2 Best Sights in El Paso, La Palma

What strikes you first about Caldera de Taburiente National Park is its sheer verticality, jutting over 3,000 feet (900 meters) above sea level, which feels dramatic considering that the ocean is only a couple of miles away as the crow flies. Trails here take you through dense Canarian pine forests, meadows of wildflowers, dramatic gorges, and burbling streams. All around you are even higher, jagged cliff tops whose peaks are often hidden above the cloud line. There are essentially two routes: one uphill and one downhill. The latter is far and away more enjoyable, but you'll have to hire a taxi (approximately €55; try to split the fee with other hikers) at the Barranco de las Angustias (aka Parking de la Villa) to drop you at the trailhead at Mirador Los Brecitos. You then walk the scenic route from Los Brecitos back down to the taxi stand, 4–7 hours depending on how pokey you are. The hike is steep with lots of uneven surfaces and not suited to all travelers. Bring plenty of water and snacks. If you visit in spring or early summer, you'll be treated to jaw-dropping indigo tajinaste flowers in bloom. Islabonitatours ( www.islabonitatours.com) is an outstanding English-speaking tour company that can make all transportation arrangements and provide knowledgeable mountain guides.

Little do many science buffs know that La Palma boasts the second-best astronomy observatory in the Northern Hemisphere, outdone only by Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Situated within the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, it has three extremely powerful telescopes and sits above the clouds at an altitude of 7,861 feet (2,396 meters). Though the site is operated by an astrophysics institute, small-group visits, lasting 70–90 minutes and always held at dawn, are subcontracted to a company called Ad Astra. The tour with a certified guide includes entry into one of the telescopes.