What to see in La Palma

La Palma is one of the eight Spanish islands of Canary Islands, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, and second for altitude after the island of Tenerife.
Santa Cruz de La Palma is the capital of the island, but the most populated municipality is Los Llanos de Aridane.
In the centre of the island, which has been a Biosphere Reserve since 2002, there is the National Park of the Caldera de Taburiente, with the largest volcanic crater in the world.

The historical name of the island is San Miguel de La Palma, and as regards the origin of the toponym, a theory traces its name to the great extensions of Canary palms it possesses; another instead claims that it is due to the sailors of Mallorca of the fourteenth century that gave it the name of the island from which they came, that is Palma of Mallorca.

From the centre of the island to the south, in the Cumbre Vieja, you can see a series of volcanoes among which stands out the San Antonio Volcano, the San Juan Volcano and the Teneguía.

In the north of the island there is the National Park of the Caldera de Taburiente, where there is an underwater caldera created by eruptions and erosion, which emerged up to a height of 3500 meters above sea level. In this park there is Roque de los Muchachos, highest point of the island that exceeds 2000 meters above sea level.
The island has a great variety of landscapes due to the diversity of the ecosystem it presents. In the National Park of the Caldera de Taburiente there is the small river of La Caldera, and a widespread diffusion of Pino Canario, the dominant species of the Canary Islands.

BEACHES

In the municipality of Fuencaliente:
– Faro de Fuencaliente beach
– Nueva beach
– Beach of la Zamora
In the municipality of Barlovento:
– Natural pools la Fajana
In the municipality of Breña Alta:
– Bajamar Beach
In the municipality of Breña Baja:
– Beach of Cancajos: black sand with tourist services
In the municipality of Los Llanos de Aridane:
– Puerto Naos beach
– Charco Verde beach
– Beach of las Monjas
– El Remo beach
In the municipality of Puntallana:
– Nogales Beach: black sand accessible through a path that descends the mountain, and where you have to pay attention to the currents and waves to get wet.
– Puerto Trigo beach
– Cala de Martin Luis
In the municipality of San Andrés y Sauces:
– Beach of Puerto Espindola
– Charco Azul natural pool: a group of natural pools located in the municipality of San Andrés y Sauces.
In the municipality of Tazacorte:
– Puerto de Tazacorte beach: ideal place to spend a day on the beach with the convenience of tourist services
– Beach of los Guirres
In the municipality of Tijarafe:
– Beach of la Veta
– Jurado Beach

NATURAL PARKS

Caldera de Taburiente National Park: a place where in addition to the dominant green of nature, you can see a crater dug in the centre of the island, through a very evocative trekking route. The highest point of the Park is Roque de los Muchachos, which exceeds 2000 meters and is the place where the Astrophysical Observatory is located.
Natural Park of Las Nieves: in it there is the Woods Cubo de la Galga, of laurisilva in the municipality of Puntallana, where you can opt for a short or a long route, which leads to the observation point of Somada Alta of about 9 km; and the Woods of los Tiles in the municipality of San Andrés y Sauces, with routes suitable for everyone, one of them is the Ruta de los nacientes de Marcos y Cordero which runs through dark tunnels where it is advisable to have a raincoat and a lantern. Starting from the visitor centre in Los Tilos, just a few minutes walk away is the Los Tilos waterfall.
Roque Niquiomo
Roque Teneguía
Caldera de Jieque
Barranco del Jurado
Natural Park of la Cumbre Vieja
Dragos de Buracas: near the locality of Las Tricias, in the municipality of Garafía, there is a path that allows you to walk among Dragos, a typical plant of the island, and along the way you can meet crafts, books and souvenirs for sale.

PLACES OF TOURIST INTEREST

La Ruta de los Volcanes in the municipality of Fuencaliente, El Paso: a route of about 70 km in the midst of the volcanoes from Fuencaliente to Los Llanos. An alternative route is that of GR-131 (22 Km) between the Refuge del Pilar y Fuencaliente, and the San Antonio Volcano (only during visiting hours)
El Mirador de la Cumbrecita (El Paso)
Santa Cruz de La Palma: capital of the island, a traditional maritime city with buildings dating back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that have earned it recognition as a cultural asset, in the category of historical-artistic grouping. In its historic centre you can contemplate wooden balconies, colonial-style houses, the ship that houses the naval museum and the castle of Real de Santa Catalina.
Los Llanos de Aridane: the most populated urban nucleus of the island, in whose historic centre there are murals of contemporary art that embellish the buildings. In Calle de las Adelfas 1 there is the Benahorita Archaeological Museum, where you can discover the history of the aborigines of the island.
Barranco del Jurado (Tijarafe)
Caldera de Jieque (Tijarafe)
Fuencaliente salt pans and Fuencaliente lighthouse
Astronomical observation point of Llano de la Venta (Breña Baja)
Farmer’s Market (Puntagorda): Saturday afternoon from 15:00 to 19:00 and on Sunday morning from 11:00 to 15:00, in Fayal, the market of Puntagorda takes place, where you can buy fresh, confectionery and artisan products.
Belmaco Archaeological Park (Villa de Mazo): A place to discover the culture, history and traditions of the aborigines called benahoaritas, who lived in the caves.
Cultural park of la Zarza y la Zarzita: in the woods there are archaeological deposits with rock paintings of great historical importance.

THEMATIC PARKS

Maroparque: zoobotanical park
Palmex Cactus: with more than 700 species of cactus
Paraíso de las Aves: zoological-botanical park where you can observe a great variety of animals in danger of extinction.

MUSEUMS

In the municipality of Breña Alta:
– Museo del Puro Palmero and Museum of Fiestas de las Cruces
In the municipality of El Paso:
– Wine House Museum of la Palma: About the history of wine, and its elaboration. There is the possibility to take guided tours, wine tasting and buy handicrafts.
In the municipality of Los Llanos de Aridane:
– Benahorita Archaeological Museum: about the life of the Benahoritas, the aborigines of the island.
In the municipality of Mazo:
– Casa Roja Museum: museum dedicated to the Corpus Christi feast
– Belmaco archaeological park
In the municipality of Los Sauces:
– Molino El Regente Museum: ethnographic museum on the gofio (Canarian flour made from roasted grains).
In the municipality of Santa Cruz de La Palma:
– Insular Museum of La Palma: contains information on archeology, natural sciences, ethnography, Flemish art.
– Contemporary Museum: contains works of contemporary Canary artists.
– Naval Museum: located in a 15th century caravel and containing navigational instruments and maps of the Indies.
In the municipality of Tazacorte:
– Sycamore Museum: where to discover the history of the plane tree
– Museum of Mojo y coffee liqueur
In the municipality of Tijarafe:
– Ethnographic Museum Casa del Maestro: exhibits pieces of Aboriginal pottery.
– José Luis Lorenzo Barreto Ethnographic Museum: on the history and tradition of the people of Tijarafe
In the municipality of Puntallana:
– House Museum Luján: located in a traditional 17th century Canarian house.
In the municipality of Garafía:
– Ethnographic Museum of Garafía
– Cultural park of la Zarza y la Zarzita: archaeological sites
In the municipality of Fuencaliente:
– Sea Museum (Ancient Lighthouse of Fuencaliente)

CULTURAL TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS

The Fiestas Lustrales de la Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves (patroness of the island) that every five years falls on the second Saturday of July, until the day of his name day, the 5th of August. During these days of celebration, in addition to the procession that accompanies the patron saint to Santa Cruz and vice versa, there are representations of the conquest of the island, simulations of rituals Benahoaritas and Dance of Dwarfs, in which some dancers dressed in dwarfs parade through the streets of the capital dancing.
The carnival is another important festival, as is the Día de la Cruz, on the 3rd of May, where the foundation of the city is commemorated.

WHAT TO DO IN THE ISLAND:

Diving
Cycling, walking, boating, quads
Caving

OTHER CANARY ISLANDS TO VISIT:

GASTRONOMY

The island’s gastronomy offers a wide choice for all tastes, making use of local products such as vegetables, meat and fish, and elaborating exquisite desserts.
Some typical dishes of the island are: Escachón or escacho palmero; chicharrones; Potaje de trigo; Papas arrugadas; rapaduras; Truchas rellenas de almendra; Vino de malvasía; Licor de café.

HOW TO GET TO LA PALMA:

By ship: from Tenerife, La Gomera.
By plane

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