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Volcanic rock formations on the desert plain of Teide National Park, with the cone of Teide behind

Sample journey · 8–10 days

Laurel, lava and stars: Tenerife and La Palma

La Laguna, the Anaga, Teide, the Caldera de Taburiente & the Ruta de los Volcanes

Photo: Martin Winkler / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

For many people the Canaries mean sun and a pool on Tenerife's southern coast. This journey goes elsewhere: to the island's green, damp north, where the old town of La Laguna became a model for many cities in Latin America, and the laurel forests of the Anaga recall a time when similar forests covered much of southern Europe. Then the road climbs into Teide National Park, a lunar landscape more than two kilometres up, beneath Spain's highest mountain, where the night sky is dark enough for the Milky Way to cast its own light.

The second half is La Palma, which islanders call 'la isla bonita': the Caldera de Taburiente, a vast crater lined with Canary pines, the Ruta de los Volcanes along the Cumbre Vieja ridge, and the landscape reshaped by the 2021 eruption, parts of which can now be visited with a guide. The journey suits active travellers and families with children who enjoy walking: most hikes take four to six hours, and the longer ones can always be shortened. The climate is mild all year round, which makes this a good journey for autumn or winter too.

The route

The journey

  1. La Laguna
  2. The Anaga mountains
  3. Teide National Park
  4. Flight or ferry to La Palma
  5. Caldera de Taburiente
  6. The Ruta de los Volcanes & Fuencaliente
  7. Roque de los Muchachos
  1. The green ridges and valleys of the Anaga mountains, with a small house on the slope in the foreground

    01Days 1–4 · La Laguna & the Anaga

    A colonial town and a cloud forest

    From Tenerife's northern airport it's barely a quarter of an hour to La Laguna, and three nights in the old town or a country house nearby. La Laguna, protected by UNESCO, keeps the street grid laid out in the 16th century and later echoed in Havana and Cartagena de Indias: coloured houses with timber balconies and inner courtyards, student cafés and car-free evening walks. On day two, the Anaga mountains, a biosphere reserve: in the morning a trail from Cruz del Carmen leads through laurel forest where moss coats the branches and cloud drifts between the trunks. In the afternoon, down to Taganana, a white village on a steep slope, and a fish lunch by a black-sand beach. On day three, a longer trail along the sea ridges or a quiet morning in town.

  2. A walker on a volcanic trail in Teide National Park in early morning light

    02Days 4–6 · Teide National Park

    A lunar plateau beneath the Milky Way

    About an hour's drive up through the pine woods, and two nights at a mountain hotel inside the park or a country house high above the Orotava valley. In the morning, the Roques de García, wind-carved rocks at the very foot of Teide, and a short trail around them; in the afternoon, the cable car that lifts you close to the summit, with views of the other islands. The summit itself, at 3,715 metres, can only be reached with a national park permit obtained in advance, so we arrange it as we plan the journey. In the evening, stargazing with an astronomer: Teide is one of the world's best places to watch the sky, with observatories close by. On the second day, an easy walk across the pumice fields of Montaña Blanca or the Orotava valley with its old houses and gardens. At this altitude nights are cold even in summer.

  3. Steep ridges of the Caldera de Taburiente covered in Canary pines, seen from La Cumbrecita

    03Days 6–8 · The Caldera de Taburiente

    Pines inside a giant crater

    A short flight from Tenerife's northern airport or a longer ferry crossing, and La Palma: four nights in a country house or small hotel on the west side of the island, near El Paso or Los Llanos de Aridane. On the first day, the La Cumbrecita viewpoint on the rim of the crater and short trails among the Canary pines. On the second, a full-day walk: a taxi to Los Brecitos, a trail down to the crater floor where streams run, and back out along the Barranco de las Angustias, about six hours with rests. The walls of the Taburiente rise almost two kilometres, and pines grow here even on vertical rock. After rain the gorge trail can be closed, so this day is planned flexibly.

  4. A volcanic crater of red and black rock above the blue ocean near Fuencaliente, La Palma

    04Days 8–9 · The Ruta de los Volcanes & Fuencaliente

    A ridge over the volcanoes

    The Ruta de los Volcanes is one of the finest walks in the Canaries: from the El Pilar recreation area it follows the Cumbre Vieja ridge south past black and red craters, with views over both coasts of the island. The full route to Fuencaliente takes roughly six to seven hours, though a shorter section is just as possible. Near this ridge, in the autumn of 2021, an eruption lasting three months buried homes, farms and roads; some trails remain closed, and the new volcano's surroundings can only be visited with licensed guides. For the people who live here it is a recent and painful loss, so we visit respectfully and as local rules allow. In the afternoon, the San Antonio volcano, the salt pans by the sea and wine from vineyards growing straight out of black volcanic ash.

  5. Observatory domes beneath the Milky Way at night on Roque de los Muchachos

    05Days 9–10 · Roque de los Muchachos

    Above the clouds, beside the telescopes

    On the last full day, the road to Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma's highest point at more than 2,400 metres, where the domes of international observatories stand on the crater rim. In the morning you are often above a sea of cloud, with the whole Caldera de Taburiente below. La Palma was among the first places in the world to pass a law protecting its sky from light pollution, so the final evening belongs to the stars, at a viewpoint or with a local astronomer and a telescope. During the day, Santa Cruz de La Palma, the island's capital, with timber balconies above the sea, and lunch of papas arrugadas with mojo sauce. On day ten, the flight out of La Palma, usually via Tenerife or Madrid. The roads to the summits are winding, so we allow extra time.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The laurel forest of the Anaga

    Moss-hung trees and cloud between the trunks: an ancient forest that survives only on a few Atlantic islands.

  2. 02

    Stars above Teide

    A night more than two kilometres up, with an astronomer and a telescope.

  3. 03

    The floor of the Caldera de Taburiente

    A full-day walk into the crater and back out through the gorge: the heart of La Palma.

  4. 04

    The Ruta de los Volcanes

    A ridge between craters with views of two coasts, and wine from volcanic ash soils.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With children

    The long hikes give way to shorter trails, and one day goes to whale and dolphin watching from a responsibly run boat; they're often seen between Tenerife and La Gomera.

  • Slower and more comfortable

    Instead of several bases, one fine country house on each island, with short walks, wineries and quiet mornings on the terrace in place of the long hikes.

  • In autumn or winter

    The Canaries are mild all year, so this works well from October to March; only high in the mountains can winter bring snow, and Teide's roads occasionally close.

  • With La Gomera

    Three days on La Gomera between Tenerife and La Palma: the Garajonay laurel forest, terraced valleys and the whistled language, silbo.

Practical considerations

  • The climate is mild year-round, but the islands' north is damper and cloudier, and mountain weather turns quickly: sunshine in the morning can become mist and wind by afternoon. Nights at altitude are cold even in summer.
  • The Teide summit needs a national park permit obtained in advance, and some other popular spots (La Cumbrecita, for example) have advance registration or parking limits; we check the current rules before you travel.
  • Since the 2021 eruption, some trails and roads on La Palma are still closed or restricted, and the new volcano's surroundings are visited only with guides; we check current access before you travel and on the ground.
  • Between the islands there are short domestic flights or ferries; schedules change, so we confirm them closer to the journey.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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