La Palma rewards active travellers. The island's dramatic topography — a near-vertical rise from sea level to 2,426 metres — makes it one of the best hiking destinations in the Canary Islands. The national park at the Caldera de Taburiente is the showpiece, but there are excellent trails across the entire island. For those interested in astronomy, the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory is one of the finest in the world. And for anyone who wants to understand what volcanic creation looks like close up, the 2021 Tajogaite lava fields in the southwest are stark and recent — the earth here is still cooling.