GR131 Canary Islands, Day 27–30 | Sunday–Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026
We finished our trek across La Palma on Saturday. Finding accommodation for under €300 in the Los Llanos area (where the trail ended) proved difficult, so we opted for Hostel Vagamundo. We ended up with a bunk bed in a six-person dorm. Inger was a bit skeptical, but options were limited.
It actually went surprisingly well, and we both slept soundly through the night. Hostels add a nice social element too—I stayed in several like this in New Zealand last year.
The original plan was to spend five days hiking La Palma, and we had pre-booked a stay in Santa Cruz de La Palma for Sunday to Monday. Availability was tight, so we booked early to secure a room. Since we finished the trek in just four days, we ended up with some extra time in both Los Llanos and Santa Cruz.
The Canary Islands are volcanic, and the most recent eruption actually happened just outside Los Llanos as recently as 2021, lasting for 85 days. Over 3,000 buildings were destroyed by the lava flows. You can clearly see the black lava scarring the landscape.
In the area surrounding Los Llanos, we could see many remains of smaller volcanoes from earlier eras.
At 11:30 AM, we caught the bus to Santa Cruz de La Palma, about a one-hour trip. On the way to the bus station, it hit me out of nowhere—intense nausea and body aches. The bus ride was a nightmare, and I was in bad shape by the time we arrived. We tried to get something to drink, hoping it would help, but it didn’t do much.
When we reached the Capsule Hostel, I went straight to bed. This is the first time either of us has fallen ill on one of our trips. I slept poorly, and my Garmin watch showed a Body Battery of 5 the next morning. Usually, it’s been between 55 and 95 on this trip.
Onward to El Hierro
The following morning, Monday, we took the 6:30 AM ferry to El Hierro via Tenerife. We had booked a stay in Valverde and managed to extend it to two nights, hoping I’d recover. In my current state, hiking was out of the question; I even struggled just to get up the stairs on the ferry.
Once in Valverde, we checked into a large, nice apartment in the small town. I finally got a long, restorative night’s sleep, followed by a restful day today, Tuesday. I’m feeling much better now, though still far from 100%, but I’m ready to start the trek across El Hierro tomorrow.
The Path Ahead
We expect to spend two days hiking across the island. Once we reach the terminus of the GR131, we have to hike another 18 km (approx. 11 miles) north to reach a point where we can catch transport back to Valverde.