Top 11 Mountain Passes in La Palma

water source at Reventon Pass

A beautiful king stage with impressive views, changing vegetation. The climb is a bit strenuous. Approx. 30% gradient (600 HM), the path is easy to walk. The long ridge path is equivalent to a road. If you like, you can walk this or choose the shady hiking path next to it. If you don't want to hike the long circuit, you have the opportunity to travel by bus or car to the El Pilar area and from there take a beautiful walk along the ridge path.

Very long and quite demanding climb that from the center of Santa Cruz leads up to the "Roque de Los Muchachos" at 2426 meters above sea level. In total there are almost 41 kilometers that must be covered to reach the desired summit, but during the entire journey you can admire the wonderful landscapes that gradually open up to our eyes. Overall it is a street with little traffic and very quiet; I highly recommend checking the weather conditions before venturing towards the top because temperatures can drop significantly in winter and finding yourself pedaling in temperatures close to zero is not such a remote eventuality as you might expect from an island of the Canaries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR59PSJ4vA8 The LP-4 highway, known as Carretera del Roque, is an impressive route in La Palma that extends for 47.84 kilometers. This mountain road leads to the Roque de Los Muchachos Astrophysical Observatory and the highest point of the island, connecting with the LP-403 in its final section. It begins in the Mirca neighborhood, in Santa Cruz de La Palma, goes up to the observatory and then descends to Hoya Grande in the Villa de Garafía. It is a spectacular route to enjoy panoramic views of the island.

The LP-4 highway, known as Carretera del Roque, is an impressive route in La Palma that extends for 47.84 kilometers. This mountain road leads to the Roque de Los Muchachos Astrophysical Observatory and the highest point of the island, connecting with the LP-403 in its final section. It begins in the Mirca neighborhood, in Santa Cruz de La Palma, goes up to the observatory and then descends to Hoya Grande in the Villa de Garafía. It is a spectacular route to enjoy panoramic views of the island.

This section of the LP-114 highway connects Santo Domingo with Las Tricias. The dense vegetation on both sides of the road creates a landscape that looks like something out of Jurassic Park. The stage has little traffic and good asphalt.

This climb from Las Norias up to Las Manchas or San Nicolas is a real challenge. With its 4.69 kilometers and 7.3 percent average, you can expect a real “torture.” The pass is brand new asphalted at the beginning. The entire road was built as a new connection road in record time after the volcanic eruption in 2021. The steepest ramps are waiting for you here. There are few plants and trees around at the moment, everything is very bare and the wind can also affect you here. As soon as you come across the old section of road, it becomes level again. Beautiful young palm trees are planted on the left and right of the street. Due to the old section of the climb, you don't necessarily see from the pass data how hard it really is at the beginning. This pass is an important connection of the two already completed lava roads back to LP-2, which is currently still buried by the lava. So if you want to drive towards the south of the island from Los Llanos or Tazacorte, there is currently no way around this climb.

This climb to Las Tricias follows the LP-114, which you take as soon as you head back from Santo Domingo towards LP-1 and thus to the south/west side of the island. The highest point is reached about 1 kilometer after the town of Las Tricias. There you will find yourself at the fork in the road that leads towards Barlovento and Roque de los Muchachos, or towards Tijarafe. The road has recently been completely resurfaced and, as is usually the case in the north, there is little traffic on the road. With its 6.89 kilometers and 505 meters in altitude, this climb should definitely not be underestimated. The vegetation here is very green, you will pass many pretty dragon trees. The effects of the last forest fires can also be clearly seen on the pine trees. The last kilometers of the pass are the most difficult. Again and again you are faced with very steep ramps. In Las Tricias there is a supermarket that invites you to take a break and a beautiful photo spot with the typical Canarian church.