The Caldera de Taburiente National Park, located in the northern part of the island of La Palma, in the Canary Archipelago, is characterized by its caldera of 8 km in diameter and more than 25 km perimeter, where volcanic eruptions and the erosion of water and wind have been sculpting its morphology, creating differences in level of more than 2,000 meters.

The park is referred to by the name Caldera from public sales documents from 1513, the term “Caldera” being transferred to the international geological vocabulary, to refer to large volcanic craters in the 18th century.

Years before, the then called canton of Acero (La Caldera de Taburiente), was the last bastion of the indigenous resistance of the island in their fight against the Spanish conquerors back in 1447, who were defeated several times by the indigenous people until in 1492, they were finally reduced, the lands of the island being distributed among the conquerors, the property arriving through hereditary transmissions and sales operations to the current heirs, some 1,800 landowners grouped in the Heredamiento of the Argual and Tazacorte Haciendas, in whose estates the lands affected by the La Caldera de Taburiente National Park are defined as pro-individual property and which acts as a regulator of the use of water and other resources of the Caldera, as well as protecting and favoring through its ordinances the protection of forests, prohibiting their logging and livestock exploitation.

In 1954 the area of La Caldera de Taburiente was declared a Natural Park, later in 1981 the park was expanded to almost 5,000 hectares and the incorporation of a Peripheral Protection Zone that covers another 5,000 hectares, establishing its special legal regime. its classification as a protected natural space and its incorporation into the Natural Park Network.

The Caldera de Taburiente is one of the largest depressions in the world of its type, of erosive origin and surrounded by peaks among which are the highest latitudes of the island, such as Roque de loschos of 2,426 meters, the Pico de la Cruz of 2,351 meters or the Pico de la Nieve of 2,236 meters.

The interior of the Caldera is crisscrossed by innumerable ravines which converge into the two main ravines, Taburiente and Almendro Amagro, whose union creates the Barranco de la Angustias.

The geological formations of the National Park are considered of high interest, due to the presence of the oldest lavas on the island and the existence of basal components such as pillow lavas, plutonic magmatic, basaltic and agglomerate dykes, or the vertical walls: flows, volcanic cones, basalt dykes resulting from ancient chimneys and the remains of eruptions.

It is currently believed that its formation took place after the thrust of the magma, which produced the elevation of the soil, which after the magma disappeared would give way to form the caldera, magnified by the landslides and erosion of the water. Inside the Caldera there are plenty of water springs and waterfalls, some more than 100 meters high, and with ravines with permanent water courses.

The island of La Palma is the island of the Canary archipelago with the highest rainfall, with great use of water, as it filters due to the porosity of the volcanic rocks. The Calera de Taburiente National Park has more than 70 springs generating a considerable flow, which is used by a network of canals and pipes as drinking or irrigation water, with “Marcos y Cordero” being the spring that brings together the largest volume. , constituting 58% of the total existing springs. Its Mediterranean climate, altitude, trade winds, the sea of clouds that cover its caldera, and the rains during autumn and winter favor the maintenance of its spectacular plant and animal wealth, with its ravines, its rocks and its vertical walls.

The Caldera de Taburiente National Park has more than 300 species of cataloged plants, the most characteristic being the Canarian pine, living in its peaks with numerous endemisms and plants in danger of extinction such as the retamón ( Genista benehoavensis) or the violet (Viola palmensis).

La Caldera has a varied fauna in which the endemic birds of Macaronesia stand out, such as the rabiche pigeon (Columba Junenae) or the canary (Serinus canarius), as well as three species of bats, one of them endemic to the Canary Islands, the long-eared bat (Plecotus teneriffae).

La Caldera National Park is included in the Habitat Conservation Plan for the north of the island of La Palma, which contemplates a series of actions aimed at maintaining the natural landscape by controlling the entry of herbivores, planting for repopulation purposes and the recovery of endangered species.

The Caldera de Taburiente, due to its rugged orography, has not been a place chosen by humans for settlement, remaining unpopulated and being used for grazing, the use of water and forest resources, until the exploitation of tourism, an activity that has increased the flow of hikers, which has led to the emergence of economic activities such as tourist guides, transportation services, and guided excursions, in addition to having an impact on other activities such as those related to the hotel sector, hospitality and services.

Currently it is possible to do more than ten hiking routes, among which stand out;

• Mirador de La Cumbrecita – Mirador de Las Chozas, a 3 km circular route that takes an hour and a half, very easy.
• The Cascada de Colores, a route of about 11 km, takes three hours round trip through the Angustias ravine.
• El Roque de los Muchachos, a 9 km route ideal for bird watching to the highest point of the island, with impressive views of the national park and where it is sometimes even possible to see the islands of Tenerife, El Hierro and La Gomera, until reaching the Astrological observatory inaugurated in 1985 and which is part of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.
• Mirador de Cumbrecita – Pico Bejenado, 8 km round trip, considered difficult, but highly recommended by hikers with incredible views of the national park and the volcano area.

In order to collaborate in its conservation, within the La Caldera de Taburiente National Park it is totally prohibited to throw garbage, introduce animals or plants that do not belong to the ecosystem itself, and collect plants, animals or stones. , any use of fire, manipulation or deterioration of elements of artistic, cultural or archaeological value, motor vehicles and noise pollution among others.