What is closed in western La Palma?
According to Canarias Ahora, the Cabildo de La Palma is closing recreation areas, forest tracks and hiking trails in the west of the island from 1 November. The reason is a rain warning, but the report does not give its level.
The Cabildo cites its established safety protocols. It asks residents to respect the restrictions and follow the instructions of the emergency services.
According to the article's summary, hikers and residents may not enter the closed areas “until further notice”. The Cabildo gave no duration or reopening date.
What should hikers and visitors do now?
Visitors and residents should avoid the closed trails, tracks and recreation areas in the west. Anyone who had planned a walk there needs a new plan.
The report mentions only the west of the island. It says nothing about the south, north or east, so visitors in the south should check the current situation before any walk.
The Cabildo and the 112 emergency number give guidance. The Caldera de Taburiente National Park has its own page on trail conditions, and so does senderosdelapalma.es, which the research names as an official source.
The report does not say which municipalities or individual trails are affected. Whether the long-distance paths GR-130 or GR-131 are included is therefore open.
Who decides on closures like this?
When the Gobierno de Canarias (regional government) directorate-general for safety and emergencies warns of rain, the Cabildo closes the Red Insular de Senderos, its island trail network.
In January 2026 the Consejo de Gobierno of the Cabildo, under president Sergio Rodríguez, approved a protocol for the PR-LP13 trail through the Barranco de Las Angustias. According to RTVC on 13 January 2026, its criteria apply to a pre-alert, alert or maximum alert for rain.
The trail also closes in heavy rain without an official warning. According to RTVC, the Cabildo, the national park administration, CECOPIN and CECOES-112 take part in the protocol.
How often does La Palma close trails because of rain?
On 8 November 2017 the San Antonio del Monte weather station in Garafía recorded 218 litres of rain per square metre. The Canarian government declared an alert, and the Cabildo closed the entire trail network as a precaution.
The Cabildo also closed the LP-109 road between Barlovento and Garafía. Crews cleared rubble on the LP-4, LP-2 and LP-213.
At 14:15 on 1 October 2026 the Gobierno de Canarias raised La Palma from pre-alert to alert, Diario de Avisos reported. Up to 150 millimetres in twelve hours was expected, mainly in the northern and eastern mid-altitude areas.
The research found no figures on closure days per year. A trend therefore cannot be shown.
Why does it hit only the west this time?
In March 2026, according to Diario de Avisos, the Cabildo drafted a new emergency decree, which was tested during storm “Therese”. It replaces blanket restrictions with protocols that match the type of warning and the real risk, and it divides the island into zones.
President Rodríguez said: “It is not always necessary to apply the same restrictions in the north as in the south.” A climate expert panel is to advise on decisions, together with civil protection, the environment, tourism and the public company Sodepal.
The decree is still a draft, and consultation with the sectors is under way. The report gives no figures for thresholds.
The research suspects that the closure of the west alone is linked to this zoning. That link is not confirmed.
What is still open, and what happens next?
The Cabildo had given no reopening date by Sunday 1 November. The warning level, the period of validity and the colour level from the state weather agency AEMET for 1 and 2 November are also missing.
It is also unclear whether roads or residential areas are affected. The report did not say whether breaches could bring fines.
The research found no official statement from the Cabildo or the Gobierno de Canarias and no second source on the situation in the west. The Cabildo de La Palma, 112 Canarias and AEMET are likely to publish reliable details.