Muay Thai Training Camp in La Palma: Train with a World Champion

A typical day starts early with a run or hike — Joanna leads these and treats them as adventures rather than punishment, taking routes through La Palma's laurel forests and up toward the ridges. Back at the gym, training splits into group sessions with the local team and focused pad work. You'll drill striking combinations, timing, defence, kicking, knees and elbows, and clinch technique. Technical sparring is available but optional, and only for people who want it. Afternoon sessions are usually lighter — conditioning work, technique refinement, or 1:1 coaching if you've booked a package that includes it. Recovery is built into the structure, so you're not wrecked by day three.

What separates this from other Muay Thai holidays is who's teaching. Kru Pedro Hernandez founded VKR Sports Club and has spent four decades in Muay Thai, boxing, K-1 and MMA, cornering national and international champions and working as a professional cutman. Joanna Nadolska is an active professional fighter with gold and silver medals at world, Spanish and Polish championship level and a Canary Islands title. Seminars at the camp have featured names like Saenchai, Anuwat, Dieselnoi and Ernesto Hoost. This is a camp that prepares fighters, so the coaching standard doesn't drop because you're a beginner — the intensity is just scaled to you.

La Palma is the quieter, greener Canary Island. It's a UNESCO biosphere reserve, so you get volcanic craters, black sand, pine forest and ocean in the same day. The gym sits close enough to Santa Cruz de La Palma that you can walk into town for coffee or dinner, and Sunday trips are built into some packages — the Comfort option includes an island excursion and picnic. Evenings are free; some people eat together, some go to the beach, some just sleep. There's no enforced curfew or group schedule after training.

The camp takes all levels. Absolute beginners get taught from zero — stance, guard, basic kicks — and the intensity is adjusted individually. People with experience get their technique cleaned up and are pushed harder on timing and sparring. Roughly 40% of participants are women, and Joanna's sessions give women a space to train with a female coach who competes at the top level. Most guests are there for fitness, weight loss or confidence rather than an actual fight, and the camp is upfront that you don't need to want to compete to belong here.

Stay length is flexible. The standard option is 7 days, but you can book longer or shorter and the price is calculated in the booking calendar. Three packages cover the range: a basic shared apartment option, a private apartment with an island trip, and an elite package with private accommodation in Santa Cruz, all meals, airport shuttle and personal training. If you want the full experience — coaching, food, logistics all handled — the elite tier is the one to take, but the basic package still gets you the same coaching and gym access.

What's included

- Muay Thai group training with the local team - Coaching from elite instructors (Kru Pedro and Joanna) - Full access to training facilities and equipment - Structured training programme with recovery built in - Morning running and conditioning sessions - Island exploring as part of the schedule - Shared apartment or hostel (Basic package) - Private apartment (Comfort package) - Island trip and picnic (Comfort package) - Private accommodation in Santa Cruz de La Palma (Elite package) - Airport shuttle to/from La Palma Airport (Elite package) - All meals — breakfast, lunch, dinner (Elite package) - Personal training sessions (Elite package) - Nutrition guidance (Elite package) - 24/7 mentoring and on-site logistical support (Elite package)

What's not included

- Flights to and from La Palma - Travel insurance - Meals (Basic and Comfort packages) - Airport transfers (Basic and Comfort packages) - Personal expenses - Extra 1:1 sessions outside package inclusions - Souvenirs and optional excursions