Self-guided Walks
your adventure holidays
Self-guided Walks
your adventure holidays
Canary Islands Adventures
Enjoy walking the Canary Islands & other destinations
some of our most popular long walks from the Canary Islands
available at any date…
Ruth
NATOUR Team
Organisation and Products
My personal recommendation:
La Palma FANTASTIC hiking week is so special for me because it offers me the
opportunity to explore La Palma’s various landscapes, such as the lush
green, enchanted laurel forest in the north, as well as the contrasting and
more recent and arid, volcanic south.
I can also learn more about the history of the volcanoes and their eruptions in the past and present…
Enjoying the breathtaking view of La Palma and the neighbouring islands
from above is a very special experience. And, if that´s not enough, an overnight stay in the heart of the island (Caldera de Taburiente) allows me to fully enjoy the absolute tranquillity, the unique starry sky and the feeling of being away from it all.
The icing on the cake, however, is the Volcanoes Route. This is a route in complete contrast to all the previous ones. An extraordinary landscape formed by a volcanic mountain range in constant evolution. A tip: When you get to Fuencaliente, at the end of the route, be sure to try the excellent “almendrados” from Bar Parada. They are really tasty 😊
Further information about this programme can be found at the following link
But if you have any doubts, TEXT ME
Belén
NATOUR Team
Organisation and Products
My personal recommendation:
LANZAROTE GR 131 crosses the island from north to south through spectacular landscapes and allows you to enjoy a wide variety of volcanic scenery.
Lanzarote has a wide range of flights at good prices and great connections from anywhere on the mainland.
The inland villages retain their rural character, with a quiet lifestyle, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the island’s tourist centres. With immaculate white houses contrasting with the black of the lava…
The 5 stages of the Camino del Guanche in Lanzarote (GR 131) pass through charming inland villages and towns: Haría, Villa de Teguise, Yaíza…
The landscapes are simply breathtaking, with areas of wine-growing interest such as La Geria, where vines are cultivated in the old-fashioned way, between hollows of picón.
The capital, Arrecife, is a lively and bustling city with a multitude of cafés and restaurants, especially in the area known as El Charco de San Ginés.
And we must not forget the cultural aspect, thanks to the late artist Cesar Manrique. Different Art Centres make up a very interesting cultural itinerary to complete a week of activity. A tip: on the rest day, you can visit the Cueva de Los Verdes or the Jameos del Agua, among other options. 😊
But if you have any doubts, WRITE TO ME
Jeanette
NATOUR Team
Organisation and Products
My personal recommendation:
Hiking GRAN CANARIA is an ideal programme for a getaway to the islands.
Gran Canaria has a wide range of flights at very affordable prices, which makes the island a very attractive destination at any time of the year.
The interior of the island is relatively unknown and has an exuberant nature that invites you to discover by walking. In addition, its orography favours a diversity of microclimates and diverse landscapes…
All the routes in this programme are spectacular, but I would choose the Water Route to Agaete.
The landscapes are simply breathtaking, with deep ravines and subtropical vegetation favoured by the dams that we will find along the way.
In addition, the Villa de Agaete has a special charm. And in its valley we find old farms where coffee and tropical fruits are still cultivated in the traditional way.
And the icing on the cake is in Gáldar, a town with a rich historical past and the culmination of the Camino de Santiago de Gran Canaria. In the old town (nowadays completely pedestrianised) we find the Hotel Agáldar where we will stay for the last 3 nights. A tip: on your day off, you can visit the various natural pools just a few steps away from Gáldar. They are pools of sea water, clean and crystalline, which invite you to take a refreshing bath. 😊
Further information about this programme can be found at the following link
But if you have any questions, TEXT ME
…And if you prefer a tailor-made plan for your group that
combine different islands or visit special places
we will adapt it to your prerogatives.
Your own group? Ask us !
What do customers say about us?
Hiking in the Canary Islands, organised by the people who live here
At Natour we design self-guided hiking holidays across the Canary Islands from our base on La Palma. We know every trail because we walk it ourselves: we know when the tajinaste blooms, which stretch of the GR 131 is best avoided after heavy rain, and which guachinche is worth stopping at when the day’s stage is done.
Our most iconic trip is the Guanche Trail, our very own route along the GR 131, crossing the islands from end to end through volcanoes, laurel forests and seas of clouds. If you’d rather explore a single island, we offer walking holidays on La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, each with its own character: from volcanic trekking to gentler coastal walks.
How does a self-guided trip work? We take care of all the logistics — hand-picked accommodation, luggage transfers, GPS tracks, maps and local support — while you walk at your own pace, free to stop wherever you like. No groups, no schedules, no worries.
And if you fancy a change of scenery, we also organise hiking holidays in other corners of the Iberian Peninsula: the Fishermen’s Trail along the Alentejo and Algarve coast, the Camí de Cavalls in Menorca and the Camiño dos Faros in Galicia.
Start planning your next adventure on foot: discover new itineraries such as the Caminos de Ronda on the Costa Brava or Santa Maria Island in the Azores. If you need any advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch — we’ll help you choose the perfect route for you.
Hiking in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands
Hiking in the Canary Islands has become a fundamental activity. In any of the 7 islands there is a network of well-marked trails, with procedures approved by the Spanish Mountaineering Federation.
In addition, each island has defined a long-distance route, known as the GR, which crosses ancestral paths from one side to the other. In addition, the GR 131 corresponds to an international route linking the islands of the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries.
GR 131 in the Canary Islands
The first was the island of La Palma. Its GR 131 is also known as the “Ruta del Bastón” (Cane Route) because of its peculiar route in the shape of a cane. The route starts in Puerto de Tazacorte and climbs up to the highest point of the island, then climbs upwards towards the south. And finally this route ends at the Faro de Fuencaliente lighthouse with a total distance of 66 km.
Hiking
Thanks to the mountainous relief of the islands, hiking has become an important tourist activity. For this reason, each island has made the most of its special cultural legacy and its ancient infrastructures in the form of footpaths. Today it is possible to walk the GR 131 in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro, as well as La Palma.
The Routes
The old paths and royal roads of yesteryear have been redesigned and turned into thematic routes. Some of these routes provide a lot of information about the lifestyle of the people of the Canary Islands in the past. For example, the PR (short distance) paths were the connections between different villages and all the commercial activity revolved around them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a self-guided hiking trip?
You walk on your own, at your own pace and without being part of a group, but we organise all the logistics: booked accommodation, luggage transfers between hotels, access to our app with GPS tracking, maps, detailed descriptions of each stage and local support throughout the trip.
What do the difficulty levels (▲▲△△△, ▲▲▲△△…) mean?
▲△△△△ = easy routes or stages, 6–10 km long and with up to 100 m of cumulative elevation gain.
▲▲△△△ = moderate routes or stages, 9–14 km long and with up to 350 m of cumulative elevation gain.
▲▲▲△△ = challenging routes or stages, 12–18 km long and with a cumulative elevation gain of up to 850 m.
▲▲▲▲▲ = very challenging routes or stages, 16–30 km long and with a cumulative elevation gain of up to 1,500 m.
Can I go on this sort of trip if I’m over 60?
It’s not so much about age as it is about each person’s physical condition. My personal recommendation is as follows:
▲▲△△△ if you are in good health and regularly take part in some form of physical activity (medium-length routes or stages, from 9–14 km and up to 350 m of cumulative elevation gain).
▲▲▲△△ if you are in good physical shape and regularly go hiking (challenging routes or stages, 12–18 km long and with up to 850 m of cumulative elevation gain)
And what happens if one day I don’t want to or can’t walk?
We’ll take care of rearranging your itinerary so you can enjoy a day off. If you happen to be partway along a route, we’ll quickly organise a transfer to pick you up wherever you are.
When is the best time to go hiking in the Canary Islands?
Although the Fortunate Islands enjoy a moderate climate all year round, and heatwaves are much less frequent than on the mainland, the best time for hiking is in spring and autumn. In spring, there is a profusion of flowers, including the pink tajinaste. And in autumn, the temperatures are more pleasant than in the height of summer. Winter is also a good time to explore the islands’ trails, although you may encounter more rainy days or storms, particularly at higher altitudes.
Apart from the Canary Islands, what other hiking trips would you recommend?
NATOUR has added a number of fascinating hotel-to-hotel itineraries to its travel portfolio, including Santa Maria Island in the Azores, the Sierra de Tramuntana in Mallorca, the Camí de Cavalls in Menorca, the Rota Vicentina in Portugal, the Caminos de Ronda on the Costa Brava and the Camiño dos Faros in Galicia. And we are continuing to work on adding new itineraries shortly.
What is included in the price, and what isn’t?
Our prices include accommodation (usually with breakfast), luggage transfers, access to our app with route information, GPS navigation and 24-hour assistance.
Some itineraries include arrival and support transfers (depending on the route). Flights to and from your destination are not included.
What is the cancellation or date-change policy?
Depending on the itinerary you have chosen, you can cancel free of charge or change your travel dates between 15 and 30 days before your arrival date. See the general FAQs section for more information.