| LA PALMA |
Welcome to the island of LA PALMA (Canary Islands-Spain) - (Map of La Palma)
This is a special island, with its own personality, well-known internationally as "La Isla Bonita" (the beautiful island) for its natural beauty, as a result of which parts have been declared a World Biosphere Reserve (Los Tiles and Caldera de Taburiente National Park). It has the clearest skies in the whole north hemisphere, which together with the pleasent climate and the tranquillity, make it an idyllic place for our visitors to escape from the daily grind. . .. |
La Palma: A miniature continent |
La Palma has a surface area of 706 square kilometres and a population of 80.000, shared between 14 municipalities. The island contains some remarkably high mountains for such a small area. The highest point is the Roque de Los Muchachos at 2.426 m (7,900ft), although the whole central mountain range of the island is over 2.000 meters. Therefore La Palma offers the traveller a great variety of ecosystems, going from the subtropical climate of the coasts, through the laurel forests on the lower slopes, to the continental climate of the summits.
All this, together with its volcanic character and the personality of its people, make of La Palma a small paradise in the middle of the Atlantic, still free of mass tourism. The beaches are black and far from the big Canarian cities. But it is precisely these apparent disadvantages which have preserved the incredible natural treasure that the island contains, from still virgin forests to volcanoes, and the clearest skies in the whole north hemisphere. It's not for nothing that the Canarians call La Palma, La Isla Bonita.(the Beautiful Island). |
Caldera de Taburiente |
The Caldera de Taburiente , which is located in the centre of the island, was declared a national park in 1954. The current shape of La Caldera is an immense horseshoe crater, opening to the sea only at the ravine Barranco de Las Angustias. It is one of the biggest craters of its type in the world, with a diameter of 10kilometres, a circumference of 28km and a depth of 1,500m, while the sheer walls that surround it exceed2,000 m(6,600ft), amoung the outstanding peaks being the Roque de Los Muchachos at 2,426 m (8,000ft), Pico de La Nieve at 2.239 m (7,388ft), Pico del Cedro at 2.247 m (7415ft)., Pico de La Cruz with 2.351 m(7,758ft) . etc.. Earlier it was be lieved that La Caldera was of volcanic origin, but all modern studies agree that it is a product of the erosion: that millions of years of torrential rain sculpted a volcanic summit into the Caldera de Taburiente which we see today. |
The Reservation of the Biosphere "El Canal y Los Tiles" |
In San Andrés and Sauces is home to the"El Canal y Los Tiles", nature reserve, which UNESCO declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1983. Among 511 hectares of deep ravines lie one of the most spectacular protected areas of laurel forest in the world. The special climatic conditions and the mountainous terrain have favoured the formation of cloud forest which occupies most of this nature reserve. Next to impressive trees like viñatigos, tiles, and Palo Blanco grow the acebiños bushes, Fayas and brezos. In the most humid places the ferns form spectacular dense thickets. The path to "Los Nacientes de Marcos and Corderos" (Marcos and Corderos Source) from Los Tiles is spectacular, since it traverses the whole Biosphere Reserve. Another, shorter path begins from the visitors's centre in Los Tiles and goes towards the "Mirador de Las Barandas", from where you can admire the "Barranco del Agua" ravine. |
Travelling the Island (To the SOUTH) |
Very near Santa Cruz de La Palma is the beach of Los Cancajos, that together to Puerto de Naos in the municipality of Los Llanos de Aridane are the main tourist centres of the island, both with beautiful beaches of black, volcanic sand. Very near Los Cancajos (3 km.) is the airport, located between the towns of Breña Baja and the Villa de Mazo, which is 7 km. from the capital. These municipalities contain abundant banana plantations and vineyards, and the wines of this area, together with those from Fuencaliente, are the best in the island. In this last municipality stands the volcano of Teneguia, which last erupted in 1971, the most recent volcanic eruption in the Canaries. There are many other volcanic cones in the area, such as the San Antonio volcano, in which is a visitor's centre that you should not forget to visit. On our journey south from Santa Cruz, we will find the "malpaíses" (bad lands for cultivation) of volcanic lavas, produced by the lava flows from a great quantity of volcanic cones that extend from the summits to the sea. This place is called "Ruta de Los Volcanes" (The Route of The Volcanoes), Heading north from Fuencaliente we reach the south border of the Valley of Aridane, containing the municipalities of Tazacorte, Los Llanos de Aridane and El Paso, which is the prime agricultural area in the island. The main entrance of the Caldera de Taburiente is the ravine "Barranco de Las Angustias", where the waters leave La Caldera. This marks the beginning of the northern half of the island, when crossing the municipality of Tijarafe, abundant in bananas plantations to the south, and pine groves and almond trees to the north. |
Santa Cruz de La Palma , the capital . |
Going for a walk in Santa Cruz de La Palma you get to know the history of the island. The rich Renaissanceand colonial style architecture gives us an idea of the prosperous city whose port was,  during the XVI and XVII centuries, the third most important of the world after Seville and Antwerp. Its paved streets, with their manor houses and palaces, bring us to the Square of Spain , the nucleus of the town. This contains some of the most beautiful buildings, such as the Town Hall, a building of the XV century in plateresque style (resembling silversmith's work), or the church of El Salvador , with well-preserved Moorish craftwork. La Palma has little more than seven hundred square kilometres, but its topography makes the use of the car necessary, if we want to know the island outside of its capital. |
Los Llanos de Aridane and Tazacorte |
Los Llanos de Aridane is located in the centre of the fertile Valley of Aridane amid extensive plantations of bananas and avocados. The population is highly agricultural and in continuous growth,  and a noticeable tourist expansion continues, favoured by an exceptional climate. It has in their coast several coves and beaches, such as Puerto Naos, which is one of the best of the island, tourist and vacation centre. You should visit Elias Santos's squares and the Square of Spain, this last one with their giant laurels of Indies. The Town and Port of Tazacorte is located in a garden of banana plantations, in the costs of the Valle de Aridane. It possesses the second largest port of the island and a beautiful beach. Thanks to its warm climate, the Port of Tazacorte is becoming an important tourist centre for our island. |
Travelling the island. (To the North) |
Traveling north from Santa Cruz de La Palma, we will find the municipality of Puntallana, which is agricultural and with landscapes of great beauty. Don't miss the Mirador de San Bartolo, a balcony above the ravines "Barranco del Agua" and "Guelgue", which drain the Los Tiles nature reserve. Crossing these ravines we arrive at San Andres and Sauces, in which lies most of the Nature Reserve of "Los Tiles", “The Nacientes de Marcos y Corderos”, and  the natural swimming pools of Charco Azul and Puerto Espíndola in the picturesque small town of San Andres. Farther north you will find the town and municipality of Barlovento, where we pass from the sub-tropical cultivations of their coasts to laurel forests in very few kiliometres. On leaving Barlovento we go into Garafia, the largest municipality in the island with the smallest
population, which contains landscapes of great beauty, big pine groves and charming little villages. In its summits are the north rim of the Caldera, and on it, the Astronomical Observatories of the Roque de Los Muchachos. Puntagorda is the municipality that we will find next, with pine groves and almond trees everywhere. In the costs of these villages there are small coves with amazing views, great for a refreshing dip. |
Craft and Traditions |
Sometimes, it's an advantage to be an island. In La Palma, at least for traditional crafts, it has been for a long time, and it continues to be so: a place people pass through and meet up, a crossroads of mindsets and cultures, it has not only known how to receive the best influences; but it has also been capable, perhaps due to its theoretical isolation, of conserving some of its most valuable essences. The artisan wealth is, without a doubt, one of them. For that reason anyone arrives at these privileged lands, becomes (however little sensibility they have) surprised discoverers of the craft, one of the island's many hidden treasures. More information... .The Gastronomy of La Palma, due to the same circumstances as the craft, is very simple, but rich in variety and flavours, mixing indiginous inredients like Gofio, Caribbean
 ingredients like the Yam, and Spanish ones. The wine and sprits made frm sugar cane (rums and brandies) deserve a special comment, for their great quality. The island's Malvacia wine was much appreciated from the XVII XVI centuries, is an exceptional representative of the quality of our vintage. More Information... La Palma is rich in traditions,which would be difficult to explain in detail; but one exists that we cannot omit to mention: La Bajada de La Virgen . This festival takes place every half decade, (the next being July 2005), in honour of the Virgin of Las Nieves (Patron saint of the island). |
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