Las Grietas Volcanic Fissure

You step off the gravel by the road and straight into the rock: narrow passages between tall walls of volcanic stone, their faces carved into folds and ridges that change as you walk. Along the bottom it is easy going.

The better part is above. Past the two roped-off sections the ground climbs to an upper level, where smaller ravines branch off. The first main ravine is the one to go up. It is steep and narrow in places, with gravel shifting underfoot, and it is the stretch that makes the visit.

The rock is what photographers come for. In a narrow slot the light moves with the sun, and the walls warm in colour when it reaches down into them.

• Footwear: the ground is mostly loose gravel and slippery. Wear trainers or hiking shoes with grip, especially if you plan to climb to the top.
• No marked route: walk along the bottom past both roped-off sections, then climb to the upper level.
• The car park: the surface is unpaved, rough and uneven. Drive down slowly and think about it in a low car.
• No facilities: there are no toilets and no drinking water nearby. Bring water with you.

Las Grietas is a drive. The parking area sits right by the LZ-35, about 40 m away in a straight line, on rough, unpaved ground; take the way down off the road slowly. From the car it is a short walk over loose gravel into the cracks.

The nearest bus stop, Cruce Montaña Blanca, lies about 1.2 km away in a straight line. Otherwise the options are a car or a taxi.

Best: early morning, when the cracks are still empty.

Avoid: peak hours, when the parking area by the road gets busy.

The passages are narrow and hold few people at once, so a quiet hour makes the climb easier and keeps other walkers out of your photographs.