Tajogaite Volcano Guided Trek La Palma

Tajogaite, the volcano born in 2021

On 19 September 2021 the ground opened on the western slope of the Cumbre Vieja ridge, and for 85 days a new volcano poured out lava, ash and gas. It was the longest eruption ever recorded on La Palma. When it ended in December, lava covered more than 1,000 hectares of farmland, roads and villages, and a new cone stood above the valley. The volcano took the name Tajogaite from the old local name of the spot where it rose.

Visiting is now possible only on authorised routes with a guide, and this Tajogaite volcano tour brings you as close as visitors can go to the south crater. You see the steep red and black walls of the cone, steaming cracks on some days and the colours of sulphur and iron in the rock. Is Tajogaite worth visiting? For anyone interested in nature, it is one of the most powerful sights in the Canary Islands.

The new lava fields and ash landscape

The walk crosses a world that did not exist a few years ago. Thick layers of black volcanic gravel, called picón on the island, cover the slopes, and in places the tops of buried walls and pine trees still show above the ash. Further down, the lava flows spread as rough, jagged rivers of stone that cooled into the shapes of waves, ropes and broken plates.

From high points on the trail you look across the full path of the 2021 lava towards the sea, where the flows reached the coast and built new land. Your guide points out where villages once stood and how families are rebuilding. The terrain is loose and uneven, so sturdy shoes matter; there is little shade, which makes the best time to visit Tajogaite the cooler morning slot in summer.

El Paso, the meeting point in the heart of La Palma

El Paso is a quiet town in the centre of La Palma, set in a green valley between the Cumbre Vieja ridge and the great Caldera de Taburiente, the vast crater-shaped basin that forms the island's national park. It is known for its silk-weaving tradition, almond trees that bloom in winter and the visitor centre of the national park on the road above town.

The trek starts here, and the group travels together to the trailhead, so you do not need to drive on the restricted roads near the volcano. If you are asking how to get to Tajogaite, El Paso is about 30 minutes by car from Santa Cruz de La Palma and about 15 minutes from Los Llanos de Aridane. Arrive a little early to find parking near the meeting point.

Cumbre Vieja and La Palma's volcanic story

La Palma, often called the beautiful island, is one of the youngest and steepest islands of the Canaries. Its southern half is formed by the Cumbre Vieja, a long volcanic ridge dotted with cones, where eruptions have happened several times in recorded history, including in 1949 and 1971 before Tajogaite. The north is older and greener, with deep ravines and laurel forests.

Your guide links the 2021 eruption to this longer story: how the island grows, why the lava ran west and how scientists watched the volcano day by day. A La Palma volcano trek pairs well with a drive to the southern tip at Fuencaliente, a visit to the lava tubes or a boat trip along the new lava coast from Puerto de Tazacorte.