Sunflower Books: Landscapes of LA PALMA AND EL HIERRO: WALKS AND CAR TOURS

La Palma and El Hierro, 4th edition (2006), updated 31/03/2008

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Updates for walks and car tours (drives) given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book and want to "upgrade" to the latest edition at half price, click here.)

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably in hard copy, by post, to Sunflower Books, PO Box 115, Exeter EX2 6YU (or if you prefer, by e-mail, to mail@sunflowerbooks.co.uk).

LA PALMA

General: The island is a great destination for walking. (User, 5/07) + We have just (March 2008) returned from a third week-long walking holiday on La Palma, the previous two having been in the 1990's. As on those occasions we made full use of your walking guide to the island which is still the only really good walking guide to the island. We have previously commented on your excellent walk books in Madiera, El Hierro and the Azores and have given some new notes on the La Palma guide below. We were surprised at the changes that have taken place since our earlier visits - in particular the island seems now more oriented towards tourism than previously. We also found that the cloud that formed over the mountains during the day was of greater extent than on previous visits (both also in March) and were told that this cloud is less prominent during July and August. Apparently the trade wind inversion is lower then. There are now direct flights to the island from Gatwick by Thomsonfly. (User, 3/08)

BUSES: As you say, you can get timetables at www.transporteslapalma.com, but we found these were not completely up-to-date. We visited La Palma at the end of Jan 2006, and the Internet timetables were only valid till November '05.. So check validity! But we got up-to-date timetables on the island. (User, 3/06) + Bus line 11 is replaced by line 2, which runs to Barlovento. If you are going further you have to change bus in Barlovento. If you are travelling by bus, a pre paid "bonobus" card (12 Euro) will reduce your bus ticket expenses by ca 20 %. Several people can use the same bonobus card. (User, 5/07) + The bus timetable is considerably different with a service right round the north of the island and renumbering of many lines - some times even changed during our stay so keeping an eye on the website is a must! (User, 3/08)

ENTRY FEES: According to notices, entry fees for various places will rise steeply as of 1 Feb 2006 (for example the Museo Insular from 1,80 euros to 4 euros). (e-mail, 2/06)

FLIGHTS, ETC: There are no flights from U.K. to La Palma at the moment. However I do find an increase in British customers where rural accomodation is concerned. Funnily enough they don't seem to mind at all having to come via Tenerife. You may want to mention on the Update that the ferry connections from Tenerife south to La Palma are (at least at the moment) excellent and connect with most flights. The ferry leaves at 20.00 from Cristianos and gets in here at 22.15 hrs, so that fits all very well. Also, El Hierro now has a fast ferry between Cristianos and Puerto Estaca. Better check www.fredolsen.es for accurate timetables. The brochure I picked up today says: just over 2 hrs. Depart from Estaca every day at 18.00 and from Cristianos at 15.30. (Conny Spelbrink, on La Palma, who revised this 4th edition)

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Car tour 2: In Las Manchas there is a squire with is called Plaza Glorieta. It's made of mosaic. I loved it very much. (User, 10/07)

Car tour 3: Near the "El Fayal" picnic place there is an indoor market with local foods and craftworks.Open on Saturdays 15h-19h and Sundays 11h-15h. (User, 3/06)

Walk 1: Bus line 11 is replaced by line 2. Get off the bus at the end station in central Barlovento and either wait for the connecting bus to take you to the starting point, or allow 15 minutes walk to the start of walk 1. (user, 5/07)

Walk 2: At the buildings described as "...eventually will be visitors' centres" on page 47, a lot of construction is going on, with a maze of new roads. The way described in the guide was hard to find and many of the new roads were closed for walkers. However, it was not difficult to reach the 3h35min point as most of the new roads lead to the major asphalt road from Barlovento. (User, 5/07)

Walk 3: There is an added attraction to the main walk. In summer, but without specific dates, the town hall of Los Sauces diverts water from the canals in the Barranco del Agua in such a way that it forms a beautiul waterfall, 5 minutes from the entrance to the barranco. After it cascades down as it did naturally 50 years ago, it is again captured and led through the channels already in place. This cascade can be switched on and off by the authorities. The drawback is that, when the operate the cascade, the barranco is closed off for anyone wanting to wander around there on their own, so that in the summertime only the first 5 minutes can be visited, with payment and in the company of a guide (and with helmets!). From the end of September, the situation goes back to normal (as in the book). The whole project of this cascade is under review at present, as some people are not in favour of closing off the barranco. (Conny Spelbrink, on La Palma, who revised this 4th edition) + A fence with a no entry sign and a warning for falling rocks blocked the start of the detour into the barranco, at Los Tilos (1h). It looked to us that the fence was put up quite recently, so we skipped the detour. (User, 5/07) + Access: Be aware that you will not see the bridge from the bus before it is two late - it is best to look at the map while on the bus and look out for the sign for Las Lomadas a minute or two after leaving the ninth tunnel after Santa Cruz. Confusingly there are two Las Lomadas's on the route! (User, 3/08)

Walk 4: After having visited the Mirador Espigon Atravesado, and before crossing the Barranco Rivero, I met a sign 'prohibido el paso'. As I don't understand Spanish very well, I continued but found the path up to the Nacientes de Cordero y Marcos blocked with broken branches, fallen trees, landslides etc, due to the storm that hit the Canary Islands in November 2005). So 2006 users should inform themselves before leaving their hotel or apartment about the state of the path! Having reached the Nacimientos, going through the tunnels was no problem, but returning along the PR LP 6 was difficult and strenous. (User, 2/06)

Walk 6: I noticed a watertap on the Reventon pass. (User, 2/06) + Alternative walk 1: There is a small visitors centre at Refugio El Pilar, with no entrance fee. If you are not exhausted when you have reached Refugio El Pilar, we recommend that you continue along GR131 until SL EP104 and take that interesting path back to walk 6.1 to rejoin where the main walk crosses the road LP203. Note that SL EP 104 starts at the road just south of the El Gallo peak, and not as indicated on the map on p. 68-69. (User, 5/07)

Walk 7: The bus driver refused to stop before the "tunel viejo". The walk back from the bus stop at "Cruce del Refugio" was a little scary as cars were driving extremely fast in the tunnel. At the end of the walk, the National Park Visitors Centre is closed during afternoons. (User, 5/07) + Another alternative walk is to take the bus to the Visitors Centre and walk up PR LP 14 to the plateau where it meets with SL EP 101 at a signpost. Then follow SL EP 101 and if desired divert onto SL EP 102 to go to the top of Montana Henrique before carrying on down the 101 to a small village near El Paso by a very pleasant camino. Return by bus from El Paso. All paths are safe and well marked. (User, 3/08)

Walk 8: The entrance fee for the Visitors Centre at the Volcán de San Antonio (with parking) isn't very cheap any longer - it's 3,50 euros. Also there was no printed information there to take away, just a video. The bus from the lighthouse for the return to Los Canarios didn't show up - maybe it doesn't run in winter? (E-mail, 2/06) + There is an entrance fee of 3.50 Euro to visit the visitors centre and to walk on the rim of Vulcan de San Antonio. However, contrary to the earlier update, there are English, German and Dutch brochures with translation of the texts on the posters. At about 40 min into the walk, there is now only one very clear path leading to Roque Teneguia. There is a small but fascinating marine visitors centre in the lighthouse, with no entrance fee. On the return, the climb up the steep short-cut caused a lot of erosion in the loose volcanic ash. We would not recommend this short-cut in future editions as the path has got quite wide and eroded from many walkers trying to find firm ground on their way up. Also, GR131 is no longer running along this short cut, as indicated on the map on p. 76, probably to mitigate erosion. (User, 5/07)

Walk 9: I noticed a watertap on the Reventon pass. (User, 2/06)

Walk 10 : This is not for your update but for your information. We saw the start of a new route up Pico Bejenado from La Cumbrecita but did not have time to assess this or another new route from La Cumbrecita round to a mirador on the west ridge of Pico Bejenado above the road from Los Llanos into the Barranco de las Angustias. The difficult and potentially dangerous route into the campsite from La Cumbrecita was blocked by rockfalls and the path between the two Miradors at Cumbrecita had eroded at two points where there were slippery exposures to drops making it moderately dangerous. The problems with these paths in the very crumbly and slippery terrain arouses suspicions about the negotiability of the two new ones until they have been assessed. (User, 3/08) [Editor's note: We are not sure why this user did not want this added to the update, as it might be helpful for anyone wanting to try the new paths.]

Walk 11: The Jeeptaxi to Los Brecitos costs 10 euros per person! The fencing en route looked newly made or repaired and was in good condition. We never made it to the Cascada Colorada, as there was too much water in the gorge - we would have had to wade through ice-cold water. The descent in the Barranco de las Angustias was relatively hard. At the place where you have to leave the barranco to the right, there were signs saying "private, no entry". Shortly before the parking area there was also a high barrier to be got over, since there way too much water in the barranco to follow it. The walk was beautiful, but maybe not suitable in winter because there is too much water? (e-mail, 2/06) [Sunflower comments: We are certainly surprised by the "private, no entry" signs, since this walk was rechecked just before publication. We await any further news from users of this new edition.] + We still regard this walk as the best on the island and the equal of many of the world's great walks. It has been considerably improved and made safer than ten years ago when the stretch down to the ravine from the campsite had eroded missing parts in the path with exposure to vertiginous drops as you tried to negotiate them. There are also clear notices now . There was a sad accident last year that got considerable publicity but this was caused by someone deliberately leaving the path. The Jeeptaxi to Los Brecitos costs 51 euros shared between all the passengers - I think it would take six people. The apparent detour to the right marked 'private, no entry' does not seem to be one of the detours mentioned in your book and indeed there is no need to leave the barranco here. (User, 3/08)

Walk 12: Why not return to Los Llanos along the GR 130? After 1 km along the tarred road in the barranco, cross the foot bridge and follow the white and red signs back to Los Llanos along a nice mule path. (User, 2/06)

Walk 14: at the 45min-point, there is a GR X (for wrong way) on our route. Our route is perfectly viable, but follow the GR if you prefer. Similarly, after the 1h15min-point, the signs are sometimes missing for the GR turn-off to the right; if you miss them, just follow the road (as in the book). (Sunflower, 2/06) + The signpost at 1h15min point has been reinstated. Also the path leaves the road to the left half a kilometer before this point and then rejoins the road just before the signpost. (User, 3/08)

EL HIERRO

FLIGHTS, ETC: Travel via Gatwick to Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) with connecting Binter flight to El Hierro was a good option. I think it is essential to have a car on the island.

ROADS: Work on island roads is continuing apace, and three 'tracks' shown on your map are now good roads: the HI400 above El Julán; the coastal road from Tigaday to Pozo de la Salud (cuts out the Sabinosa zigzag), and the road to Charco Manso. (Sunflower, 2006)

Walk 18: The Camino de Jinama is currently blocked by a landslide; I do not know when it will reopen. (User, 3/06) [Conny Spelbrink, who revised the 4th edition, writes: Yes, as it says in the 4th edition, there is a sign and a rockfall ­ in fact there were about 5 rockfalls, but all were passable.]