In September 2021, the Tajogaite volcano erupted on La Palma's Cumbre Vieja ridge, producing the most destructive eruption in the island's recorded history. By the time it ended in December, lava had buried entire neighbourhoods, crossed the main road on the western coast, and reached the sea north of Puerto Naos. The island rebuilt remarkably quickly — most of the infrastructure is restored — but the lava fields themselves remain, black and raw, covering several square kilometres of what had been farmland and housing.
Visiting the lava fields is a strange and sobering experience. Interpretive paths have been opened through parts of the flow, and from the higher viewpoints you can see the full extent of the destruction — the buried roads visible only as gentle ridges beneath the surface, the lost churches and houses detectable only from old maps. The new coastline where the lava entered the sea is accessible and worth visiting: a black promontory of rough basalt extending into the Atlantic, formed in a matter of days. Puerto Naos and La Bombilla, two beach villages south of the lava, remain evacuated due to volcanic gas hazard; check current conditions before approaching.