I spent five days on La Palma, arriving by ferry from La Gomera and staying in Santa Cruz de La Palma, which served as a convenient base for exploring the island using a mix of public buses, guided tours, and hiking.

La Palma is often called “La Isla Bonita”, and the island quickly proved why with dramatic volcanic landscapes, deep forested ravines, and spectacular viewpoints across the Caldera de Taburiente.

Caldera de Taburiente - The Heart of the Island

On my first afternoon I headed directly into Caldera de Taburiente National Park. Starting from the visitor center, I hiked up to Pico Bejenado, one of the best viewpoints over the enormous volcanic crater.

From there the route continued toward Mirador de La Cumbrecita, where the main paths were unfortunately closed. The return via the Ermita de la Virgen del Pino led through a different valley landscape, but it still made for a scenic and varied circular hike before returning to the visitor center for the transfer back to Santa Cruz.

Later in the trip I returned to the caldera region on a guided hike from Roque de los Muchachos to Pico de la Cruz, where the high-altitude viewpoints revealed the immense scale of the crater and the surrounding volcanic landscape.

Rainforests and Northern Coast

One day was dedicated to the lush northeastern part of the island. After a short morning walk through Santa Cruz’s historic streets, I traveled to Los Sauces to explore the famous Los Tilos laurel forest.

The main trails were unfortunately closed during my visit, but the area still gave a glimpse of the island’s ancient cloud forest ecosystem. I continued on foot to Charco Azul, a natural swimming area along the rugged coast.

In the afternoon I visited Cubo de la Galga, one of La Palma’s classic rainforest hikes. The trail winds through dense vegetation and viewpoints above the canyon, though the muddy conditions made the walk somewhat less enjoyable.

Volcanoes and Southern Landscapes

A major highlight of La Palma is the Ruta de los Volcanes, a long ridge trail across the island’s volcanic spine. I joined a guided hike from Refugio El Pilar to Los Canarios, crossing lava fields and volcanic cones created during historic eruptions.

Unfortunately the weather was poor, with rain and heavy cloud covering much of the landscape during the first half of the hike. Later that evening, a stargazing tour I had booked was also cancelled due to the weather.

Western Valleys and Lava Landscapes

Another excursion led across the island to the western side.

From El Paso I visited the Museo de la Seda, explaining La Palma’s long silk-making tradition. After a stop at the Centro de Interpretación de Petroglifos de El Paso (closed at the time), I continued to Los Llanos to visit the Museo Arqueológico Benahoarita, dedicated to the island’s indigenous culture.

From there I hiked down toward the coast, reaching Playa de Tazacorte and the colorful town of Tazacorte itself.

The final highlight of the day was a guided visit to Cueva de Las Palomas next to the Centro de Interpretación Caños de Fuego, where a lava cave formed during historic eruptions can be explored underground. This area lies very close to the zone affected by the 2021 Tajogaite eruption, and the bus ride there already passed through striking landscapes of buried roads, ash-covered terrain, and newly reshaped volcanic ground. The recent eruption and its impact on the island were also an important part of the guided tour. After the cave visit, I also had a quick look at the interpretation center itself before starting the long bus journey back to Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz de La Palma

Between excursions I also explored Santa Cruz, one of the most charming small capitals in the Canary Islands. The historic center features traditional wooden balconies, colonial streets, and views over the Atlantic.

During my stay I walked through the old town several times, including a visit to the Museo Insular de La Palma and the Iglesia Matriz de El Salvador. I also completed a scenic hike along the Ruta de los Molinos up to the Real Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, overlooking the town.

Overall Impression

La Palma offers some of the best hiking landscapes in the Canary Islands, with dramatic volcanic scenery and lush forests in a relatively compact area. Weather conditions and trail closures limited some experiences during my visit, but the island still delivered impressive viewpoints and rewarding hikes.