Los Tilos

Los Tilos fills a ravine on the wet northeastern side of La Palma with laurisilva, the laurel forest that once covered much of the Mediterranean basin and survives only on the Macaronesian islands, and here it is dense: tree heather, Canary laurel, viñatigo and til under near-constant cloud caught by the ridge above, with ferns and mosses on every surface. It was the core of La Palma's biosphere reserve designation in 1983, later extended to the whole island. Walking routes follow the galerias and canales, water channels cut into the rock to collect and carry the condensation the forest produces, some of them through tunnels requiring a torch. A waterfall at the head of the ravine is the usual destination.

What you actually see

• The laurel forest - dense relict woodland under permanent cloud.
• The water channels - cut canals and tunnels carrying collected condensation.
• The waterfall - a fall at the head of the ravine, the standard walk.
• The tunnel routes - sections requiring a torch through the rock.

When to go

Year-round; the forest depends on cloud, so grey damp conditions are normal and the point. Winter and spring are greenest. Access can be restricted in busy periods with a shuttle from below.

Honest expectations

The forest is wet and paths are muddy and slippery in every season. Tunnel routes need a torch and can flood. Cloud limits views. Parking is limited and the road up the ravine is narrow.

Nearby

San Andres and the Charco Azul pools lie on the coast below; Santa Cruz de La Palma is south.