Pista Hilera de la Cumbre, a track along the Tenerife’s spine

# Pista Hilera de la Cumbre

Want to experience one of La Palma's best-kept secrets? Head to this gem tucked along the spine of Spain's Canary Islands. The Pista Hilera de la Cumbre is a gloriously winding unpaved track that'll make you feel like you're driving on another planet.

This 6.6 km (4.10 miles) adventure starts from the paved LP-301 Road and snakes through the Cumbre Vieja Natural Park. Fair warning: you'll definitely want a 4x4 for this one. The road climbs steeply in sections, cresting at a respectable 1,495 m (4,904 ft) above sea level, and it's narrow enough to keep you honest. But here's the payoff—you'll have the place practically to yourself, with traffic so light you might forget other cars exist.

The landscape here is absolutely otherworldly. Imagine volcanic slopes that look like they belong on the moon, surrounded by moody black lava fields that create a dramatic contrast with the emerald forests creeping up behind. You'll wind around a few volcanoes along the way, and the constant trade winds sweep across the landscape most of the year, adding to that wild, untamed feeling.

This is the kind of road that doesn't show up in most guidebooks, but it absolutely should be on your La Palma bucket list.