From the bus stop, I had a long walk to the beach. I hiked down a steep hill past plantain farms, along a road with views of the waves far below, and down a winding staircase in the rocks before I finally got to the beach. It was so lovely there that I lost track of time. I had to run back up the mountain to the bus stop because the bus only comes once an hour, and I barely made it! It was a fun adventure.
I enjoy walking as a form of transportation as well. Many of the trails are made of stone and are hundreds of years old. Along the trails, there are wildflowers everywhere. It is winter now, but it looks like spring!
The hiking trails are deeply connected to the culture and the environment. Before there were cars, people walked everywhere and these trails connected the different towns of the island. People hike as a form of exercise today, but in the past people walked on these trails as part of their daily lives, going to get water from natural fuentes (springs) or traveling between towns to trade. Many people from La Palma feel connected to the history of the island and the people who lived here before when they hike on these trails.
