Tenerife and La Gomera hiking vacation

Planet

On this tour we visit two of the Canary Islands so we can spread our business over two islands instead of just one. We stay in small locally run hotels / posadas in the smaller villages rather than in the bigger coastal resorts. We walk wherever possible and use small local taxi operators and the locally owned ferry instead of the foreign owned Fred Olsen ferry.

To reduce our impact on the environment we list in our route notes given to all clients how they can help reduce any negative impact of their stay on the Islands. This includes the following;

Limit the use of plastic wherever possible. To avoid buying bottled water, always take with you a refillable container as tap water is safe to drink in the Canary Islands. Limit your use of air-conditioning as much as possible. If in use, please choose a temperature within 5 °C of the outside temperature. Let hotel staff know if you wish to use your towel for another day. When shopping, take a tote bag or put things in your day pack, instead of using plastic bags. Where possible, avoid plastic cups and choose not to use plastic straws. At bars/restaurants, prefer dishes prepared with local ingredients: better for the environment AND the local community. Do not litter and take your rubbish with you until you can dispose of it properly, preferably in the recycling bins. If you visit a protected area, you may consider making a donation or buying a book in the park shop.


As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. CoolEarth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.

People

Staying in small, family run hotels and eating at local restaurants along our journey enables us to support a variety of local businesses. We’re confident it ensures you get a better experience too as you relax and enjoy the hospitality of the local people and get the chance to sample lots of the delicious local specialities after a day’s walking! The local Papas Arrugadas, salted boiled potatoes served with chilli and garlic sauces are delicious and well worth a try.

We also choose not to include all meals in the trips, we believe that the best way to get to know a destination is leaving you free to choose where and what you want to eat, chatting with the locals for suggestions and trying things that you may have never heard of instead of having something prepared every single day. This also helps support multiple local business rather than one restaurant or hotel.

In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.