Canary Islands Walking Vacations

The Canary Islands form a volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Africa. Although they are part of Spain, they are actually over 800 miles (1,300km) from the mainland.

This location made the Canaries a strategic launching pad during the age of the Spanish Conquest of the Americas. The exchange of crops, ideas and cultures during the following centuries left an indelible mark in some of the islands. You therefore have a wonderful blend of Latin American, African and Spanish influences which shine through in the agriculture, food, music, fiestas and history.

The Canary Islands can generally be a great all-year destination for walking. You can do this trip all year, but here's a steer should you need it.

April to June: This can be particularly beautiful with the onset of spring bringing lots of color across the islands. Tenerife is particularly lovely, with the echiums in flower around Teide's peak. The further into spring you go, the quieter things actually become in La Gomera. It's a really nice time to walk, but some villages may be a little quieter than normal.

July to August: On Tenerife, summer is very much high season, but the majority of that is concentrated in the resorts of the south coast. Your trails will generally be quiet whenever you visit, but expect Teide to be busier than usual. As always it's easy to find quiet corners, so it's not such a big deal.

The islands can get hot, with temperatures frequently pushing 30°C and beyond if it's a heatwave. It's important to remember that you will have a taste of all of La Gomera and Tenerife's microclimates, from the mountains, forests and coastal towns of the north, which generally have a more lush and humid feel, to the dry sunny southern slopes of Teide.

We always book you on an early cable car ride up to Teide, beating the biggest of the heat. You may wish to consider whether you have the energy to push on to the summit though!

September to October: Fall is a very pleasant time to visit both islands - La Gomera's peak walking season is starting to build so things get going again there and Tenerife calms down a bit after the heat of the summer. The wineries around Vilaflor at the end of this trip will be at their best, coming into harvest time.

November to March: With things generally a bit chilly and grey at home, winter can be an ideal time to be in the Canary Islands. This is actually peak walking season in La Gomera and the island will be full of color with a vibrant atmosphere.

On Tenerife, Teide's cable cars operate all year and seeing the mountain with a cloak of snow can be a spectacular sight. When this is the case, hikers require crampons to reach the summit - so we tend to advise against pushing on all the way to the top. Elsewhere things can get occasionally get a little wet and wild in the north so you should have an open mind and be prepared to change plans at late notice. Your local contact will help make alternative arrangements so that you can still get out walking.

La Gomera is crowned with Europe's greatest tract of ancient cloud forest jungle in the Garajonay National Park. From here, vast gorges cleave their way steeply down to the Atlantic Ocean, where the waves roll against the lava cliffs. The hillsides are carved with monumental terraces and the fertile valley floors are typically carpeted with banana groves and allotment-style plots with mango, papaya and avocado trees. Cheerful Canarian villages nestle amid all this contrasting drama and beauty.

Tenerife is dominated by Spain's highest peak, Mount Teide. This dormant stratovolcano towers above a desert landscape formed over millennia by volcanic eruptions and lava flows. The landscape is frequently used by film producers and space agencies to depict the Moon, Mars and other alien terrain! On the sunny slopes, Canarian pine forest gives way to vineyards and coastal villages looking out to the Atlantic. In the undiscovered northeast of Anaga we find more ancient laurel forest covering the mountaintops above the terraced hills. The remote Teno Peninsula in the northwest is a tranquil paradise of plunging gorges, rolling grassland, volcanic peaks and isolated hamlets.

Tenerife Sur Airport (TFS) is extremely well connected to airports in mainland Spain and there are even direct flights from New York. From Tenerife it's a short 50-minute ferry crossing to reach La Gomera, so it's all very easy!

Our walking vacations are designed to blend stunning views with local flavor and a plenty of "this is the life" moments. When we create a new trip, our shopping list looks a little something like this:

1. Beautiful walks through the most emblematic and varied landscapes
2. A balance of challenging and easier routes with time to rest in between
3. Private-guided experiences to delve deeper into local culture, history and nature
4. Memorable small hotels to relax, swim and unwind in
5. Opportunities to try typical local food and wine
6. No need to drive or worry about the boring logistics
7. Clear benefit to local people, communities and conservation

In doing so, we create what we believe to be the very best walking vacations available to each destination. In the Canary Islands, it means we can share the full variety of each island without compromise, without the need for you to drive and with the sort of guided experiences and special meals which immerse you in the local flavors.

So in other words, don't just walk through the islands, take the time to slow down, look around, smell the flowers and enjoy the wine!