Book in advance
Tours leave from the visitor centre at fixed times; without prior online booking there is no access.
Places guide · Volcanic heritage
Beneath the fields of Icod de los Vinos lie 18 kilometres of galleries formed by an eruption 27,000 years ago. It can only be visited with a guide, in small groups and with advance booking.
Why it is unique
The Cueva del Viento is no ordinary cave: at 18 km documented it is the longest volcanic tube in the European Union and one of the longest in the world. It formed around 27,000 years ago, when an eruption of the Pico Viejo volcano left three levels of superimposed galleries, the result of successive lava flows. The guided tour covers only one stretch — the rest is preserved for scientific research.
The visit lasts about two hours, in groups of up to 15 people. The price includes the vehicle transfer from the visitor centre to the mouth of the cave, plus a helmet and head torch. There are tours in Spanish, English, French and German at specific times — check the language when you book.
About 27,000 years ago, an eruption of Pico Viejo — Teide's twin volcano — sent lava flows down the slope. The surface cooled and solidified while the lava kept flowing underneath; when that channel drained, the tube was left. Successive flows left the three levels of galleries that can be explored today.
Above the tube, the volcanic terrain gives way to a monteverde of heather and beech trees (brezos and fayas) — a contrast worth looking at before or after going down, and one that gives an idea of how much time has passed since the eruption that formed the cave.
Three things to sort out before you go down.
Price, duration and what to bring.
Includes the transfer from the visitor centre to the cave.
€8.50 children from 5 years · €10 Canary Islands residents.
Because of the difficulty of the uneven terrain inside.
Per slot, with a guide throughout the tour.
Only through the official website, cuevadelviento.net.
At specific slots — check the timetable when booking.
About two hours in total, including the transfer from the visitor centre to the mouth of the cave.
€20 for adults and €8.50 for children from 5 years old; Canary Islands residents pay €10. The price includes helmet, head torch and the vehicle transfer.
Yes, it is compulsory. Groups are small — maximum 15 people — and in high season places sell out days ahead. Book at cuevadelviento.net.
From 5 years old, although you should consider the difficulty of the uneven terrain and the lack of natural light if your child gets anxious in enclosed spaces.
With 18 km documented, yes: it is the longest volcanic tube in the European Union and one of the longest in the world, although the guided visit covers only part of the total route.
An eruption of the Pico Viejo volcano, around 27,000 years ago, produced lava flows that cooled on the outside while continuing to flow on the inside — as they drained, they left the tube that is visited today. See the Teide guide →
Photo of the cave interior and the volcanic terrain: Mike Peel, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo of Pico Viejo: Alfonso Ramón, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo of Icod de los Vinos: Marc Ryckaert, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)