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What to Do in La Palma: The Best Activities on Spain's Volcanic Island

Sep 27
5 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

La Palma is the most complete single island in the Canary archipelago and the least visited by the people who would love it most. It has the Tajogaite volcano — which erupted in 2021 and is still being studied, with the lava fields accessible on foot. It has the Caldera de Taburiente, a 10-kilometre-wide collapsed volcano with a national park inside it that takes a full day to properly walk. It has Roque de los Muchachos — the highest point in La Palma at 2,426 metres, home to some of the world's most important astronomical observatories, and the best place on the planet for amateur stargazing.

March is ideal: the almond blossom is done but the spring flowers are starting, the hiking trails are in good condition, the crowds are well below summer levels, and the skies are consistently clear at altitude. Here's what to book.

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Best for First-Timers: Tajogaite Volcano Guided Hike · 4.8★ · 2,183 Reviews

The Tajogaite volcano formed in September 2021 and stopped erupting 85 days later, covering 1,200 hectares of the southwestern Cumbre Vieja with lava and ash. The guided 4-hour hike takes you through the lava fields, to within a metre of the crater edge, and into the zones where Canarian pine trees are already regrowing through the ash — one of the more remarkable things you'll see in Spain. The guide explains the eruptive process, the monitoring equipment still in place, and the ecological recovery underway.

This is the top-rated tour on GetYourGuide for La Palma — 4.8 stars from over 2,000 reviews, which at this level of volume is about as reliable a signal as a tour gets. Book in advance; it sells out regularly. Moderate difficulty: 8km, some uneven terrain.

Best for Families & Kids: Caldera de Taburiente National Park Full-Day Hike

The Caldera de Taburiente is a collapsed volcanic caldera 10 kilometres wide, filled with pine forest, basalt walls rising 2,000 metres on all sides, and a river system running through the floor. The full-day guided hike covers 16 kilometres of trail through the national park — pine forest, volcanic rock, the Taburiente river, and the geology of a landscape that formed over millions of years. For families with older kids (10+) who can handle a long day on the trail, this is the one that stays with them.

A 4x4 taxi from the park entrance handles the access road. The park has restricted motor access; the guided tour handles all logistics including permits and transport.

Best if You Only Have a Few Hours: Stargazing at Roque de los Muchachos

La Palma has the best dark sky in Europe and one of the best in the world — it's a UNESCO Starlight Reserve, and the Roque de los Muchachos observatory at 2,426 metres is where the world's most powerful optical telescopes are pointed. The guided stargazing tour at night takes you to the certified astronomical viewpoints, gives you your own telescope, and covers constellations, planets, satellites, and deep-sky objects with a certified monitor.

The experience at Roque de los Muchachos specifically — next to the working observatories, at altitude, with a guide who uses an astronomical laser to draw lines between stars — is a different category of stargazing from anything you can do at sea level. March skies over La Palma are consistently clear at altitude. Two hours minimum; private options available.

Most Unique: Ecological Banana Farm Tour with Animals & Tasting

La Palma grows Canarian bananas — the small, intensely flavoured variety that Spain actually eats rather than the export Cavendish — and several farms on the island run tours of the production process. The ecological farm tour covers sustainable banana cultivation, the island's agricultural history, and the animals that live alongside the crops. It ends with a tasting of farm products.

A quietly excellent half-day that covers sustainable agriculture, food systems, and island ecology in a way that works for all ages. Not on every visitor's radar, which is precisely why it's worth including here — it's one of those La Palma experiences that feels specific to the island rather than available everywhere.

Best Guided Experience: Whale & Dolphin Coastline Cruise

The waters around La Palma are consistently productive for cetaceans — pilot whales, bottlenose and common dolphins, and occasionally sperm whales are all resident or passing through year-round. The catamaran tours running from Tazacorte on the western coast combine the wildlife watching with the coastal landscape: the vertical black lava cliffs on the west side of the island drop directly into the Atlantic and look like nothing else in the archipelago.

March is a reliable month: calm seas, good visibility, and whale activity well established before the summer tourist peak. The 4-hour cruise format gives enough time for multiple wildlife sightings and a swim stop in calm water.

Looking for Somewhere to Stay?

Santa Cruz de La Palma is the capital — a well-preserved 16th-century colonial town on the east coast, walkable, with good restaurants and easy access to the airport. Los Llanos de Aridane is the main town on the western side, closer to the Tajogaite volcano and the whale watching departure point at Tazacorte. For March, either works; if the volcano hike is your priority, Los Llanos cuts the drive. Browse hotels in La Palma →

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