Lying off North Africa, the Canary Islands are a perfect destination for a walking holiday, renowned for their sunny climate, extraordinary landscape and friendly people. You can take your pick from the mountainous Tenerife, lush La Gomera, dramatic Gran Canaria and the striking island of La Palma. These are spectacular destinations for discerning walkers with an eye for abundant flora and natural beauty.
Home of the indigenous Guanche people, the islands are a charming blend of beautiful colonial buildings and historic towns with traditional farming life that has remained unchanged for centuries.
A veritable paradise for bird lovers and botanists, these islands also boast unique flora. Look out for curious indigenous shrubs and stonecrops, extinct elsewhere but on La Gomera, or hardy alpine vegetation on the slopes of Mount Teide. The terrain is rocky and volcanic, providing a superb habitat for 200 species of birds from falcons to the native canary.
Tenerife's appeal lies in its soaring volcanic cliffs, snow capped Mount Teide, and fertile valleys abundant with cork and splashes of yellow mimosa. La Gomera is home to an ancient laurel forest and precipitous palm-lush ravines. On La Palma you'll find verdant forests, volcanic craters, a mountainous national park, and rich vineyards which produce sweet Malmsey wines. Gran Canaria then boasts incredibly varied landscapes from lush forests and mountains to white beaches and the cosmopolitan capital, Las Palmas.
The Canary Islands are a utopia of dramatic contrasts and can all be explored with our exciting walking holidays, available in guided and self-guided options.
Here are just a few of the handpicked walking holiday destinations available to you in the Canary Islands.
La Palma, nicknamed La Isla Bonita ('the Beautiful Island'), 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 forests to volcanic landscapes with twisted rock formations and black sand beaches. This mountainous island offers an incredible holiday, walking through well-waymarked paths of extensive evidence of volcanic activity including the awe-inspiring National Park and world-famous Calderas.
A unique island of natural beauty, Lanzarote is a year-round destination with a temperate climate and otherworldly terrain. Enjoy birdwatching with the chance to see many protected bird species, walk up and across volcanic craters, enjoy time on the stunning beaches and visit the little-known island of La Graciosa in this varied week-long, self-guided trip.
Located 30km from Tenerife, La Gomera is known as the untouched Canary Island, a paradise for those who like dramatic scenery, awe-inspiring vistas, beautiful green valleys and ancient tropical rain forests. A walker's delight, the island measures just 20 square miles yet is packed with a variety of routes that are suited to all abilities. Some La Gomera holiday packages come with a car included for you to explore more of this incredible island at a pace that suits you.
Gran Canaria is less than 100 miles off the northwest coast of Africa and is in the centre of the Canaries Atlantic archipelago. This volcanic island is often referred to as 'a continent in miniature' with its extraordinarily varied landscapes ranging from lush green forests and valleys in the north to the towering mountainous interior, plus the desert-like dunes and beautiful white beaches of its southern shores.
Renowned as the 'Island of Eternal Spring', Tenerife's wild beauty varies from the dramatic landscapes of the UNESCO Teide National Park, capped by the famous volcano itself, to its spectacular coastline with stunning ocean views. This walker's paradise offers you the opportunity to explore vibrant green valleys and lush pine forests, as well as the local activities and cultural events.
The least known of the Canary Islands, El Hierro is a mixture of volcanic scenery, pastures and beautiful Canarian pine woodlands, whose inhabitants are independently minded and fiercely proud of their unspoiled home. Explore all corners of this pristine island and its spectacular escarpments, volcanic ash cones and lava flows, great coastline and pastoral, forested central plateau.
Self-guided walking
7 nights,
single centre
Level: 2 & 3
Headwater
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Self-guided walking
7 nights,
single centre
Level: 2
Moderate
Headwater
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Self-guided walking
7 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 2
Moderate
Headwater
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Self-guided walking
7 nights,
twin centre
Level: 2
Moderate
Headwater
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Self-guided walking
7 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 1 to 2+
Headwater
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Self-guided walking
7 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 2 & 2+
Headwater
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Self-guided walking
7 nights,
hotel-to-hotel
Level: 2
Moderate
Headwater
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Self-guided walking
7 nights,
twin centre
Level: 1+ to 2+
Headwater
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Self-guided walking
7 nights,
twin centre
Level: 1+ to 2+
Headwater
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Where appropriate, we grade our holidays based on distance, terrain, elevation gain, remoteness, etc and categorise them into 4 relative groups. This is ultimately subjective and may vary slightly day to day; for more advice, please see the specific trip page or call one of our friendly team.
Tenerife has the most marked trails for hiking and our walking holidays allow you to see the best of the Canary Island's largest paradise. These quiet and calm trails have good accessibility and will allow you to experience a plethora of different astonishing sights on the island. From the volcanic landscape of Tiede National Park to the lush greenery of Anaga, you can take in the wild beauty of Tenerife with our guided and self-guided Canary Island walking tours.
Absolutely! In fact, walking is one of the best ways to enjoy the diverse wildlife and nature in the Canary Islands. They offer a variety of walking routes and hiking trails ideal for both experienced hikers and families on their first walking holiday. Simply select the package that matches your preferences and ability to enjoy the paradisiacal contrasts of the islands at your own pace.
If you're looking to experience the breathtaking landscape and local culture of the Canary Islands on foot, then our walking holidays are the perfect adventure for you. Ideal for those who love the great outdoors and enjoy staying active, you'll be out and about in the natural beauty of these islands for most of the day.
Our self-guided walking tours come with a full itinerary, which means that you can explore the region at your own pace without missing out on any must-see sights. You'll have the opportunity to experience local cuisine, history and diverse wildlife.When you book with Headwater, you can expect an excellent level of service with added benefits, including:
The season in which you choose to travel to the Canary Islands will affect what you need to bring along for your walking holiday. The islands have consistent temperatures and sunshine hours between nine and 10 hours a day in the summer so it's essential that you always have appropriate sun protection with you, like suncream and hats. Even the winter months can be warm and expose you to UV rays so extra care is needed when spending most of your time outdoors.
Your destination will also need to be kept in mind when packing as the islands have slightly different climates. La Palma and La Gomera are subtropical humid and have more rain than in other parts of the Canaries. This means that you should be prepared with waterproofs if travelling here. If you're going on one of our self-guided walking holidays in the Canary Islands, we recommend packing a first-aid kit in case of emergencies.
Due to the high levels of physical activity on your walking trip in the Canary Islands, you must stay comfortable throughout. Familiarising yourself with the difficulty grade of your chosen walking route and the weather for your period of travel will help you to decide on the right clothes to wear. Sturdy walking boots and thick socks are musts.
Depending on the season in which you're travelling, you may need clothing that suits humid and hot weather like shorts and lightweight layers.
Spring and autumn are the best times of year for a walking holiday in the Canary Islands as the temperatures are significantly cooler and more comfortable than in the summer months. It also tends to rain less than in the winter.
We have nearly 40 years of experience in crafting the adventure holidays of dreams, and our walking tours in the Canary Islands are no different. Whether you're going for a self-guided or guided option, you can book your Canary Island walking excursion confidently with us today and get ready for the trip of a lifetime.
