La PALMA, SPAIN

HIGH TIME

By Prapti

#A view into the Caldera de Taburiente, which formed some two million years ago and was originally the crater of volcano

“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer” wrote Albert Camus. No such existential soul searching is needed in the Canary Islands, where year-round sunshine (and 1,000 or so miles) separates Europe’s southernmost reaches from the mainland and its oft-questionable weather. Each island is a treat as winter slides into spring, a season of clear skies and gentle warmth, but La Palma is especially fine for an outside amble. The greenest of the group, it’s UNESCO-listed preserve whose landscape of pine forests, peaks and waterfalls has won it the nickname ‘the pretty island’, The Parque Nacional de la Caldera Taburiente is its scenic highlight. Here, trails wind up pine-cloaked slopes to the Caldera de Tauriente (Taburiente Cauldron), where soaring rock walls plunge 2,000m into a crater five miles wide. Summit the ridge in the morning for panoramic views, or visit later to watch clouds spill dramatically over the caldera’s lips. In March, you’ll also catch the spectacle of Carneval, a lively mix of dancing and drinking in the nearby capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma.

For more on the Parque Nacional de la Caldera Taburiente and walking in La Palma, visit senderosdelapalma.com

The 2014 Carneval runs from 28 February until 9 March; more information is at visitlapalma.es.

Thomson Aiways flies to La Palma fro mLondon Gatwick and Manchester (from £250; thomsonfly.com).

Perched beside the sea, Casa Los Geranios is full of antiques, decorative eaves and floors mad from local pine (from £90; i-escape.com/casa-los-geranios).