Although it is not hazardous, extra care should be taken.
The start of this walk, begins on the outskirts of the village of Mancha Blanca, at the northern side of Timanfaya National Park. If you are arriving by public bus, you will need to alight here in the village. There is a road which is signposted to Timanfaya National Park and Yaiza (LZ67) with a small football arena and running track on its corner. Whether driving or walking, you will need to proceed down this road. If you are driving, there is a carpark that you can use at the start of the trail. As you leave the village, you will come across a road leading off to your right and dirt track proceeding straight ahead towards the volcanoes which are clearly in view. You will need to take this track up to the small carpark where you will find a signpost referring to the walk.
The three peaks in front of you are the red coloured Montaña Calderata (322m), the white coloured Caldera Blanca (458m) and the brown coloured Risco Quebrado (312m). These three volcanoes make up a so called ´Islote´, an island within the sea of solidified lava. Caldera Blanca was formed between 3000 and 5000 years ago and during the Timanfaya eruptions, which took place between 1730 and 1736, this´Islote´was able to protect some of the farmland which heads out towards the coast. This land is still utilised now by local farmers. Due to the age of Caldera Blanca´s rock, thousands of years of erosion have made this volcano seem white against the surroundings of the newer, blacker solidified lava, giving it its name ´White Crater´. It is one of the few volcanoes on the island that you are permitted to climb.
The track that you will follow is clearly marked within the jagged volcanic rock of its surroundings. The path has been dug out of this solidified lava and now has a floor of larger, rounded pebble like, volcanic stones for you to walk over. The sound of walking on these stones resembles walking along a pebble beach at low tide. This track meanders through the lava field, where you will note that in various places, hardy green coloured lichens have covered the surfaces of these dry rocks. These lichens are one of the first plants species to have managed to adapt to the dry and hostile environment of this area, and although green in colour they are very dry and brittle when touched.
After 1.5km walking along this path, the volcanic stone underfoot is replaced by dry, reddish dust as you approach the foot of first of the three volcanoes. The first is Caldera Blanca´s lower neighbour La Caldereta. As you circle its base, you will notice that the path forks and, on taking a detour to the left, you are able to reach the rim of this crater. You will notice to your left, small derelict buildings used by goat farmers in the past. Returning back along the trail, you now bear left and continue towards to foot of Caldera Blanca through a further lava field. As you approach its base you will notice that the track bears left towards three animal pens whose walls are built from of volcanic stone. Turn left here. If the animals have, at that time, not been let out to graze, you will get to see an array of goats and a friendly white donkey.
The path bears left here, past the goat pens, and begins a gradual climb upwards. During some stages, the trail here is not clearly marked, and often seems as though you are walking in a shallow trench caused by previous rainfall, but after about five minutes you will notice to your right two small piles of stones indicating the start of the trail which will lead you gradually up the side of the volcano towards the rim of the crater. This is not a difficult climb as the path takes you diagonally across the face of the volcano´s wall walking again within small rainfall gullies. However, with there being a drop to your right as you climb this, as stated, would not be advisable for any person suffering from vertigo.
As your reach the summit of this trail you will be both amazed and in awe of the scene in front of you. Caldera Blanca is the largest crater here on the island, measuring 1200m across, and is perfectly circular with high walls, completely breathtaking. From this point, in a southerly direction, you will notice the summit of Risco Quebrado standing next to the furthest rim of the crater. Behind you, you will have a view across the lava flow towards the ocean and back towards the village of Mancha Blanca. To your left, in a northerly direction, you will have an aerial view of Montaña Calderata. You should bear left now and begin your ascent of the craters rim. The path here is approximately 3 metres wide and so there are no directly visable steep drops on either side.
Progressing up this path, you will be afforded views towards the north east which include the volcano at Soo, the old capital of the island Teguise, where the Castillo de Santa Barbára stands behind on Mount Guanapay, and the imposing ´Risco de Famara´ with its 15km long cliff face, one of the two mountain ranges here on the island, standing guard behind the beach of Famara. When you do reach the summit of the crater, approximately 6km into the walk, you will be rewarded views across Timanfaya National Park featuring its impressive cones, craters and jagged rimmed volcanoes. Here, at the wooden marker post, you can sit for a while and enjoy the fruits of your labour, in a place of absolute silence.
The descent is a matter of choice. You can either continue around the rim of the crater to the point where you arrived or merely follow the path back that you have just taken. Whichever way you choose, the views are extremely impressive to the end.
I hope that you enjoy this walk when you complete it. Please feel free to leave a comment as and when you do.
Now that you have found this page, please come further and find out about me and what I am doing here on Lanzarote.
Tags: Caldera Blanca, Montaña Calderata, Risco Quebrado, Timanfaya National Park
