TREKKING MONTAÑA NEGRA: PHOTOGRAPHING EL CUERVO FROM ABOVE

If I ask you about one of the most emblematic photographs of Lanzarote, I'm sure that a bird's eye view of the volcano "El Cuervo" will come to your mind, although what you probably don't know is that the famous shots of El Cuervo are not taken with a drone and you can get it too!

El Cuervo is the oldest volcano on Lanzarote, it was the first to erupt on the morning of the 1st of September 1730. It is a simple volcanic cone, one of those that can only explode with full force once, and it did explode! It is responsible for the transformation of the landscape of Lanzarote and the precursor of what is known today as Timanfaya National Park.

It is located in a key area near the region of La Geria and is surrounded by Timanfaya, La Montaña Negra and La Montaña Colorada. As well as being a very important historical enclave, it has a special visual charm as the crater is in perfect condition and has very characteristic terracotta colours.

La Geria volcanoes from the road to El Cuervo

The best known route around El Cuervo is the one that goes around it and into the interior of its crater, allowing us to enjoy its petrological richness, its dimensions and its majestic nature up close. This is an easy route, approximately 5 km long, with practically no gradient. There is a signposted public car park where you can park your vehicle and start the route from here. You can't miss it! However, this way we surround the volcano from its base and we can photograph it from a ground level perspective that does not allow us to cover the textures of the top of the crater.

"Well Mara, with a drone from the car park it would be very easy to get these shots" and you are right, but we have a slight problem... El Cuervo is located in a protected area and restricted to drone photography (like practically the whole island of Lanzarote). Yes, I know what you are thinking: "There are millions of snapshots of El Cuervo taken by drone" and so it is, after being in the area I have been able to verify that the perspective of many of the photographs taken of El Cuervo is not possible to get them unless we fly a drone in the vicinity and that is forbidden unless you get all the necessary permits from the competent authorities, which is a long and tedious process.

So, what can we do to avoid getting the bug to photograph El Cuervo from the top? Well, first of all, forget about comfort: grab your hiking shoes, plenty of water, some food in case you need to replenish your strength during the process and, of course, your camera... we're off to explore!

The only way to get the famous snapshot and enjoy the panoramic views of the area is by using our legs to complete the Black Mountain Trek. This is a trekking with a medium difficulty, having 166 m of very steep positive slope, so it is not suitable for all types of people. In fact, if you are going with small children, I do not recommend this option.

Montaña Negra is the volcano located just in front of El Cuervo. To access the route, leave your vehicle parked in the car park in El Cuervo and cross the road. The route is not signposted, so you will see many open trails. I recommend that you follow the easiest ones and don't take shortcuts if you don't have the stamina and endurance to do so. Why? Quite simply, this trek becomes more complicated as soon as we start the ascent, as the volcanic gravel on which we walk is quite loose and this means that for every three steps we take, we take one step backwards and we sink for most of the way. It sounds like fun, a new adventure! I would advise you not to be overconfident, it's a tough trail with no shade to shelter you from the sun, even at the top, which complicates the ascent in the middle of the day.

Textures of the crater took from the top of Montaña Negra

Having said that, I assure you that when you get to the top you will find the views are breathtaking, so it is well worth the effort and time invested.

It took us about 1:30 hours to complete the walk back to the car park, with a stop for lunch at the top and to enjoy the views - remember to pick up your rubbish before you leave and leave everything as you found it, so that we continue to take care of these beautiful surroundings.

All the ascent is on the side facing El Cuervo, so not only will you have views of El Cuervo at the top, but on the way down, the volcano will accompany you and you will be able to photograph it from different heights.

PRO photographic tips:
- Ascend in the hours around sunset. The sun sets over the back of El Cuervo crater, which will give you incredible golden tones and make the terracotta colours even more pronounced in low light.
- You will need a lens (or lenses!) with a range of focal lengths between 70mm and 300mm to get a well-proportioned shot. If you want to extract textures or close up's from the top of the crater, I recommend that you ascend with a telephoto lens with a focal length greater than 300mm.
- On calima days ascend in the central hours of the day to get less shadows and more light. The haze will do you the favour of creating a natural polarising filter which will soften the light to a constant sunset effect. Important: if you climb in the middle of the day and even if there is haze, remember to bring sunscreen and plenty of water to hydrate yourself.

I hope that on your next expedition to Lanzarote you enjoy the spectacular views from Montaña Negra and, now that you know how, take the wonderful snapshot of El Cuervo from the top!