Best Tours and Day Trips from La Palma

La Palma is known as the Isla Bonita for its scenery, its volcanic sand beaches and the lush vegetation that covers most of its mountainous terrain, but it is also an ideal place to discover some of the best attractions of the Canary Islands that are hidden in the interior of the island or to use Santa Cruz de La Palma as a base to get to know 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 Natural Park that surrounds it covers a large part of the island, including other smaller volcanoes that are accessible. In these tours you can follow a hiking route through the Tajogaite volcano, which will take you up to 1200 meters of altitude.

On these tours, you will also be assisted by a local expert guide who will explain the process of volcanic formation of the island of La Palma, which along 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 pine, which grows in the vicinity of Tajogaite.

These hiking tours have a medium difficulty and a total distance of about 3 kilometers to reach a few meters from the crater of the volcano Tajogaite. These tours usually have an approximate duration of 2 hours and a half and usually include the transfer by bus from the Visitor Center of La Caldera de Taburiente to the Cumbre Vieja Natural Park.

Details of interest

• Price of these excursions... They have an approximate cost of 35 euros for adults and a rate of 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 an excursion with a good quality/price ratio for 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 will be able to take a boat tour to see dolphins, whales, orcas, beaked whales and sperm whales, which are some of the protagonists of the marine fauna of the Canary Islands.

During the boat tours, with capacity for more than 100 people, you can also visit the Bonita Cave, a refuge among the rocks that was generated by the erosion of the ocean. These tours are ideal if you plan to visit La Palma with your family or if you plan to travel 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 tours 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... It is a typical excursion of La Palma with a good relation between price and quality.

The north of La Palma stands out for its wooded landscapes and natural pools. In these excursions you will be able to visit Los Tilos forest, located in the surrounding area of 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.

Usual route of these excursions

The tour starts at 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 Andres 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 wine from the cellars of Teneguía.

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, wild olive trees, strawberry trees, fayas, heathers, palo blanco and huge ferns, while walking along high trails and meeting natural balconies.

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

Details of interest

• Price of these excursions... 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 has a duration of one full day, so if you are planning a short stay on the island it may not fit your travel plan.

The Roque de los Muchachos is the highest point of La Palma and one of the places where you can contemplate the best open views of the island at more than 2400 meters above sea level.

On these excursions, which usually include round-trip transfer with pick-up from your hotel in Santa Cruz de La Palma, you can take 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 cleanest and clearest skies on the planet.

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

Other stops of the excursion

Once the Roque de los Muchachos hiking tour is over, 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 postcard image of Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Details of interest

• Price of these excursions... Approximately 139 euros per person, including guide assistance, entrance fees to the attractions and round trip transfer with hotel pick up.
• Duration of these excursions... Between 3 and 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... It can be expensive.

A visit to La Palma will not be complete if you do not visit the Porís de Candelaria, the small village enclosed inside a marine grotto in the municipality of Tijarafe.

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

What is included in the excursion

These routes of approximately 7 kilometers and 5 hours of duration will allow you to get into the coastal flora and fauna of La Palma until you reach the Porís de Candelaria, the village of 50 meters high that stands out for the small houses more than 100 years old.

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

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

Please note that these excursions can be tiring, so I recommend doing them if you are 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 activities you can 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 pictures of the island.
• Disadvantages of these excursions... It can be very tiring and not accessible for people with reduced mobility.

In 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 of the coast of the island, 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 soft drinks.

During the tour and if the weather conditions allow it, the sailboat will stop in a secluded cove to live a snorkeling experience that will allow you to discover the crystal clear water and the seabed of La Palma.

These quick tours are an excellent alternative to get to know the best sites of 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.

Details of interest

• Price of these excursions... Approximately 60 euros for adults. Includes the sailboat ride, 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... It 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 in La Palma.

The Teneguía Winery is one of the most famous wine producers in the Canary Islands and one of the economic engines of La Palma, since 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 material for production.

Teneguía is characterized by the red wine in oak barrels, respecting a centenary tradition, so you can visit the original cement tanks that were built in 1945, during the opening of the winery. You will also visit the bottling area and 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 lines 200 and 300 to the Casa Cultura A station.

Details of interest

• Price of these excursions... Approximately 16 euros per person, including the tour of the winery and the tasting of the full range of red wine.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 2 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... You will be able to know the complete process of wine making in La Palma, which is the main industry of 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 plan to visit the Canary Islands during the summer or seasonal months I advise you to book in advance to avoid the 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 spot, especially if you want to do the sailing excursions along the coast of La Palma, which due to the size of the boat are for small groups.

If you plan to visit La Palma in summer or during the high season months I advise you to book in advance to avoid that the excursions are sold out or that the prices increase at the last minute and if you plan to make an excursion by boat or sailboat ideally you should take into account the weather conditions to get the most out of the tour.

Also keep in mind that from the marina of Puerto de Tazacorte you can access some of the best dolphin watching tours in La Palma, although the sightings depend on the weather conditions, the time of the 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 located inland or in the west coast area, so to discover the natural beauty of La Palma I recommend you to opt for some of the tours from the capital.

On the other hand, adventure excursions require a detailed organization and transfers to the Natural Parks, so it is much more convenient and convenient to save time and money to hire an organized tour rather than to build the itinerary on your own.