The Isla Bonita: laurel forests, young volcanoes and the best starry sky in the Canaries.
4-hour guided hike to the Tajogaite volcano, born in the 2021 eruption: an 8km trail with ±300m of elevation gain from Tacande to the rim of the youngest volcano in the Canaries, walking over ash fields beside the lava flows. Guide and transport from the meeting point included.
3-hour cruise from Tazacorte harbour with marine biologists: dolphins and whales in the wild, the Cueva Bonita sea cave, Porís de Candelaria and the volcanic delta created in 2021. Soft drinks and photos included, with a 96% sighting success rate.
Climb to Roque de los Muchachos, at 2,426 metres, with a StarLight guide: the observatory telescopes, sunset with a glass of wine and telescope views of stars, planets and galaxies under one of the world's best night skies. Hotel pickup and drop-off included.
Full-day loop around La Palma by bus with a guide: Tajuya square facing the Tajogaite volcano, the El Time viewpoint, Puntagorda farmers' market, Roque de los Muchachos, the Las Nieves shrine and the La Concepción viewpoint. Pickup included.
6-hour guided hike through the heart of the Caldera de Taburiente: off-road bus up to Los Brecitos and a descent along the PR LP 13 trail among Canary pines to the mineral-tinted Cascada de Colores waterfall and the Las Angustias ravine. Guide and bus transfers included.
A 5-day plan with the best-rated excursions, real prices and local tips. As a PDF, ready for your phone.
Download the guide (PDF)Free, no sign-up: straight download.
La Palma packs into 700 km² what other islands spread over twice the area: Spain's youngest volcano, an eight-kilometre crater turned national park and the best-protected starry sky in Europe. Excursions in La Palma split between hiking through laurel forest, guided routes across the Tajogaite lava flows and boat trips from Tazacorte, one of the deepest coastlines in the Canaries.
Most excursions leave from Santa Cruz de La Palma, Los Llanos de Aridane or Tazacorte harbour, and many include hotel pickup. Because the island is small and mountainous, groups stay small and booking ahead matters in high season: the volcano hike and the stargazing sessions at Roque de los Muchachos have places capped by regulation.
The guided hike across the Tajogaite volcano follows the 2021 eruption's lava flows with volcano guides who explain what you are walking on. In Caldera de Taburiente National Park the routes cross Canarian pine forest to viewpoints over the crater. At sea, trips from Tazacorte to watch dolphins and whales carry a marine biologist on board. And after dark, stargazing beside the Roque de los Muchachos observatory makes the most of one of the three best skies on Earth. To see it all without driving, the island highlights bus tour covers the green north and the volcanic south in a day.
The guided Tajogaite volcano hike is the island's best-rated activity (4.8 out of 5) and starts at €38. Next come stargazing at Roque de los Muchachos with local wine from €55, whale and dolphin watching with a marine biologist from Tazacorte at €60, and the guided Caldera de Taburiente route from €42.
Yes. The Tajogaite volcano (formerly known as Cumbre Vieja), which erupted in 2021, is visited on guided routes around the lava flows with accredited guides. Free access is not allowed for safety reasons: the guided hike lasts around 4 hours, starts at €38 and includes the geological story of what happened.
La Palma is a Starlight Reserve and home to the largest observatory in the northern hemisphere, at Roque de los Muchachos, 2,400 metres up. Its freedom from light pollution has been protected by law since 1988. Night observation trips start at €55 and include a telescope, an astronomy guide and, on some, local wine.
