Weekend Wanderings: La Palma’s Salinas De Fuencaliente

The Fuencaliente (Hot Fountain) region in the South of La Palma has been getting a lot of attention lately due to increased volcanic activity. While the Canary Islands are a volcanic wonderland, not all volcanoes have gone sleepy. La Palma’s Teneguia last erupted in 1971 and a recent “seismic swarm” indicated that it’s far from being tame.

View from Volcan San Antonio over La Palma’s volcanic landscape with Volcan Teneguia to the right and the Salinas de Fuencaliente in the distance

Can you imagine salt flats in the middle of these active volcano fields?

Neither could I.

Yet there they are. Las Salinas de Fuencaliente are some 35,000 square metres of salt flats and the salt produced here is sold throughout La Palma under the brand name Teneguia (like the volcano on the photo above).

It’s a scenic drive from the town of Fuencaliente down to these salt flats, but the Salinas themselves are a photographer’s dream. The black lava rocks, the white salt mounds and the blue water of the ocean form the most beautiful contrast — probably more so on a sunny day or during sunrise, which I sadly didn’t get to experience this time…