LA PALMA HOLIDAY 24 APRIL 2026

 25 APRIL 

A good flight marred only by bit of wait while we did our photos and fingerprints. Beautiful hotel good room and lovely food!

Saturday we booked a car for 6 days from Monday then walked into Santa Cruz took about an hour as went bit wrong. Wandered round, had coffee and cake, saw church got bus back. 

Went to pool side and had a short swim, not bad. pina colada helped!

Sunday 26 April

Cloudy with odd spot of rain, walked along promenade to end then back to coffee place. Sunnier in afternoon sat by pool reading, had another swim. 

                    Waterfall in hotel

Monday 27 April

Got our rental car today a tiny Kia Picanto, just as well given the size of the roads and being the steepest island in the world given its size of 48 km long and 28km wide. We set off to do a hike in the mountains, thick cloud and no views at 4000 ft up we abandoned the walk and drove to the other side of the island which is said to be the sunnier. Down to the coast and sat in hot sun, we then after a few missed slots found the new road that they have built since the volcano erruption 5 years ago. We drove over the middle of it was sad to realise how many homes were lost but only one life!

The weather here is typical of mountainous area, hoping we get to do some of the hikes we've planned without the cloud.

                                                                    MAP OF LA PALMA

                                                                        driving through middle of lava field

                                                                    Caldera de Taburiente

28 April

Finally we've managed a hike, set off at the start but sign said closed so we went to the end and did part of the Barranco de la Madera - all uphill then all downhill. So peaceful, pretty flowers, just perfect, warm but no sun, can't have everything in life!

Wednesday 29 April

Drove to south of island and had a 6 mile hike across lava fields and saw San Antonio and Teneguia vvolcanoes. Tough walking as all down then up. Interesting at the Visitor Centre to Volcan San Antonio.

Almost got to the Faro de Fuencaliente.

ROBIN HOODS BAY TRIP 12 OCTOBER 2025

 Our last trip this year before we put the van to bed for the winter we drove to Robin Hoods Bay to stop for 4 nights at Hooks House caravan park.

Misty on arrival and next day fog covered the site and bay but as soon as we drove out of site towards Whitby there was none!

Drove to Grosmont and did a 7 mile hike over to Goathland across the moors, with a little veer off course (its Roy's speciality). Arrived just in time to see a steam train come in. Good job we didn't choose tomorrow to do this walk as The Flying Scotsman is coming, it will be manic! Lovely flat trail back to Grosmont on cinder path. Roy had a little reminisce at the tunnel where there used to be cottages where he stayed as a child for holidays.

FUNGI TIME
   

Tuesday, another 7 mile walk from the campsite down into Robin Hoods Bay then up along the cliff path to Boggle Hole ( tide was in so couldn't walk along the beach). We had to stop for a coffee/hot chocolate and a shared cake despite only having walked half a mile! Inland then on peaceful tracks which seemed mostly uphill but with views back to Ravenscar! Past Ramsdale Mill, Fylingthorpe posh school then on to another cinder path and back. 

Our last day, we walked from the site along the Cinder path to Stoupe beck, sadly tide was still in so we went over the cliff top to Boggle Hole for the obligatory tea, hot chocolate and cake. Still the tide was in so more climbing out of the Hole along the cliffs to Robin Hoods Bay and back to the site. Roy said it was about 4 miles! I reckoned 5 at least! We had a bit of a sea fret while eating lunch at Stoupe Beck then amazingly the sun came out. 

                Roy trying Nordic walking to help his aching knee

                                                                                                    STOUPE BECK

                                                                            LUNCH AT STOUPE BECK