Cueva del Viento
Encyclopedia
Cueva del Viento-Sobrado (Wind Cave) underground complex is the largest lava tube
in the European Union
and one of the largest in the world. It is the fifth largest in the world behind a series of caves in Hawaii
. It was created by lava flows from Pico Viejo
, next to Mt. Teide
. The cave is located in the town of Icod de los Vinos
in the north of the island of Tenerife
(Spain
).
It extends for more than 17 kilometers long and contains three different levels of passageways, all full of geomorphological phenomena such as lava pits and terraces.
The cave is also a place rich in fossil
s of the "Canarian megafauna". Remains have been found with the bones of Lacerta goliath and Canariomys bravoi, a giant lizard and a rat now extinct. And in several volcanic pipe entries found archaeological remains of the Guanches
, the ancient inhabitants of Tenerife.
Lava tube
Lava tubes are natural conduits through which lava travels beneath the surface of a lava flow, expelled by a volcano during an eruption. They can be actively draining lava from a source, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased and the rock has cooled and left a long, cave-like...
in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and one of the largest in the world. It is the fifth largest in the world behind a series of caves in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It was created by lava flows from Pico Viejo
Pico Viejo
Pico Viejo is a volcano located on the island of Tenerife . It is the second highest peak of Tenerife and the Canary Islands with a height of 3,135 m above sea level....
, next to Mt. Teide
Teide
Mount Teide , is a volcano on Tenerife, Canary Islands. Its summit is the highest point in Spain, the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic, and it is the third highest volcano in the world measured from its base on the ocean floor, after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea located in...
. The cave is located in the town of Icod de los Vinos
Icod de los Vinos
Icod de los Vinos is a municipality in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands , located in the northwest part of the island. Inhabitants of Icod are known in Spanish as "icodenses"....
in the north of the island of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
(Spain
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...
).
It extends for more than 17 kilometers long and contains three different levels of passageways, all full of geomorphological phenomena such as lava pits and terraces.
The cave is also a place rich in fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of the "Canarian megafauna". Remains have been found with the bones of Lacerta goliath and Canariomys bravoi, a giant lizard and a rat now extinct. And in several volcanic pipe entries found archaeological remains of the Guanches
Guanches
Guanches is the name given to the aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands. It is believed that they migrated to the archipelago sometime between 1000 BCE and 100 BCE or perhaps earlier...
, the ancient inhabitants of Tenerife.