Walking Tenerife and La Gomera

Begin your adventure in Puerto de la Cruz, a seaside city of volcanic-sand beaches, flower gardens and quaint cobbled streets. Around 6pm, say hola to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big Canarian welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want more time in Puerto de la Cruz? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. Upgrade to a superior room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Lacing up our walking boots, we begin our first hike of the trip straight from the hotel, taking the coastal Rambla de Castro trail. It links El Burgado and San Pedro viewpoints, via a combination of cobbled sections, dirt tracks and traditional footpaths with beautiful scenery and historic sites to see en route. From the first viewpoint, El Burgado, we see Los Roques beach and the mortalón, a rock formation created during the landslide that formed the Orotava Valley. We then finish the route by following the signs to Hacienda de Castro, next to the San Pedro viewpoint. Here, we learn about geomorphology, see large numbers of nesting birds and visit one of the few remaining palm groves in the north of the island. On our walk today, we also discover: the ruins of the Elevador de Aguas de Gordejuela, the first water pumping station in Tenerife to use a steam engine; the San Fernando fort, built at the end of the 18th century; La Casona, former residence of the Castro family; and the 16th-century San Pedro chapel. Finishing our walk, we take a public bus or taxi (not included) back to Puerto de la Cruz. Upgrade to a superior room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Take a transfer (1hr 30min) this morning into Teide National Park, a dramatic landscape shaped by volcanic activity. On our first hike today, we see the emblematic rock formation known as the Roque Cinchado (or Finger of God), before moving to the immense plain of Llano de Ucanca and the beautiful Ucanca viewpoint, where we gaze over Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain, and other rugged peaks. Finishing, we have a 20-minute bus transfer deeper into Teide National Park to the foot of Sámara volcano, the start point of the Sámara loop trail. This relatively flat route takes us over dark layers of tephra (volcanic material) with the chance to see Canary Island pines, colonisers of these still young volcanic terrains, kestrels and Tenerife lizards. In the afternoon, on our way back to Puerto de La Cruz, we visit Garachico, considered by many to be the most beautiful town on the island. No doubt this is due to the stunning historic and artistic heritage within the old quarter, as well as the surrounding nature of palm trees and banana plantations adorning a particularly steep volcanic landscape. Upgrade to a superior room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Enjoy a free morning to relax, going to the beach or shopping. In the afternoon, we catch a transfer (1hr 30min) to the coastal town of Los Cristianos, where we take a ferry (50 minutes) to La Gomera, keeping our eyes peeled for wild dolphins. Our island base is San Sebastián de la Gomera, the main city on La Gomera, known locally as La Villa. It’s best known for being Cristopher Columbus’s last stop in Europe before he crossed the Atlantic, while the old town is a beautiful collection of colourful Canarian-style houses and traditional businesses.

Take a 30-minute transfer this morning to Mirador de Agando, where we start walking the Barranco de Santiago trail, beginning with a steep descent through a pine forest towards the abandoned hamlet of Benchijigua, once an important farming centre for the production of tomatoes and palm tree honey. Reaching the hamlet, the trail gets less steep, and we follow a riverbed to the village of Lo del Gato, then Pastrana and finally the coastal town of Playa de Santiago, where we can relax or swim before our bus transfer (45 minutes) back to San Sebastián.

Transfer (40 minutes) to El Contadero and hike to Alto de Garajonay, the highest point in La Gomera at 4,879ft (1,487m), where a 360-degree viewpoint reveals the island’s ravines and, on clear days, neighbouring isles. From here, we descend into Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO-listed laurel forest dating back around 20m years. Mist-laced trees and dense greenery create a primeval atmosphere. After reaching the hamlet of El Cedro, we walk 2mi (3km) uphill to Reventón Oscuro and transfer (30 minutes) to San Sebastián.

Head north this morning, taking a one-hour transfer to the Chorros de Epina (the Jets of Epina), on the edge of Garajonay National Park. Here, spring water flows through seven wooden pipes, and it’s said that those who drink the waters will be happy in love and have good fortune. From the jets, we follow the GR132 footpath, enjoying lovely ocean views, before we arrive at the Ermita de Santa Clara viewpoint, where there is also a picnic area. We then walk down for another 3mi (4.5km) through a bush forest to a valley and the beautiful village of Vallehermoso, at the foot of the prominent Roque Cano. In Vallehermoso, there are several cafes and restaurants, where we can relax for a while before catching our one-hour transfer to San Sebastián.