La Palma walking holiday, Canary Islands

Planet

Our main mode of transport on this trip is walking which is low a carbon form of travel. All other transport is provided by local companies, supporting the local economy, as well as using public transport on some occasions to reduce the need to charter transport specially.

All tap water in the Canary Islands is readily drinkable, so we urge you to take and use a water bottle rather than buying water to reduce pressure on the small islands’ limited resources for dealing with plastic waste.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

La Palma is less touched by tourism than the other Canary islands, by visiting it the local economy benefits which helps to diversify revenue beyond the tourist hot spots.

Instead of eating in the hotel in the evenings the group will walk into the nearby town of Los Llanos and try different local dishes, such as 'papas arrugadas and mojo'. Visiting local restaurant is encouraged by the leader and they will make suggestions and arrangements.

We walk along the ancient 'Camino Real' trail, the route by which local people travelled between the west and the east before the modern roads and have time to discover the historic centre of Santa Cruz, one of the best preserved colonial style old town centres on the Canaries. Some of the colonial homes have been transformed to little shops where the group can support local businesses by purchasing traditional crafts, hand made jewellery and local rum!

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.