Los Tilos forest: La Palma rainforest

In San Andrés y Sauces in north-eastern La Palma lies the Los Tilos Forest, one of the most pristine and lush ancient laurisilva rainforests on Earth. This sheltered, moisture-dripping canyon was the birthplace of La Palma's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation in 1983, a recognition that decades later expanded to encompass the entire island.

Entering Los Tilos is like stepping into the Tertiary period: an ancient ecosystem where massive tilo laurels (*Ocotea foetens*), canary viñátigos and wild bay trees form a dense canopy over prehistoric tree ferns rising over two metres high, fed continuously by damp Atlantic trade wind mists.

The hidden Los Tilos waterfall

The most famous attraction in the park is an easy ten-minute stroll from the Visitors Centre. A gentle footpath follows the bed of the Barranco del Agua through a small tunnel carved into the rock, emerging into a narrow moss-draped canyon where a crystal-clear waterfall plunges down basalt walls into an emerald pool.

Fine water spray hanging in the cool, shaded air creates an invigorating natural microclimate, making it a refreshing haven even in the height of summer.

Accessible trails: Barranco del Agua

• Self-guided nature circuit: A 2.5-km circular loop ascending gently through the forest to view the canopy from an elevated wooden boardwalk.
• Espigón Atravesado Viewpoint: A 2-hour (4 km) hike climbing to a razor-sharp rock ridge perched over the ravine, offering 360-degree vistas across the rainforest.
• Canarian birdwatching: The dense woodland shelters two endemic pigeons (Bolle’s pigeon and laurel pigeon), easily spotted darting between laurel treetops.

Marcos and Cordero: thirteen water tunnels

For seasoned hikers, Marcos and Cordero is one of the premier mountain adventures in Spain. The trail tracks an ancient irrigation canal carved into vertical rock walls at 1,400 metres, navigating through thirteen dark tunnels where spring water pours from ceilings and rock fissures.