Hannah Dodd

Anatural beauty with a quiet disposition, La Palma is enjoying life in the spotlight. After sitting happily in the shadow of its neighbouring holiday hotspots of Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, this lush green Canary Island is now attracting tourists in search of a different sort of sunshine break.

With verdant forests, volcanic craters and twisted rock formations defining the landscape, it offers a huge range of natural wonders to explore.

Declared a Unesco biosphere reserve in 1983, the entire island is now a protected area and it has hundreds of trails for hikers and cyclists.

We began our adventures on foot at Parque Nacional de la Caldera de Taburiente, the glorious nature reserve in the centre of the island.

Stretching across 18 sq miles, the peaceful, signposted walking routes wind through a tapestry of pine forests, archaeological remains, rock engravings and waterfalls. The heart

of the park, the Caldera de Taburiente itself, or ‘caldron’, is a five-mile wide depression surrounded by soaring 7,800ft rock walls.

Heading south for our second expedition, the Volcan de San Antonio, which erupted during the 1970s, highlights the island’s diversity. Here you’ll find spectacularly ashy views over the volcanic slopes, a moonlike crater and the glittering Atlantic.

We also spent an afternoon exploring the stunning climbs of Garafía, the island’s wildest, most rural area in the north, where the clouds meet the magnificent peaks. There are 61 walking trails to conquer them.

We chose a marked, cobbled path, best suited for a dry day, making sure we were kitted out with layers for the change in altitude.

Walking poles and sugared almonds, which help stave off any light-headedness, are available in the pop-up shops along the routes.

More breathtaking hiking IMPRESSED Hannah on her new island adventure