Volcanic eruption on La Palma: lava hell in vacation paradise

Hundreds of houses in the southwest of La Palma have already been swallowed by lava. Vacation areas are also affected. But there is cause for hope: the volcano has suddenly fallen silent.

Volcanic ash – it crunches with every step. A week ago, right after the first outbreak, it came down mainly in the immediate vicinity of the active chimneys. Today the ashes are also centimeters high, almost ten kilometers further in the island’s capital and on the airport runway.

Many now also wear FFP2 masks because of the volcanic ash. So far, there has been no problem with toxic sulfur gases, according to the head of civil defense, Miguel Angel Morcuende.

And there is cause for cautious hope: Since the morning the volcano has suddenly fallen silent – no more hissing, no more explosions. Volcanologists do not yet dare to judge whether it is just an interruption of the eruption.

Arrival and departure only by water

The centimeter-high ash cover on the airport runway in La Palma posed a threat to aircraft engines. That’s why the airport had to be closed on Saturday. Since then, arriving and departing tourists have had to plan a ferry crossing to or from Tenerife.

This is what a vacationer from mainland Spain experienced, whose flight to Madrid was canceled. She reports that she was forced to stay in Tenerife for one day, because a flight to the capital didn’t leave until the next day.

Ash cloud poses a danger to airmen

The airspace over La Palma is still open despite the ash cloud and clearing teams have cleaned the airport runway. But the risk for the airlines is too high, reported the Spanish state television on Sunday afternoon.

All flights on Sunday – more than 60 in total – have been canceled. The vacation trip to La Palma has definitely become more difficult.

But it is worth it, said Minister of Tourism Reyes Maroto last week on the radio station “Cadena Ser”. Anyone who has booked in an affected hotel will be accommodated somewhere else – and the natural spectacle is downright advertising.

Many tourist accommodations affected

Many on the island didn’t find that funny, not just those whose houses are buried under the lava. There were also many tourist apartments in the affected Ariadne valley. For example, Sandra and Jakob’s four tastefully decorated houses, which were not even a kilometer away from the volcanic cone.

“When we found the property, we just looked each other in the eye and knew: this is our home,” says Sandra. “Actually, I thought this is also the place where I’ll die one day. And we put everything into it. It was just our baby. The guests gave me so much back, every single guest who has stayed with us so far was, wrote to me and took part. I can’t believe it. ”

Sandra and Jakob are insured, but who knows how much they will really get reimbursed? And heart and soul cannot replace insurance. The two of them do not yet know whether, how or where they will start a new project.

Many neighbors are like you. In addition to personal fate, there is a problem for the island’s economy: if up to 2000 houses are ultimately buried under the lava, the island will also lack many accommodations for tourists who bring money to the island.