Cumbre Vieja
1,949 m
Spain
Also known as Monte Cumbre Vieja, Volcán de la Deseada, +1Also known as
Monte Cumbre Vieja · Volcán de la Deseada · Кумбре Вьеха
- Elevation
- 1,949 m
- Prominence
- 577 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Mar–May
- Routes
- 1
NoticeReported 14 Sep 2026
On 14 September 2026 the Cabildo de La Palma closed the GR 131 from Fuencaliente to the Refugio El Pilar (Ruta de los Volcanes) during a regional wildfire-risk alert. The alert reportedly ended on 17 September 2026, but no formal reopening notice was found; check senderosdelapalma.es before walking.
mundolapalma.es
Routes
1La Palma's best-known walk: from the El Pilar recreation area (about 1,450 m) the waymarked GR 131 climbs through pine forest past the Hoyo Negro and Duraznero craters of the 1949 eruption to the Deseada, the highest point of the Cumbre Vieja ridge. About 8 km and 2 h 50 min to the top; most walkers continue south to Los Canarios or the Fuencaliente lighthouse.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 6.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +636 m
- −142 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,949 m
- Time Up
- 3h 14m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 34m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the Refugio El Pilar, a Cabildo recreation area with picnic tables, toilets and a car park of 30–40 spaces on the LP-301 road between Santa Cruz and El Paso. The GR 131 (stage 3, 'Ruta de los Volcanes') is signed for the Faro de Fuencaliente, 23.7 km away. It climbs steeply south on forest tracks and paths in black ash and pine needles past the Mirador Birigoyo, then along the ridge to a col of about 1,800 m overlooking the Hoyo Negro crater (about 1 h 35 min). A signed side path leads to Pico Nambroque (1,922 m) in under 10 minutes. The path continues past the Mirador de Duraznero, where it forks: one branch climbs directly over the cone, the other contours its west flank. Beyond, black cinder slopes lead to the Deseada (about 8.3 km, 2 h 50 min from El Pilar in one walker's record). There is no technical difficulty, but the route is fully exposed to sun, wind and cloud, and there is no water. From the summit most walkers continue south on the GR 131: a steep descent in fine ash, then forest past the Volcán de Martín to Los Canarios (Fuencaliente, about 741 m; roughly 18.7 km from El Pilar, 5 h 45 min) or on past the San Antonio and Teneguía volcanoes to the Fuencaliente lighthouse (about 25 km, 7 h 45 min with stops). Arrange a taxi or a second car; there is no bus to El Pilar. Returning the same way to El Pilar is the alternative.
Start
Refugio El Pilar1,455 m
- No bus to the Refugio El Pilar; take a taxi from El Paso, Los Llanos or Fuencaliente (about 1 hour and around EUR 50 from the Fuencaliente lighthouse). Los Canarios (Fuencaliente) has bus services.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Refugio El Pilar → Deseada | 6.6 | 636 | 142 | 3h 14m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Refugio El Pilar1,455 m
- Feature: Hoyo Negro1,752 m
Crater of the 1949 eruption, seen from a col of about 1,800 m on the GR 131 (not on route line)
- Feature: Volcán El Duraznero1,830 m
- Summit: Deseada1,949 m
Key Passages
- Steep forest climb from El Pilar
- Col above the Hoyo Negro crater
- Duraznero fork (over the cone or round its west flank)
- Steep ash descent south of the Deseada
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The active volcanic ridge that forms the southern half of La Palma, a 25 km spine of black cinder cones whose highest point, the Deseada, rises to about 1,945 m. The waymarked Ruta de los Volcanes follows its crest from El Pilar to Fuencaliente, past the craters of 1949 and in sight of the 2021 Tajogaite cone.
Cumbre Vieja is the most active volcanic area in the Canary Islands, a north–south ridge of overlapping cones, craters and lava fields running from the Refugio El Pilar to the southern tip of La Palma at Fuencaliente. It is protected as the Parque Natural de Cumbre Vieja. Canary pine forest covers the lower slopes; above about 1,700 m the crest is bare black and red cinder, with views of Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro across the sea.
The Deseada is the high point, a broad cinder summit on the crest. It is reached by the GR 131's 'Ruta de los Volcanes', the most popular walk on the island: about 8 km and 800 m of ascent from El Pilar to the summit, passing the Hoyo Negro and Duraznero craters that opened in 1949. Most walkers make it a one-way traverse south to Los Canarios or the Fuencaliente lighthouse, 18–25 km in total.
No technical skills are needed, but the walk is long and exposed: there is no water and no shade on the upper ridge, the sun is strong all year, and cloud and wind can sweep the crest. Transport needs planning because there is no bus to the start.
Climbing Notes
The route to the Deseada needs a fit walker and good boots; for the full traverse to Fuencaliente plan 7–9 hours with more than 2,000 m of descent, and poles help on the long ash slopes. Start early (the Cabildo suggests by 09:00) to avoid the midday heat on the exposed crest, carry all your water, and take warm and waterproof layers in winter. Arrange a taxi or a second car in advance. Check the trail status on senderosdelapalma.es on the day: the Cabildo closes the GR 131 at short notice during wildfire-risk or severe-weather alerts. Guided walks are offered by several local companies.
History
Recorded eruptions on the Cumbre Vieja include those of 1585, 1646, 1677 (San Antonio), 1712, 1949 (San Juan, with vents at Duraznero, Hoyo Negro and Llano del Banco), 1971 (Teneguía) and 2021. The 2021 eruption, from a new cone later named Tajogaite on the western flank, began on 19 September and lasted until 13 December; it destroyed thousands of buildings, forced about 7,000 people to evacuate and added new land at the coast. A 1999–2001 hypothesis that a flank collapse could send a megatsunami across the Atlantic was widely publicised but has been strongly disputed by later studies.
Season
Best Mar–May- January: Good
- February: Good
- March: Best (best window)
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Possible
- October: Good
- November: Best
- December: Good
- Jan
- Cool and sometimes cloudy or windy on the ridge; occasional frost
- Feb
- Cool; check for weather alerts
- Jun
- Warm; start early
- Jul
- Hot and shadeless; wildfire-risk closures possible
- Aug
- Hot and shadeless; wildfire-risk closures possible
- Sep
- Heat, calima and wildfire-risk closures possible (e.g. 14 September 2026)
- Dec
- Cool; cloud and rain more frequent
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Camping authorisation, El Pilar recreation areaOptional
Not needed for walking. Camping is allowed only in the designated zone at El Pilar with free prior authorisation from the Cabildo de La Palma (online e-office, Environment area); wild camping elsewhere in the natural park is prohibited.
- Rules
- Parque Natural de Cumbre Vieja: camping only in designated areas
- The Cabildo closes the GR 131 Ruta de los Volcanes during wildfire-risk alerts, and the whole island trail network closes automatically during severe-weather alerts
- Parts of the area around the 2021 Tajogaite vent remain off limits; some accesses to the southern GR 131 have been modified
- Getting There
El Paso; Los Llanos de Aridane; Fuencaliente (Los Canarios) at the southern end
La Palma (SPC)
- Car: LP-301 to the Refugio El Pilar (paved, narrow; about 25 minutes from Santa Cruz, 35 from the airport); car park of 30–40 spaces fills early at weekends
- Taxi: no bus to El Pilar; walkers commonly park at Fuencaliente and take a taxi (about 1 hour, around EUR 50, booked in advance) to the start
Hazards
- Volcanic activity
- Weather
- Remoteness