Cueva de los Verdes bears this name due to the fact that it is situated within the property of the Verde family.
its entrance is about 2.500 metres from the ocean and at 70 metres above sea level. The accesses to the volcanic tube were formed by the lava reaching the sea and, compressing the air or the gases that filled the cavity, caused the collapse of a portion of the ceiling, creating the two entries to the cave.
Around 1377, ships of Basques and Andalusians used to assault the African coast, but unfortunately some of them found Lanzarote on their way and proceeded to kill the pacific aborigines. We stress the word pacific because in 1312, the Genoese Lancelot Malocello arrived at the island and lived in harmony with them for twenty years. In 1380, the Basques, led by Gonzalo Peraza Martell, caused havoc in the island and captured 170 islanders, amongst them King Timanfaya, from whom nobody ever heard again. It is assumed that they were sold as slaves in the main European ports. (A king, who lives in perfect harmony with his people, is captured by a bunch or murderers and certainly sold as a slave. And they call this progress….). The few aborigines that managed to escape took refuge in the caves. Beginning in 1556, Don Agustin Herrera captures thousand of slaves, but later sets them free on the condition that they would not desert. In 1569, Sheik Calafat raided the island and, even though he could not stop the inhabitants from hiding in the caves, obtained a large booty of cattle and goods.
Special mention must be made of the fact that in 1571, the Moorish captain Dogali disembarks and proceeds to kill men, women and children and then, very calmly, robs and steals from under the corpses.
In 1618, another two Moorish captains, Jaban and Soliman, at the head of five thousand Turks and North African Moslems attack the island; parts of the population hide in the Castle of Guanapay and Cueva de los Verdes. On the first of May the invaders block the exit of the cave in the hope of having the islanders come out spurred by hunger, but the Conejeros (Lanzarote inhabitants) were coming out of the cave in search of food through a false door called "Los Almacenes". This stalemate continued until the 20th of May, when a renegade, Francisco Amado, in the hope of saving his family, tells the invaders about this secret entrance, who then proceed to block it. Finally, 800 people came out of the cave, 600 of them were "bartered" for food and utensils and 200 ended up in the Algerian markets, 80 young virgins amongst them.
At present Cueva de los Verdes is a tourist attraction, and the colours and shapes of the location, as well as the constant temperature that is maintained inside, marvel the visitors. NOTE: There is a large precipice at Cueva de los Verdes that gives out an outstanding echo.

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