Settling into our new life in the serviced restaurant on Deck 5 of the MSC Opera, we started the day with an order of the generous Full English (known in international waters as the MSC Express) to celebrate our arrival in the port of La Palma.

Having made no prior arrangements for this small island we left ourselves in fate’s hands, reckoning that if we could get a car we would drive down south, and if not then we would just have a wander around the town. With a very civilised 11am docking in Santa Cruz de La Palma, it was easy to be fed and ready at the gates when disembarking opened. Joining the queue at the first car rental agency, we were soon the proud new renters of an Alfa Tomeo Tonale, and off we set.

A little free WiFi from trusty McDonald’s (conveniently located on the port, right next to the car park) allowed us to download an offline Google Map to see us to the sights.

On approaching the island, we had appreciated it from our vantage point on the ship as a steep green mound with clusters of brightly coloured block buildings clinging to the base at the shoreline. Now, approaching it on land, we found ourselves winding along the side of the mound, carving and curving slowly upward. It was getting noticeably colder and darker as we climbed, with the mountainside getting greener as we approached the steep bit at the top that disappeared into a soft grey cloud.

The first stop was at San Antonio volcano to take a short trot to the crater. Having last erupted in 1677, the area was well restored with vegetation. The Visitors Centre was a €9 entry fee so we gave that a skip, in favour of driving down to the southern tip.

Winding down the steep hillside, we marvelled at the vast stone walls that had been created to retain the rocks and create functional terraces. Mostly to grow bananas, it would seem. Banana trees as far as the eye could see.

Reaching the coast, we marvelled at Playa de Echentive beach. It had been naturally formed when the Teneguia Volcano erupted in 1971 leaving an abundance of pebbles and gravel. The result was a black hill of granular lava rocks down to the grey beach of lava sand. Parts of the cove were sheltered from the choppy sea and the sign said that these rock pools were calm all year round.

Following the main road around the tip took us to the salt pans at Salinas Fuencalientes. While it had been very cold and slightly wet up at the volcano, it was warm and sunny at the coast; amazing microclimates! We were surprised and delighted with a bonus duet of lighthouses, a self-guided salt pan tour and a restaurant and visitors centre where we could buy some of the freshly harvested salt, flavoured or plain.

Little known (to us anyway), La Palma has a wine route. Ready to whet whistles, we stopped at a winery we had seen recommended twice – in a guide book and on a board at the lighthouses. The host at Bodegas Carballo invited us in and took us through a flight of their reds, white, rose and of course their local sweet wine made with the malvaisa grape. The reds were pretty good so we supported local business by procuring a bottle as a keepsake.

With our itinerary completed, we retraced our footsteps back around the mountain and alongside the steep rock faces with a lot more confidence than on our way there. We were all smiles about our little adventure as we reboarded our cruise ship and celebrated our day, while wondering what Lanzerote would have in store for us the following day.