# MISSION: THE UNDERGROUND MILITARY BASE

I´m going to ask you two questions:

1.- Do you know what is the Pilgrim´s Operation?
2.-Can you imagine an underground military base built inside a volcano?

If you answered No... I have one mission for you:

During the second world war the general Franco and their Nazi allied arranged to invade Gibraltar.At the same time Churchill arranged to invade the Canary Islands.
this operation was called Pilgrim´s Operation.

To prevent  this, the general Franco built many defensive constructions in the coast of the islands.
One of the most important  was the underground military base of the mountain´s Arinaga.
This base is near to the Gando´s base and was very important in the strategy against the Pilgrim´s operation.

The underground base was built in a volcanic cone called Arinaga´s mountain.This is 200 metre high and dominate all the coast around.
In the actually the base are abandoned and its a natural park.There isn´t any problem to visit the zone because it is allowed .


I recommend to park the car in the Arinaga´s lighthouse  because you will enjoy an fantastic view of the "roque" and it´s near to the base.

Them you can walk toward the mountain and you will see trenchs and machine-gun nest in the way.Just in the middle of the mountain there is a edifice, walk to this old construction and you will find a tunnel.

Jump and explore all the underground base without danger because it´s safe.
Inside there are many rooms ( kitchens, baths...) in two levels, there are upstairs and Cannon balls elevator.

If you need there is a map for lost soldiers:

It´s an intense experience to walk like if you were in the "call of duty".
You must have a good light and "cojones" because in the walls of some rooms the local people have drawn Ouija boards to contact with the dead soldiers spirits.Do you feel their presence behind you? HAHAHA.

When you finish, go to the other exit of the first tunnel and walk to the old edifice.Before you reach, you will see a trench that upward to the summit of the mountain.

It´s an incredible experience because you walk into the lava layers and you can see all the geological parts of the volcano.



And you will feel like Teseo in the maze.

The trench continues in Zig Zag and finish in another tunnel but it´s difficult to entry because there is a landslide.You can walk to the right and you will see this command post:

There is an fantastic view: Cabron´s beach and the lighthouse with the "roque"

In the top of the mountain (The old crater)  you can find free souvenirs: the typical Pahoehoe lava.

For all of this i think it´s an amazing free attraction of the island that nobody know and i use to recommend to my friends.And if you don´t want to visit the underground base you almost should walk into the trench and see the view of the top.

P:S: The local people use to play paintball games in the old edifice.

The base is a famous place for the URBEX (Urban explorers).

ENJOY IT!