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| Volcanic landscape of Teneguía |
On October 20, 1971, the earthquakes began, the intensity of which were gradually increasing, which alerted the residents of Fuencaliente, and the authorities deployed civil protection measures. The eruption of Teneguía, in the south of the island of La Palma, began at 4:25 p.m. on October 26, 1971, and lasted until November 18. It was the shortest eruption to have taken place in the Canary Islands, especially when compared to the one that lasted six years in the 18th century in what is now the Timanfaya National Park, in Lanzarote.
The Teneguía volcano had been inactive since 1677, when it began to expel lava. The population watched with curiosity and fear; Long lines of vehicles are remembered near the volcano to watch the lava show, especially at night.
The volcano caused material damage to the vineyards in the area and destroyed a beach, although it also created a new one. The final valuation of losses was six million pesetas, mainly in communication routes, crops and some houses, as reported at the time by La Vanguardia. There were also moments of anguish in the evacuation of 28 fishing boats from the Faro beach. A tourist died as a result of severe poisoning suffered by inhaling gases near the volcano, after breaking the security cordon established to protect the population.
The lava did not affect the populated areas and, as the volcano is to the south of the island, on the coast, the lava practically dumped straight into the sea, which increased the surface of the island by about two million square meters. This space of new land was declared a Natural Monument, and is one of the great attractions of the island: for many years, when walking through the recent lava, the earth was still warm. The Cumbre Vieja de La Palma, is one of the most active volcanic complexes in the Canary Islands. Three of the last four eruptions recorded on the islands have taken place here: San Juan volcano in 1949, Teneguía in 1971, and Tajogaite Volcano in 2021.
