Overview
The main focus of this eight day, self-guided holiday, walking in La Palma, is Caldera de Taburiente National Park. Named after the massive volcanic crater at its heart, the park is also rich in pine forests, streams and waterfalls. You can trek to the crater’s ridge, explore the Ruta de Los Volcanes, climb up ancient lava flows, and cool down in a multicoloured waterfall or Cascada de los Colores. It gets its name from the vibrant colours visible on its rock face, created by a magical mix of minerals. Just one of many bewitching places on this natural adventure. Stay in a mix of small, locally-owned hotels, with luggage transfers.
Please note: All hiking routes that were closed due to the volcanic eruption of September 2021 are open again.
- Cubo de la Galga
- Caldera de Taburiente National Park
- Pico Bejenado
- Ruta de Los Volcanes
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in La Palma
Arrive at La Palma airport. Taxi transfer to the first accommodation in the capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma. Your hotel is located in the Old Town’s quarters opposite the volcanic black pebble beach.
- Accommodation: Holiday Time Hotel or similar in Santa Cruz de la Palma
Day 2: Cubo la Galga | 7-12km
In the morning, you are transferred to Cubo de la Galga, one of the cloud forests typical of the Canary Islands. Today’s walk starts on wide paved forest paths before changing to unpaved country roads surrounded by Canarian banana plantations as you head to the coast. Choose to end the walk at the 7km mark or continue on to 12km before catching a ride on the Guagua public bus (payable locally), to Barlovento for the evening.
- Walking for the day: 7km, 4h, ↑450m ↓450m (longer option: 12km, 5.5h, ↑650m ↓800m)
- Accommodation: La Palma Romántica or similar in Barlovento
Day 3: Los Franceses – Barlovento | 11km
You are transferred to the village of Los Machines de Franceses, located in one of the most remote parts of the island. Follow the historic Camino Real de Los Machines, walking back to Barlovento via La Tosca, famous for its magnificent Canary Island dragon trees.
- Walking for the day: 11km, 5-6h, ↑925m ↓725m
- Accommodation: La Palma Romántica or similar in Barlovento
Day 4: Pico de La Nieve – Virgen del Pino | 15km
You are transferred to the foot of Pico de La Nieve (2,039m). Today’s route follows the edge of Caldera de Taburiente. The long descent along Camino Real begins through pine forests and El Reventón until you reach the Virgen del Pino chapel. Then, it’s only a few kilometres further to the National Park Visitor Centre, where you can take the Guagua bus (payable locally) to Llanos de Aridane for an overnight stay.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 6h, ↑420m ↓1,420m
- Accommodation: Hotel Benahoare or similar in Los Llanos de Aridane
Day 5: La Caldera de Taburiente | 17km
After a short transfer to Los Brecitos, at the heart of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, begin your descent to the bed of Taburiente River. Then walk towards Roque Idafe with a stop en route at Cascada de los Colores, a multicoloured waterfall dyed by the sulphur generated by the caldera. You are transferred at the end of the route to Los Llanos de Aridane.
- Walking for the day: 17km, 6h, ↑250m ↓900m
- Accommodation: Hotel Benahoare or similar in Los Llanos de Aridane
Day 6: Tazacorte | 8-11km
Today’s route starts with a steep climb across an ancient lava flow to the western edge of the Taburiente crater. The route then gradually descends over footpaths and unpaved country roads to the restaurant and Mirador El Time, the end of the standard walk. Alternatively, the route extension continues further downhill along paved but quiet lanes to the beach town of Puerto Tazacorte. This is the perfect place for lunch before travelling back to the hotel in Llanos de Aridane by public transport (payable locally).
- Walking for the day: 8km, 4h, ↑250m ↓985m (longer option: 11km, 5.5h, ↑250m ↓1,490m)
- Accommodation: Hotel Benahoare or similar in Los Llanos de Aridane
Day 7: La Ruta de Los Volcanes | 9-18km
On the last day, you are transferred to another classic in the island’s hiking repertoire, the Ruta de Los Volcanes, between the hermitage of the Virgen del Pilar towards Los Canarios. It is a route of great geological interest, even more so after the most recent volcanic eruption at Cumbre Vieja in September 2021, demonstrating the shaping and destructive force of nature.
To shorten the route, ask the taxi driver to head to Los Canarios (supplement to be paid locally), enabling you to complete only the last part of the route, towards Fuencaliente Lighthouse. In both cases, continue on in the afternoon by public bus (payable locally) to Santa Cruz, where your luggage awaits you at the hotel.
- Walking for the day: 9km, 3h, ↑60m ↓760m (longer option: 18km, 6-6.5h, ↑550m ↓1,270m)
- Accommodation: Holiday Time Hotel or similar in Santa Cruz de la Palma
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of small, locally-owned hotels. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Holiday Time Hotel (Santa Cruz de la Palma)
- La Palma Romántica (Barlovento)
- Hotel Benahoare (Los Llanos de Aridane)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. There are plenty of options for dinner in the villages and towns.
Difficulty and terrain
This walking tour is graded moderate to strenuous and can be quite demanding, with walks of 4-7 hours a day with long (sometimes very steep) ascents and especially descents (up to 1,200m in a day). The walks follow cobbled tracks, either surfaced or unsurfaced footpaths and mule trails. You must be sure-footed as you may encounter some loose rock or muddy/slippery sections in wet weather. The crater edges demand a head for heights but can be avoided if necessary (read more about difficulty grades). Most of the routes are very well way-marked, and we will provide you with detailed road notes, GPS tracks and maps. We strongly advise you to follow the trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This tour is available throughout the year. The weather is very pleasant and spring-like at any time of the year. The months of June, July, and August are the hottest, and it is important to keep hydrated and wear plenty of sun cream.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. For more information on the best time to go to the Canary Islands, and the rest of Spain, see our blog post: Best time to go to Spain.
Please note that during the Carnival festivity from 03 February to 09 February 2027, the accommodation in Barlovento requires a minimum stay of five nights.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Santa Cruz de La Palma (SPC).
- Airport transfers (Santa Cruz de Palma) on arrival and departure are included in your package.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights accommodation
- 7 breakfasts
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you prior to departure, and no printed documents are mailed or provided on-site
- Arrival and departure airport transfers (Santa Cruz de Palma)
- Transfers on walking days 2-7 to the start of the trail
- Transfer from the end of the walk on day five to the hotel
- Luggage transfers when changing hotels (one piece per person up to 20kg)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and additional transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Supplement for dinner if travelling on 24 and 31 December
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights along the trail
- Supplements for dinner on 24 and 31 December
- Private transfers instead of the above mentioned bus transport
Spain’s legal requirement for personal information
Please note: in December 2024, the Spanish government introduced a new law making it a legal obligation for all visitors to Spain to share personal details with their accommodations and car rental companies. Consequently, as we book your accommodation for you, we are obliged to pass these on to our local partners on the ground. After booking your holiday, we will send you a form to complete requesting all the legally-required information, including: name, nationality, gender, passport number, DOB, address, phone numbers and email address. This applies to all travellers aged 14 and over. If you are travelling with people under 14 years old, you need to declare your relationship to them. We apologise for any inconvenience. For more information, see here.
