What to do · La Palma
La Cumbrecita viewpoint, looking over the Caldera de Taburiente
Information
- Price
- Free
- Duration
- 1 h
- Season
- All year, except safety closures
- Who it's for
- Everyone
It is the most visited spot in the National Park: a saddle on the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente from where you see the great eroded crater, with its Canary pines and the walls rising to the Roque de los Muchachos, where the telescopes are. You get there by a 7 km road that leaves from the El Paso Visitor Centre.
The car reservation
The car park is small, so from 8:30 to 16:00 (until 18:00 in busy periods) you can only drive up with authorisation. It is requested at the National Parks' booking centre, up to a month ahead and up to the same day, in 30-minute slots. At the Riachuelo barrier you show the reservation on your phone; you can pass from 10 minutes before to 20 minutes after your time, and if you arrive later it is cancelled. You can cancel until 24:00 the day before. From 16:00 you drive up without a reservation, and people with accredited reduced mobility don't need one.
What to do up there
Look, mostly. The information point opens from 8:30 to 18:30 from October to April and from 8:35 to 20:00 from May to September. Short paths leave the car park along the rim; ask at the information point which are open, because the Park closes sections because of rockfalls or bad weather.
Tips
- Go up at the last minute After 16:00 no reservation is needed and the afternoon light enters the Caldera from the side. It fits well on the way down from the Roque.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a reservation for La Cumbrecita?
By car, from 8:30 to 16:00, yes. After that, no.
Can it be closed?
Yes: the Park cuts access for safety when there is risk and cancels that day's reservations. Check the notices on its website before going.
