Best Tours and Day Trips from La Palma

La Palma is known as the Isla Bonita for its scenery, volcanic sandy beaches and the lush vegetation that covers most of its mountainous terrain, but it is also an ideal place to discover some of the Canaries' best attractions hidden inland or to use Santa Cruz de La Palma as a base for exploring other nearby places.

Some of the best things to see and do on La Palma include hiking tours of the Cumbre Vieja volcano, dolphin watching tours, tours of the Roque de los Muchachos and a visit to the island of Lanzarote.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano is the main attraction of La Palma and the surrounding Natural Park covers a large part of the island, including other smaller volcanoes that are accessible. On these tours you can follow a hiking route around the Tajogaite volcano, which will take you up to an altitude of 1,200 metres.

On these tours, you will also be assisted by a local expert guide who will explain the process of volcanic formation on the island of La Palma, which together with El Hierro, is the newest of the Canary Islands.

During the excursion you will be able to walk among the ash and lapilli from the eruptions and discover the strength of the Canary Island pine, which grows in the vicinity of Tajogaite.

These hiking routes are of medium difficulty and a total distance of about 3 kilometres until you reach the crater of the Tajogaite volcano a few metres away. These tours usually last approximately 2.5 hours and usually include a bus transfer from the La Caldera de Taburiente Visitor Centre to the Cumbre Vieja Natural Park.

Details of interest

• Price of these excursions... They cost approximately 35 euros for adults and 18 euros for children between 3 and 12 years old.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 2 hours and a half.
• Advantages of these excursions... It is a good value for money excursion to the main attraction of La Palma.

Dolphin watching is one of the most popular activities on La Palma. On these excursions, which start at the marina of Puerto de Tazacorte, you can take a boat tour to see dolphins, whales, killer whales, beaked whales and sperm whales, which are some of the stars of the marine fauna of the Canary Islands.

During the boat tours, which have a capacity of more than 100 people, you can also visit the Cueva Bonita, a shelter between the rocks that was created by the erosion of the ocean. These tours are ideal if you are planning to visit La Palma as a family or if you are travelling with children.

These excursions last between 2 and 3 hours and can be done in the morning or in the afternoon, so they are quick tours, ideal if you are planning a short stay in the Canary Islands. If that is your case, here is a list of activities to do during a 3-day visit to La Palma.

When the weather conditions are right, the dolphin watching excursions along the coast of La Palma also include a stop at one of the main beaches on the west coast and a walk through the Lava Delta, the volcanic formation resulting from the eruptions of the craters of Cumbre Vieja.

Details of interest

• Price of these excursions... Approximately 47 euros per person, including the assistance of the guide, the walk along the coast of La Palma with dolphin watching and the walk through the Lava Delta.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 3 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... A typical La Palma excursion with a good price/quality ratio.

The north of La Palma is known for its wooded landscapes and natural pools. On these excursions you will be able to visit the Los Tilos forest, located in the area surrounding the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, and Charco Azul, a set of natural pools on the coast of San Andrés y Sauces.

These excursions usually include hotel pick-up in Santa Cruz de La Palma and are one of the best alternatives among the full day tours from La Palma.

Typical route of these excursions

The tour starts at the Salto del Enamorado, a natural balcony among the palm trees, and continues with time for a swim in the pools of Charco Azul, one of the main attractions of the tour.

In San Andrés these tours usually include a stop at the viewpoints La Tosca and La Fajana, in Barlovento, and also a visit to a rum distillery, which is one of the main productions of the island, along with the wine of the Teneguía wineries.

After a stop for lunch (normally not included in the price) in Los Sauces, the last place to finish is the forest of Los Tilos, where you will discover a lush vegetation of laurels, holly trees, strawberry trees, fayas, heathers, palo blanco and the huge ferns, while walking along high paths and getting to know natural balconies.

At sunset you will marvel at the starry sky, which is one of the main attractions of the forest.

Details of interest

• Price of these tours... Approximately 42 euros per person, including guide assistance, entrance fees to the attractions and round-trip transfer with hotel pick-up.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 10 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... You will be able to discover some of the best landscapes of La Palma.
• Disadvantages of these excursions... It lasts a full day, so if you are planning a short stay on the island it may not suit your travel plan.

The Roque de los Muchachos is the highest point of La Palma and one of the places where you can see the best open views of the island at an altitude of more than 2,400 metres.

On these excursions, which usually include a return transfer and hotel pick-up in Santa Cruz de La Palma, you can go on a hiking tour to visit the viewpoints at the top and the surrounding vegetation.

The highest part of Roque de los Muchachos is also home to the Astrophysical Observatory, which has some of the most powerful telescopes in the world. The site of the observatory was not chosen at random, but from there you can glimpse one of the clearest and clearest skies on the planet.

From the Roque de los Muchachos viewpoints you can also see the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro and an open view of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.

Other stops on the tour

At the end of the Roque de los Muchachos hiking tour, these tours usually include a visit to the picturesque Iglesia de Las Nieves with a stop for lunch, at extra cost.

On the way back these tours also include a stop at the viewpoint of La Concepción, which is located on the edge of a dormant volcano, and from where you can get a picture postcard view of Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Details of interest

• Price of these excursions... Approximately 139 euros per person, including the guide's assistance, entrance fees to the attractions and the transfer to and from the hotel.
• Duration of these excursions... 3 to 4 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... You will visit the highest point of La Palma and one of the most impressive viewpoints of the Canary Islands.
• Disadvantages of these excursions... They can be expensive.

A visit to La Palma is not complete without a trip to the Porís de Candelaria, the small village enclosed inside a sea grotto in the municipality of Tijarafe.

On these hiking tours you can explore the site in depth from the Barranco del Jurado ravine, a natural monument with walls over 600 metres high.

What is included in the excursion

These routes of approximately 7 kilometres and 5 hours will take you deep into the coastal flora and fauna of La Palma until you reach the Porís de Candelaria, the 50-metre high village that stands out for its small houses that are over 100 years old.

You will also discover the intense blue of the sea surrounding the Porís and the omnipresent image of the Virgin of Candelaria. During the summer there is usually some free time for swimming in the areas close to the coast and for lunch at extra cost.

These full-day excursions usually include hotel pick-up and drop-off and the assistance of an expert local guide and may have reduced rates for children.

Be aware that these excursions can be tiring, so I recommend doing them if you're planning a stay of a week or more on the island. If you plan to visit La Palma in 7 days, here is a list of things to see and do during your visit.

Details of interest

• Price of these excursions... Approximately 42 euros for adults, including transfers to and from the hotel and the assistance of a local guide. Children between 3 and 12 years old pay approximately 21 euros.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 9 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... You will get to know one of the most beautiful places on La Palma and you will be able to take some of the best photographs of the island.
• Disadvantages of these excursions... They can be very tiring and are not accessible for people with reduced mobility.

On these sailing trips along the coast of La Palma from the marina of Puerto de Tazacorte you will be able to discover some of the most emblematic places on the island's coastline, such as Cueva Bonita or Porís de la Candelaria.

These excursions consist of a relaxed trip for a small group of visitors, who will have the permanent assistance of the crew. They also usually include a lunch with a cold meats and cheese board, snacks and an open bar and non-alcoholic beverages.

During the trip and if the weather conditions allow it, the boat will stop in a secluded cove for a snorkelling experience that will allow you to discover the crystal clear water and seabed of La Palma.

These fast tours are an excellent alternative to get to know the best places on the west coast of the island in a short time, which can be ideal if you are planning a short stay in the Canary Islands. If that is your case, here is a list of activities you can do in a 3-day visit to La Palma.

Interesting details

• Price of these excursions... Approximately 60 euros for adults. Includes the sailing trip, crew assistance, open bar and lunch with charcuterie board. Children pay a reduced rate of approximately 40 euros.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 3 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... This is a quick alternative to get to know the west coast of the island in a short time, which will be useful if you are planning a short stay on La Palma.

Bodega Teneguía is one of the most famous wine producers in the Canary Islands and one of the economic engines of La Palma, as its main factory has been located in the south of the island for more than 70 years. On these excursions you can learn first-hand about the winemaking process and the preparation of the raw materials for production.

Teneguía is characterised by its red wine in oak barrels, respecting a centenary tradition, so you will be able to visit the original cement tanks that were built in 1945, when the winery was opened. You will also see the bottling area and be able to participate in a tasting of the full range of red wines.

Please note that these tours do not include the transfer to and from the winery , so you can reach the winery by car via the LP-2 route or by bus on lines 200 and 300 to the Casa Cultura A station.

Useful details

• Price of these excursions... Approximately 16 euros per person, including the tour of the winery and the tasting of the full range of red wines.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 2 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... You will get to know the complete process of wine making on La Palma, which is the main industry on the island.

You can book an excursion from La Palma online in advance or book it once you are on the island, although if you are planning to visit the Canaries during the summer or seasonal months I advise you to book in advance to avoid tours selling out or increasing in price at the last minute.

In some cases you can get discounts if you book in advance or secure your place, especially if you want to go on the sailing trips along the coast of La Palma, which due to the size of the boat are for small groups.

If you are planning to visit La Palma in the summer or during the high season months I advise you to book well in advance to avoid the excursions being sold out or prices increasing at the last minute and if you are planning a boat or sailing excursion you should ideally take into account the weather conditions in order to get the most out of the tour.

Also note that some of the best dolphin watching tours on La Palma are available from the marina in Puerto de Tazacorte , although sightings depend on weather conditions, the time of year and the size of the boat.

Santa Cruz de La Palma is one of the most populated cities of the island and also a reference point for the Canary Islands, but the most interesting attractions of the island are inland or in the west coast area, so to discover the natural beauty of La Palma I recommend that you opt for some of the tours from the capital.

On the other hand, adventure excursions require detailed organisation and transfers to the Natural Parks, so it is much more convenient and convenient to save time and money by hiring an organised tour rather than putting together the itinerary on your own.