city: La Palma

Northern La Palma North with Three Guided Hikes

The northern part of La Palma is where Palmeros still live as they've done for hundreds of years. Isolated by deep ravines and gorges, this half of the island boasts some heart-pounding natural scenery. And you'll explore it on this full day tour in a small bus complete with three laidback walks. Maria, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘There's a brilliant network of well-marked trails covering approximately 1,000km on La Palma. Mostly, the trails follow the traditional routes that have been used by the inhabitants of the “Isla Bonita” for centuries.'We'll set off from the west of the island and head north. Our first stop will be El Time lookout, which boasts stirring views over the Aridane Valley, Las Angustias gorge and the coast. Your first 45-minute walk will be in the almond-growing region of Las Tricias, where you can also spot dragon trees. Maria says, ‘Dragon trees can grow up to 12 metres tall, but in fact they're not considered trees from a botanical perspective. This is because they lack annual rings, and they belong to the same family as garlic and asparagus, though they look more like supersized broccoli.'You'll cross deep gorges on your way to the town of Garafia Santo Domingo, where you'll set off on another walk to remote villages. There's a quick stop at a rum factory before we take a thrilling road through the cloud forest with numerous tunnels. You'll walk through the forest near San Andres and finish up at the astronomical viewpoint of Las Toscas.