La Palma

La Palma, "La Isla Bonita", boasts world-class observatories and a Starlight Reserve, the dramatic Caldera de Taburiente National Park and the Tajogaite volcano born in 2021, plus beautiful laurel forest trails.

La Palma is a volcanic island in the northwest of Spain's Canary Islands, nicknamed "La Isla Bonita" (the Beautiful Island). The whole island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and was one of the world's first Starlight Reserves. About 45 km from north to south, it has the vast Caldera de Taburiente National Park and the island's highest peak, Roque de los Muchachos (2,426 m, crowned by an international observatory), in the centre-north; the lush Los Tilos laurel forest in the northeast; and a young volcanic belt in the south, from San Antonio (1677) and Teneguía (1971) to Tajogaite, which erupted for 85 days in 2021. The capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma, preserves a Renaissance old town and colourful wooden balconies, while Los Llanos de Aridane and Puerto de Tazacorte on the west coast make an alternative base. Getting there: the island's airport has flights to Tenerife, Gran Canaria and some European cities, and there are also ferries from Tenerife. Buses have limited coverage, so renting a car is strongly recommended; mountain roads are very winding. The climate is mild all year: spring and autumn are best for hiking, summer is best for stargazing, the summits are cold in the mornings and evenings, and the northeast is often cloudy and rainy. Plan 4–5 days: one for the old town and northeast coast, one hiking the caldera, one on the southern volcano route, and one night up the mountain for stargazing.

Top sights

Santa Cruz de La Palma Old Town – Capital of La Palma, with a 16th-century Renaissance old town and colorful timber-balconied houses along the seafront, one of the most eleg…
Caldera de Taburiente National Park – A giant erosional caldera about 8 km across and 2,000 m deep, ringed by pine forest and cliffs, and the Canaries' most spectacular hiking d…
Roque de los Muchachos – The highest point on the island (2,426 m). Standing on the crater rim, you look down on the sea of clouds and the Caldera de Taburiente, wi…
Los Tilos Laurel Forest – The core of a UNESCO biosphere reserve, with ancient laurel forest, waterfalls, and canyon trails that feel like stepping into a Tertiary-e…
Tajogaite Volcano – A new volcano that erupted for 85 days in 2021; its lava swallowed more than a thousand homes and created a new coastline. Today it can be…
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory – One of the most important astronomical observation sites in the Northern Hemisphere, home to the Gran Telescopio Canarias, one of the large…
Ruta de los Volcanes (GR 131) – A long-distance trail along the island's north-south ridge, crossing a chain of volcanic cones, with black volcanic lapilli and Canary pine…
Charco Azul – A natural seawater pool built on the volcanic rock coast, with waves crashing in and blue water. It is a great spot for a swim on the islan…
San Antonio Volcano – A complete volcanic cone formed by the 1677 eruption at the island's southern tip. A rim trail lets you look down into the crater and acros…
Teneguía Volcano – A young volcano that erupted in 1971, with colourful lapilli and lava landscapes, reachable on foot from San Antonio Volcano.
Fuencaliente Salt Pans & Lighthouses – The island's southernmost salt pans and two lighthouses, old and new. White salt pools, black lava and the blue Atlantic create a striking…
La Cumbrecita – A viewpoint on the south rim of Caldera de Taburiente that you can reach by car. From the pass you look straight into the crater, and a sho…
Cascada de Colores – A small waterfall on the floor of Caldera de Taburiente. Iron-rich stream water stains the rock walls red, orange and green, making it a hi…
Playa de Nogales – A wild black-sand beach below cliffs, where huge rock stacks and Atlantic swells make it one of the island's most photogenic beaches.
Cubo de La Galga – A laurel forest trail winding along a deep valley, with moss, ferns and ancient trees blocking out the sun. The easy walk suits a half-day…
Mirador El Time – A viewpoint perched on the cliff edge overlooking the Tazacorte banana plantations, the mouth of Angels' Gorge and the Aridane valley.
Mirador de la Concepción – A viewpoint on the rim of an ancient crater, overlooking the capital Santa Cruz, its harbour and the Atlantic.
Barco de la Virgen (Naval Museum) – A concrete sailing ship modelled on Columbus's Santa María, housing a maritime museum and one of Santa Cruz's landmarks.
Iglesia de El Salvador – The 16th-century main church of the capital. Its Renaissance stone portal and Mudéjar wooden ceiling are masterpieces of the Canary Islands.
Royal Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Snows – A valley shrine dedicated to La Palma's patron, the Virgin. Its 17th-century building, wooden ceiling and terracotta Virgin are among the o…
Belmaco Cave Archaeological Park – A cave once home to the chief of the island's native Benahoarita people, with spiral engravings on the rock face at its entrance and a smal…
La Zarza Cultural Park – Indigenous rock-art sites in the laurel forest valleys of northern La Palma, with mysterious, ancient spiral and maze-like engravings and a…
Puerto de Tazacorte – A fishing port and black-sand beach on the west coast, lined with seafood restaurants, with boat trips for dolphins and sea caves.
Los Llanos de Aridane – The largest town on the island, with dense Indian laurel shade on Plaza de España, murals on the old streets and relaxed cafés. It is the b…
Los Cancajos – A resort beach just south of the capital, with calm black-sand bays sheltered by breakwaters, convenient for swimming and snorkelling, and…
Playa de Charco Verde – A small black-sand bay between volcanic headlands on the west coast, with calm water, lifeguards and facilities, and good sunset views.
Las Buracas – Indigenous rock-art caves and old dragon tree groves in the northwest of the island, with Canarian landscapes along rural trails.

Where to eat

Chipi Chipi – A local charcoal-grill institution open since 1960, with stone cottage-style private dining rooms in its garden and ver…
El Jardín de la Sal – A Michelin Guide restaurant beside the Fuencaliente salt pans and old lighthouse, built around local fish and sea salt…
Casa Osmunda – Listed in the Michelin Guide, a modern Canarian restaurant in a colonial-style old house, known for sharing plates and…
La Casa del Volcán – A winery restaurant among the Fuencaliente vineyards, known for slow-cooked short ribs and pairings with local D.O. win…
El Duende del Fuego – A food bar in the old town of Los Llanos de Aridane using local organic produce, with a changing menu and options for a…
Kiosko Montecarlo – A seafood institution on the beach at Tazacorte, open since 1963, with a large terrace facing the sea and daily fresh f…

Itineraries

Western Three Islands: Volcanoes and Cloud Forests – An island-hopping journey across Tenerife, La Gomera, and La Palma, focusing on hiking to see volcanoes, laurel forests…