Mr Wilcox says...
Weather in January was disappointing. Damp, cold and on the day we should have walked down from the highest point icy, so walking was prohibited.
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La Palma, nicknamed La Isla Bonita (the pretty Isle), is a relatively unheard of volcanic island in the western Canaries. For its small size it features a vast amount of diverse scenery, from dense cloud forest to volcanic landscapes with twisted rock formations and black sand beaches. This walking itinerary is designed to take advantage of the island's well waymarked paths. These start on the eastern side of La Palma, follow the coast to the north and then finally head south across the great Caldera which dominates the island.
Please note routes may vary dependent on the recent volcanic activity on the island.
Arrive into La Palma and take an airport transfer to your hotel in the capital. Have a wander around the pretty town, which is famous for its iconic balconies and its lively cafe and restaurant scene, before stopping for dinner somewhere.
After a short 15 min transfer to Puntallana, today's walk follows the GR130 long-distance coastal path that runs across La Palma, through dramatic barrancos (ravines) with stunning coastal views. You will walk through citrus groves, avocado and mango orchards, small vineyards and banana plantations, arriving in the pretty village of San Andres, one of the first colonial towns on the island. Take some time to explore the cobbled streets and houses in the historic quarter, visit one of the oldest churches on the island, enjoy a side visit to a local rum factory or take a dip in the seawater pools at Charco Azul. Taxi transfer to your hotel.
Distance covered: 15km / 9 miles
Meals included: Breakfast
After breakfast and a short taxi transfer, begin to walk uphill to Los Sauces, a small town with a vibrant atmosphere on the north east coast. Enjoy negotiating the dramatic 'Barranco de Herradura', and then ascend just over 500m through several small villages to reach Barlovento (meaning 'fresh breeze') a village which enjoys breathtakingly beautiful sea views.
Distance covered: 10km / 6 miles
Meals included: Breakfast
From Barlovento, follow a path through the ‘Dragon Trees Forest’, across undulating coastline with spectacular views towards the cliffs. Navigate a series of barrancos to reach Los Gallegos, and then descend to sea level, crossing the dramatic Barranco de Franceses before ascending to the pretty village of Franceses; At the end of the walk, take the public bus (fare included) back to Barlovento.
Distance covered: 13km / 8 miles
Meals included: Breakfast
After a short transfer this morning you use ancient paths to discover the far north of La Palma, one of the most unspoiled parts of the island. Walk across the Barranco de Los Hombres, a spectacular steep-sided gorge, to reach the tiny hamlet of El Tablado. Then a steep ascent to yet another tiny hamlet, Roque del Faro, before taking a public bus (fare included) back to your hotel in Barlovento.
Distance covered: 10 km / 6 miles
Meals included: Breakfast
Today you take a transfer (1 hour) to walk an exciting section of the GR131 route from the highest point of the island, Roque de los Muchachos, along the rim of the crater Caldera de Taburiente, to the Pico de la Nieve. The route has breathtaking views across the island and the high mountain paths twist and turn across the rocky landscape. In the distance it is possible to see the peak of Mount Teide on Tenerife, emerging from the horizon, 3750m above sea level. After a soft descent, your transfer takes you to the capital of Santa Cruz.
Distance covered: 13 km / 8 miles
Meals included: Breakfast
Take an unforgettable walk today along the ‘Ruta de Los Volcanes’. Here you navigate a series of volcanoes in the south of the island, with some of them having erupted only a few years ago. This is the longest walk of the trip, and although it involves a substantial descent it is a very popular and well-marked path, following the GR131 from beginning to end.
Distance covered: 19 km / 11 miles
Meals included: Breakfast
If you have time before your flight, take a small walk around Santa Cruz. This fascinating town attracted Flemish merchants who built imposing town palaces, which today accommodate museums and boutiques. A walk along the Calle Real, visiting the Plaza de España, Town Hall or the food market will be a perfect end to your La Palma experience before your flight home.
Meals included: Breakfast
During your holiday you stay at the following hotels. If you'd like to extend your time at any of these or, if you'd like to enhance your stay with an upgraded room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347, use our live webchat or email usa@exodustravels.com
7 nights accommodation in small hotels and apartments, all en suite.
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 1-800-267-3347 or email us at usa@exodustravels.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
Weather in January was disappointing. Damp, cold and on the day we should have walked down from the highest point icy, so walking was prohibited.
The majority of our trip was lovely, the only downside was our experience at Hotel Romantica, which was quite negative. The hotel was quite uncared for, in need of maintenance and modernisation, the public areas particularly had a musty feel and were dark. The owner was rude, we had queried the previous evening why our starter took an hour to arrive after we had sat down. The following morning, Christmas day, he confronted us aggressively, insisting it was half an hour, he didn't even bother with 'Good Morning'. This incident soured our stay at this hotel, he rarely acknowledged us for the remainder of our visit.
We enjoyed the walking, the routes and the Holiday Time hotel in Santa Cruz was delightful.
Headwater were really helpful and met our various requests. It was an excellent trip with varied walks which really give you a feel for the La Palma. Recommend you use the first walk to gague the timings suggested in the instructions, and use a map too. Take plenty of water and snacks as cafés along some routes are closed. Take a swim suit on the Charco Azul walk as the sea pools there are great, and a refreshing way to end the walk. Make sure you have your camera charged as the scenery is stunning!!!
Excellent walking trip on a beautiful scenic island
Should any changes be made to your accommodation, make sure that Headwater explain any differences between the original and new accommodation. The changes didn’t bother us but may bother some people (ie. Spar hotel with swimming pool was changed to a simple - albeit lovely B&B).
An interesting island for walking with a good network of well signed footpaths. We enjoyed our week and everything went smoothly.
La Palma has some wonderful walks. Pretty, attractive landscape, varying from lush, verdant plantations at sea level to stark volcanic landscapes at 2,400m. There is nowhere flat on La Palma! Some of the walking is very strenuous, but quite spectacular as you walk up and down steep-sided barrancos. Day 4 is the equivalent of walking from sea level to the top of Snowdon in 12kms. The location of the accommodation and the combination of taxis and buses to get to and from walks works very well. Santa Cruz is picturesque and compact with plenty of good places to eat and drink.
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 7 night self-guided walking holiday includes:
Hotel-to-hotel accommodation in a mix of hotels
Breakfasts daily
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Route directions and maps
How to book:
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'book now' or 'check availability' button below.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'check availability' button below.
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30th Mar 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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6th Apr 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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13th Apr 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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20th Apr 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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27th Apr 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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4th May 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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11th May 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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18th May 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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25th May 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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1st Jun 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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8th Jun 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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15th Jun 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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22nd Jun 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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29th Jun 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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6th Jul 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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13th Jul 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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20th Jul 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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27th Jul 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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3rd Aug 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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10th Aug 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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17th Aug 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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24th Aug 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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31st Aug 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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7th Sep 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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14th Sep 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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21st Sep 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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28th Sep 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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5th Oct 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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12th Oct 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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19th Oct 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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26th Oct 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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2nd Nov 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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9th Nov 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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16th Nov 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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23rd Nov 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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30th Nov 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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Departing | Tour only | Prices ![]() |
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7th Dec 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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14th Dec 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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21st Dec 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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28th Dec 2023 | US$2349 | US$480 | Tour only: US$2349 Single supp: US$480 |
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The prices quoted for each individual departure supercede those published in our current brochures. Air prices are subject to change and we advise early booking to obtain the best prices. Please see our Planning your holiday and What's included in the price? pages for additional information.
Solo travellers
Please call for details and prices
Children
Please contact us for child prices.
Holiday type
Self-guided walking Managed locally by Headwater appointed agent.
Departures
Thursdays from 30th Mar 2023 to 28th Dec 2023, for 7 nights. All dates are subject to availability, please contact us to check.
Meals
Breakfasts daily
Tour only
Transfers can be arranged at a supplement from La Palma airport at a time to suit and back to La Palma airport at a time to suit.
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'book now' button above.
If you need further information before you book simply complete our Holiday Enquiry Form and a member of our sales team will get back to you.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'Check availability' button below.