CLASSIC LA PALMA

Discover with us the great trails that make La Palma world famous! Volcanoes, deep and silent pine forests, mysteriuos  and gloomy rainforest right from the pages of The Lord of the Rings or Jurassic Park, tiny hamlets at the very edge of the world where it feels as time has stopped, beautiful rural lands, volcanoes, the otherwordly site of the Observatory far above the clouds, and the dramatic depths of the Caldera de Taburiente crater, this programme has everything!

We stay at a little apartment complex only ten minutes from the capital but yet in a very quiet setting, and also at our traditional cottage up on the north-western side of the island, far away from the noise and the stress of modern-day life.

The walks are of moderate to high level and have durations of between 6 and 8 hours.

ROMANTIC LA PALMA

Hikes off the beaten track and a fabulous retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life! This programme is designed not only to let you discover some of the best-kept secrets of La Palma but also to recharge your inner batteries and fine-tune the balance between body and soul.

 We explore the least known side of La Palma, using ancient and very seldom used trails.If you are a sensible person with a sense of curiosity and enjoy learning about other people and their customs, traditions, history and actual reality, if you want to escape from the everyday stress and breathe pure mountain air, listen to an absolute silence, only so much more intensified with the crickets and the distant sea, if you want to enjoy a pitch dark and ultra clear night sky, completely filled with stars, then you will truly appreciate this programme.

The focus of this programme is the municipality of Garafia, anciently the pre-hispanic kingdom of Tagalguen and today the most remote, isolated and rural region of the island, where the European Community hasn´t quite reached yet and few tourist reach. It is a world apart, with spectacular gorges separated by ridges where we find a few small hamlets and some islolated farmsteads. Each gorge and each ridge has its own type of climate and vegetation, from the dry and arid coast through farmland and pine and laurel forests, to the high mountain where ancient pre-history meets high technology of the Observatory, one of the most important ones in the world.

We will get to know the region from an insider´s point of view, we will lunch at small springs that used to be the only places where to fetch water, wash clothes and give the pack animals to drink, and where news, products and secret glances were exchanged. We have the afternoon to rest and to enjoy the open space and the silence, we will do the occasional barbecue, and if the nights are clear we will do some astronomic observations before going to bed.

The programme consists of four medium level hikes of about five hours each, with a resting day in the middle with a minibus excursion to the south and a final resting day for shopping and playa.

The interaction between Man and Nature is the main thread; the pre-history, modern history, etnography and culture will be present constantly.

EXTREME LA PALMA

ADVENTURE without equal! During five consecutive days we will do a hike across the whole island, from north to south. It will be a strenous walk, but in return we will get to experience the island in an astounding way: the stark coastal landscape and the deep ravines of the north,  the grandiose Caldera de Taburiente whose walls fall straight down two thousand metres, the dramatic lunar landscape of the volcanoes, sunrise at the far-away world above the clouds where the telescopes give us the impressiong of being on an alien planet... The programme, which takes us to the wildest, most intensive and dramatic regions of La Palma, is designed for the experienced hiker who is willing to offer some commodities in order to experience the island in an absolutely unique and unforgettable way.

It is essential to be in a good physical condition and to have mountain trekking experience to realize this programme. Particularly the first two days will be pretty tough as we will have a constant ascent from the sea level to an altitude of 2400 metres along trails that are often quite steep. The duration of the routes vary between roughly 5 to 8 hours. We walk a fair amount above the tree leve where we are exposed to the weather and where there is always a certain risk for extreme temperatures, clouds and/or rain. We will stay at a pension, a mountain hut and in tents. The food must necessarily be quite simple most of the time as we have to carry it with us. However, thanks to our support vehicle we won´t need to carry with us everything we need for the whole five days

Mother Nature is the protagonist in this programme; daily we well be in touch with subjects such as geolgoy, vulcanology, botany, pre-history and astronomy. The programme ends with a resting day which we dedicate to some cultural visits followed by a well-deserved swim in the ocean, a good dinner in a local restaurant, and a night stroll through the little capital of Santa Cruz de La Palma.