LA PALMA & EL HIERRO

In natural beauty, La Palma rivals all the other Canary Islands put together. Its immense, abyss-like crater, the Caldera de Taburiente, is considered to be the largest of its kind in the world. Deep within its pine-speckled, towering walls is a year-round abundance of water- gushing streams, boisterous cascades, and a plummeting waterfall. Outside the crater, high on the cloud-catching hillsides, 20 million-year-old laurel forests grow as dense as a jungle. In the southern half of the island, hills pitted with volcanic craters and mini-deserts of black lapilli speak of the island's volcanic past. This stark, striking landscape, all the more dramatic for its stabs of volcanic reds, oranges, and yellows, is far removed from the lush and verdant, tree-clad north.

El Hierro, the least-visited of all the Canaries, at first appears to be a dried-up, sprawling mountain of rock, rising straight from the sea, treeless and barren. But Noel introduces you to the island's hidden charms ­ as remarkable as any in the archipelago, and well worth a visit in its own right ­ or during your stay on La Palma.

"We must tell you that walk on La Palma was spectacular, marvellous, and many other superlatives." (V.H., Hyde)

"The book proved a really useful (no, essential) addition to our holiday and made a good holiday really special." (H.O.H., Shrewsbury)

Best time for walking: October to June.

Where to stay: for atmosphere and easy access to walks by public transport, the author recommends Santa Cruz or Los Llanos on La Palma. However, if you will be hiring a car, you can take your choice of the island's resorts. On El Hierro, which only has one bus each day, you'll need a hire car and here the author recommends staying in Tigaday..

La Palma: 3 car tours, 38 long and short walks, 22 picnic suggestions
El Hierro: 1 car tour, 12 long and short walks, 8 picnic suggestions

Plan of Santa Cruz de La Palma

136 pages + 2 touring maps