Mummified body discovered in remote ravine on La Palma
A hunter discovered the body of a man in an advanced state of mummification late yesterday (Monday) in a remote ravine on La Palma, leading to an investigation by the National Police. According to initial reports, the body was found in Barranco del Río, an isolated area with no nearby homes or footpaths, making access extremely difficult.
The hunter immediately alerted the emergency services after spotting the remains at the bottom of the ravine. Due to the condition of the body and the challenging terrain, police quickly secured the surrounding area while awaiting the arrival of judicial and forensic teams travelling from Tenerife to carry out the initial examination.
Authorities have not yet released information about the identity of the deceased or how long the body may have been there. The National Police will now lead the investigation to determine the circumstances of the death and whether any criminal activity was involved.
This is not the first time human remains have been found in remote or barely accessible locations in the Canary Islands. In 2023, hikers in Tenerife discovered a partially mummified body in a ravine near Los Realejos after months without any confirmed sightings, and later that same year, Guardia Civil officers recovered the skeletal remains of a missing man in a steep area of Barranco de Badajoz in Güímar.
Gran Canaria has also seen similar cases, including the 2022 discovery of a body in the rugged Barranco de la Mina in San Mateo, found only when a shepherd noticed something unusual on the hillside.
La Palma itself experienced a similar incident in 2021, when the remains of a missing hiker were located in the Caldera de Taburiente after an extensive search.
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