Africa’s islands offer some of the world’s most distinctive and varied hiking — from the ancient dragon blood trees of Socotra and the giant tortoises of the Seychelles to the volcanic caldera of Réunion’s Piton des Neiges, the laurisilva cloud forests of the Canary Islands and the dramatic ribeira valleys of Cabo Verde. These islands sit at the intersection of African, European, Arabian and Indian Ocean civilizations, creating cultural landscapes as diverse as their ecologies. The Canary Islands’ year-round accessibility, Réunion’s extraordinary volcanic and forest trails, and Madagascar’s unique endemic wildlife combine to make Africa’s island arc one of the world’s most rewarding hiking destinations.
- Canary Islands (Spain) — Teide (3,715m — Spain’s highest; summit of the Atlantic Ocean; Year-round accessible); La Palma (Caldera de Taburiente, Ruta de los Volcanes); La Gomera (dense laurisilva forest; Garajonay UNESCO); El Hierro; Lanzarote (Timanfaya volcanic landscape)
- Réunion (France) — Piton des Neiges (3,070m — highest peak in the Indian Ocean); Piton de la Fournaise (active volcano; 2,631m); the three cirques (Cilaos, Mafate, Salazie); the GRR2 trail; extraordinary volcanic landscape
- Madagascar — Tsaratanana Massif (2,876m — Madagascar’s highest); Andringitra NP (Pic Boby, 2,658m); Ankarana limestone tsingy karst; extraordinary endemic biodiversity (90% of species found nowhere else)
- Cabo Verde — Pico do Fogo (2,829m — active volcano; last erupted 2014–15); Santo Antão ribeira valley trekking; São Nicolau cloud forest ridges
- Socotra (Yemen) — unique island ecosystem; dragon blood trees; bottle trees; endemic species everywhere; one of the world’s most biodiverse islands per km²; UNESCO World Heritage
- Seychelles — Morne Seychellois (905m); the Vallée de Mai (UNESCO; coco de mer palms); granite island trails; Indian Ocean coral coast walks
Réunion’s three cirques — Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie — are among the world’s most dramatic volcanic calderas, their walls rising 1,000–2,000m above villages accessible only on foot or by helicopter. The Mafate Cirque has no road access whatsoever — the only way in or out is on foot or by helicopter. Walking between gîtes (mountain lodges) through the cirque is one of the Indian Ocean’s finest multi-day hiking experiences.
- Canary Islands volcanic geology — the islands are the peaks of a hot-spot volcanic chain rising from the Atlantic floor; Teide’s symmetrical cone is the world’s third largest volcanic structure; Lanzarote’s Timanfaya lava fields are from 1730–36 eruptions
- Réunion volcanic landscape — one of the world’s most active volcanoes (Piton de la Fournaise erupts approximately every 9 months); the island is still growing; the cirques are ancient calderas eroded into extraordinary amphitheatres
- Madagascar tsingy karst — razor-sharp limestone pinnacles (tsingy) of the Ankarana and Bemaraha formations; uniquely Malagasy landscape; lemurs and chameleons on the walls
- Socotra endemic flora — dragon blood trees (Dracaena cinnabari) create an alien landscape; only found on Socotra; cucumber trees, bottle trees; 37% of plant species found nowhere else
- Cabo Verde volcanic calderas — Fogo’s Chã das Caldeiras is a community living inside an active caldera; Pico do Fogo rises 1,200m from the caldera floor; Santo Antão’s dramatic ribeiras were carved by ancient lava flows
- Teide summit (Canary Islands) — 1 day; 3,715m; free but mandatory advance permit for the final 200m to the crater rim at reservas.webtenerife.com; cable car to 3,555m; year-round accessible
- Réunion Mafate Cirque circuit — 3–5 days; 2,800m; between gîtes in the only roadless cirque in France; extraordinary volcanic landscape; well-marked GR trails
- Piton de la Fournaise night/dawn approach (Réunion) — 1 day; 2,631m; walking to the rim of one of the world’s most active volcanoes; the lava lake visible from the summit on eruption days
- Pico do Fogo summit (Cabo Verde) — 1 day; 2,829m; steep volcanic scree from Chã das Caldeiras caldera floor; guide from village mandatory; extraordinary active volcano experience
- Pic Boby (Madagascar, Andringitra NP) — 1–2 days; 2,658m; the most accessible high summit in Madagascar; through extraordinary endemic highland flora
- La Palma Ruta de los Volcanes (Canary Islands) — 1 day; 1,949m; the spine of La Palma’s volcanic chain; through the aftermath of the 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption
Piton de la Fournaise on Réunion erupts approximately every 9 months and the surrounding area (Enclos Fouqué caldera) is closed to visitors during and after each eruption. Always check the current alert level at the Observatoire Volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise (ovpf.ipgp.fr) before any Fournaise approach — eruptions can begin within hours of increased activity. La Palma’s 2021 eruption also demonstrated that Canary Island volcanoes can activate with limited warning.
- Easy — Teide lower slopes (cable car access), Garajonay UNESCO forest walks (La Gomera), lower Réunion cirque valley paths, Seychelles coastal granite trails
- Moderate — Réunion Mafate Cirque gîte-to-gîte (well-marked; accommodation throughout; significant daily elevation), Teide summit walk (cable car access), Cabo Verde Santo Antão ribeira trails
- Hard — Piton des Neiges summit (3,070m; steep ascent; pre-dawn start), Pico do Fogo (steep loose volcanic scree; guide mandatory), Andringitra Pic Boby approach (Madagascar)
- Expedition-level — Socotra interior traverses; Tsaratanana (Madagascar’s highest; remote; 4-day approach through primary rainforest)
Access varies significantly between island groups:
- Canary Islands (Spain): EASA drone and NPS-equivalent park regulations; Teide NP permit for crater rim (free, advance booking required); no hiking permits for other routes; excellent marked trail network
- Réunion (France): no hiking permits; gîtes de montagne bookable at reunion.fr/randonnee or directly; the Mafate Cirque gîtes book out months ahead in peak season (July–September); weather forecast at meteo.fr/reunion essential
- Madagascar: park entry fees (ANGAP/Madagascar National Parks); mandatory certified guide for national park routes; Andringitra fees at angap.mg; advance booking for limited park accommodation
- Cabo Verde: no hiking permits; local guides available in Pico do Fogo village (mandatory for summit); Santo Antão operators in Ponta do Sol and Ribeira Grande
- Socotra (Yemen): currently affected by Yemen conflict — check current advisories; visits require specialist operator; best accessed from Abu Dhabi charter flights when accessible
Réunion’s gîtes de montagne in the Mafate Cirque are extraordinary mountain accommodations — family-run lodges in a community that can only be reached on foot, serving Creole cuisine (rougail saucisse, carry poulet) at long communal tables, with the cirque walls illuminated at sunset. Book months ahead for school holiday periods (French grandes vacances) as the cirque fills with Réunionnais families during these periods.
- Réunion: full rain gear mandatory — the eastern (windward) side of the island is among the wettest places on Earth; the cirques receive heavy afternoon rain; a quality hard-shell is essential for any multi-day circuit
- Canary Islands sun protection: UV at Teide’s altitude (2,000–3,715m) combined with the Canary Islands’ southern latitude creates extreme radiation; SPF 50 essential even on cloudy days
- Cabo Verde wind protection: the trade winds are constant and strong on all islands; a windproof layer is essential on all ridgeline routes and the Pico do Fogo ascent
- Madagascar: malaria prophylaxis and repellent (coastal and lowland areas); water purification for all backcountry sources; warm layers for highland nights at altitude
- Socotra: full self-sufficiency with your operator; no resupply points; water carrying capacity critical
Réunion emergency: 15 (SAMU) | 17 (police) | 18 (SDIS/mountain rescue) | Canary Islands: 112 | Cabo Verde: 130/132 | Madagascar: 117/119
- Réunion: PGHM (mountain rescue gendarmerie) based in La Plaine-des-Palmistes; helicopter-equipped; excellent response in the cirques despite no road access
- Canary Islands: GES (Grupo Especial de Socorrismo) mountain rescue; well-equipped; helicopter base in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for Teide emergencies
- Cabo Verde: limited mountain rescue infrastructure; your local guide is the primary emergency support on Pico do Fogo; serious cases require evacuation to Santiago (Praia)
- Madagascar: emergency services limited in park areas; Madagascar National Parks rangers provide first response; serious cases require evacuation to Antananarivo
- Canary Islands — year-round accessible; November–May: ideal temperatures for hiking below 2,000m; summer (June–September): hot at lower levels but Teide summit is always accessible; trade winds moderate temperatures
- Réunion — July–September: the austral winter dry season; best for cirque hiking; less rain; cooler temperatures; school holidays busy; October–June: cyclone season risk increases from December
- Cabo Verde — November–June: dry season; best for all hiking; Fogo summit most stable December–April; wet season August–October brings some rain
- Madagascar — April–November: dry season; best for highland trekking (Andringitra, Tsaratanana); December–March: cyclone season; heavy rain; many routes impassable
- Socotra — October–April: northeast monsoon season; drier and more accessible; June–September: southwest monsoon; island frequently inaccessible by sea or air
- Canary Islands — year-round, most stable November–May; avoid August in the lowlands (extreme heat); Teide summit accessible any month with advance permit
- Réunion — July–September: driest and coolest; best for Mafate and cirque circuits; December–March: cyclone risk; avoid if possible
- Cabo Verde — December–April: finest months; dry, clear, fresh trade wind temperatures; Fogo summit best in this window
- Madagascar — June–August: dry season peak for Andringitra; October–November also good; avoid December–February cyclone season entirely
The Canary Islands in November and February represent Europe’s finest winter hiking escape — while the Alps are buried in snow and northern Europe is grey, Tenerife, La Palma and La Gomera offer T-shirt temperatures in the valleys, snow on Teide’s summit for dramatic photography, and empty trails on weekdays. The combination of volcanic landscapes, laurisilva forest and year-round sunshine makes the Canaries the most underrated winter hiking destination accessible from Europe.
- Canary Islands — direct flights from most European capitals to Tenerife South (TFS), Gran Canaria (LPA), Lanzarote (ACE), La Palma (SPC); inter-island ferries from Tenerife to La Gomera (35 min), La Palma (1.5hr), El Hierro (4hr)
- Réunion (RUN / Roland Garros Airport) — direct flights from Paris (11hr, Air Austral/Air France); connections from Mayotte, Mauritius, Madagascar; Air Austral is the main carrier
- Cabo Verde — direct flights from Lisbon (3hr), London, Amsterdam to Santiago (RAI) and São Vicente (VXE); inter-island flights via TACV and Bestfly; Santo Antão accessible only by ferry from São Vicente (1hr)
- Madagascar (TNR / Ivato Airport, Antananarivo) — Air Madagascar and Air France from Paris (11hr); Air Austral from Réunion; domestic flights to Fianarantsoa and Fort Dauphin for Andringitra access
- Socotra (SCT) — charter flights from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah when accessible; check political situation in Yemen before any planning
Réunion and Mauritius share an airport-to-airport distance of only 200km — combining a Réunion cirque trek with a Mauritius beach stay creates one of the Indian Ocean’s finest twin-destination itineraries. Air Austral offers excellent connection fares between the two islands, and the contrast between Réunion’s volcanic drama and Mauritius’s lagoon tranquility is one of the great travel contrasts in the southern hemisphere.
- Canary Islands: AESA (Spain) EASA-based drone regulations; Teide NP (national park) and Garajonay NP (La Gomera) — drone flying prohibited without AEPNI authorization
- Réunion: France DGAC regulations apply (EASA); Piton de la Fournaise exclusion zone during eruptions — aviation authority issues NOTAMs; no-fly zone enforced during volcanic activity
- Cabo Verde: ANAC registration required; Fogo Natural Park — INGT authorization required; active volcanic zones particularly hazardous for drone operation
- Madagascar: DGAC registration; Madagascar National Parks (ANGAP) authorization required; endemic wildlife disturbance is a serious conservation concern
- Socotra: Yemen aviation authority jurisdiction; effectively inaccessible for routine drone registration given conflict context
Active volcanic islands — Réunion’s Piton de la Fournaise, Cabo Verde’s Pico do Fogo, Tenerife’s Teide — all create genuine aviation hazards for drones: volcanic gas clouds, sudden ash emissions, violent updrafts and ballistic ejecta. During any eruptive phase, drone flights near volcanic summits are prohibited by aviation safety NOTAMs and physically dangerous regardless of the current alert level.
Leave a Reply