Galapagos Islands Travel Notes #5 – Lava Tunnel

Discover Santa Cruz Island’s lava tunnels—explore ancient volcanic passageways and witness stunning geological formations in this natural wonder.

After seeing Los Gemelos, the giant pits of Santa Cruz covered with green vegetation and surrounded by scalesia trees, we changed our route to the lava tunnel. As the car we rented headed towards the lava tunnel, which was about 8 km away, I had no clear idea about this place in my mind. I had no idea what I would encounter or what I would see.

The journey took about 15 minutes. After driving on roads that were partly asphalt and partly muddy, we arrived at the entrance of the lava tunnel. The entrance of the tunnel was quite modest, unlike what I expected. Apart from a modest sign, there was nothing else in sight. In fact, it was not that easy to see the entrance of the tunnel. Who knows, maybe they did not want to spoil the surroundings of this natural structure with human hands.

I started to make my preparations to enter the tunnel. After making various plans in my mind to make sure my camera was working and to get as dirty as possible, I walked towards the entrance of the tunnel.

At the entrance, I was greeted by stairs leading down to the dark tunnel. I paused for a moment before descending the steps of the stairs because of the shiver inside me. One last deep breath seemed necessary before entering the dark tunnel. With a final salute to the light, the descent began, each step taking me further into the shadow. Slowly, the brightness faded behind me as I moved deeper into the unknow

The first thing I felt when I entered the lava tunnel was the humid air. I could clearly see and feel the humidity on the floor, walls and in the air I breathed. The tunnel was not completely dark. The lights placed at certain intervals illuminated the tunnel at least partially and helped against fear and accidents that the darkness could cause. Slowly, my eyes, skin, lungs and entire body began to adapt to this dark environment underground. Right after this short adaptation period, I started to gradually move towards the inside of the tunnel, also urged by the curiosity inside me.

The height of the tunnel was about 8 meters. The side walls were also quite wide. However, even this width could not prevent me from feeling uneasy from time to time. Although the ground was not very smooth, walking in the tunnel was generally quite comfortable. Still, from time to time I had to climb on some rocks, pass between them or walk while paying attention to the puddles on the ground.

In fact, there was a very difficult passage at one point. I had to crawl to pass this section, which was closed by the rocks piling up on each other. I said it was nice to get dirty, lay down on my face and walked through this part with some fear. The length of the tunnel was about 1 km. The entire tunnel was equipped with a lighting system. Thanks to this, the walking path and the details of the tunnel could be seen easily.

I completed the 1 km road feeling uneasy at times, getting a little dirty and being very much in awe of the power of nature. At the end of the tunnel, another staircase was waiting for me. This time, the steps were not going down but going up, leaving the darkness behind and bringing it to light. As I slowly climbed the stairs, I took one last look at the tunnel to say goodbye to this magnificent work of nature.

To get to the lava tunnel, you need to either take a taxi or rent a private vehicle. There is no fee to enter the lava tunnel. Although the tunnel generally has sufficient light, you can also bring a headlamp or flashlight with you if you wish. Don’t forget to take water with you. If possible, do not go alone to visit the lava tunnel. Although it is a very safe place, you never know what will happen to you in underground.

Be sure to check out my other posts about the Galapagos Islands listed below for more tips, insights, and must-see spots!

Galapagos Islands Travel Notes 1 – Planning Your Adventure

Galapagos Islands Travel Notes 2 – First Steps On Galapagos

Galapagos Islands Travel Notes 3 – Tortuga Bay

Galapagos Islands Travel Notes 4 – Los Gemelos