Los Tilos and the Rural North walking holiday

Arrival at Santa Cruz de la Palma Airport (SPC) and travel to your accommodation. The rest of the day/evening is yours to explore the beautiful and historic capital city of Santa Cruz de La Palma, to spend time sauntering along the cobbled streets, admiring the mansions with wooden balconies and enjoying a drink at one of the plaza cafes. Or you might wish to swim and laze on the beach of Santa Cruz or at the nearby resort of Los Cancajos.
City or beach accommodation

Now the walking begins. Your taxi will collect you from the accommodation and take you to Los Tilos, the heart of the UNESCO sub-tropical rain forest with its magnificent laurels and giant ferns - Jurassic Park, here we come! Ascending woodland steps and quickly gaining altitude, the trees give way to a splendid view over Los Sauces and the coast. Walking on easy tracks through the primitive laurisilva forest to the sounds of the laurel pigeon, a disused water mine is reached with the old rail tracks still visible.  The forest tracks then burst out into open farmland and after passing through a rural adventure park, the accommodation is reached.
Country hotel

Your walk begins directly from your accommodation, shortly joining El Camino Real. The first hamlet of La Tosca with its large group of ancient dragon trees - one of the best representations on La Palma - is quickly reached. Now on the coastal path with impressive cliff-top views all the way, the path traverses a ravine before passing through a small valley with a colony of caves, three storeys high. The lively village of Gallegos is reached with its little houses jammed in along the narrow street from where the path heads towards the sea followed by a Mexican ravine with cowboy cactus. The final part of your walk takes you into the French Quarter of the island and through a magical dell with natural springs, caves and wooden-roofed dwellings.
Country accommodation

Directly from your accommodation the route continues along El Camino Real with magnificent views over the sea. Descending into an impressive ravine, the zigzag path leads up to the most remote village on La Palma with its curious old houses and huge dragon tree. A second ravine reveals fascinating caves followed by wooded dells and glades then emerging into the plains of the north. After a small valley with goats and chickens, Santo Domingo with its historic houses and cobbled streets is reached. (This walk, the hardest on the route, can be replaced with a circular walk, a rest day, a cultural day with short walk or a visit to the Roque de Muchachos at the top of the island.)
Country accommodation

Returning by taxi to your start point in Santo Domingo, the walk continues along El Camino Real, passing the old village laundry with its stone basins and further along an original windmill. Now walking along undulating country paths with old stone houses seemingly appearing from nowhere, you arrive in the village of Las Tricias. Here the cobbled path leads you right past the doors of old houses in this beautiful area which benefits from a favourable micro-climate. Palm trees give way to pine trees and after a rocky barranco is traversed, the area of Puntagorda is reached. A forest track of red dust is followed before the route wends its way through the small town and to the next accommodation, a stylish bed and breakfast with all amenities close by.
Stylish bed and breakfast accommodation

Walking directly from your accommodation, and continuing along El Camino Real the route takes you through a small settlement with its miniature cobbled street. With just a very short detour, you can see one of La Palma's famous landmarks - a place where the trees grow sideways.
Back on the route again, impressive views of the pine-covered ridges of the Caldera feel like a moment away. A gently sloping path goes down into the lovely ravine where the rocky bed is crossed before ascending along a pretty path, lined with wild flowers from early in the year until late summer.
On arrival in Tijarafe, a bus is taken to the final accommodation which is in Los Llanos de Aridane, the 'secret' capital of La Palma.
Accommodation as before

Returning by bus to Tijarafe, the route passes by a cluster of decorated crosses before going into a shallow, pine needle covered barranco. The path ascends along a zigzag route and reaches a rustic bbq area before rising above the road along a country path.  Now deep in the country, old stone houses are passed right by their front door and further along walkers can enjoy a stunning view over the west coast and the sea of banana plantations below.  From here, the route leads the way through quaint side streets of Los Llanos until reaching your accommodation and the leafy Plaza de España.
Small hotel or apartment accommodation

From your accommodation, the taxi will take you and your luggage directly to the airport at a time to coincide with your flight.