The west and the southwest

The sun-drenched west probably has the best weather on the island. It is possible that people only know about bad weather here from television. But when it rains, it usually makes people happy instead of upset. From here, countless fantastic hiking trails start in all directions. The “La Caldera National Park” visitor centre above El Paso is a kind of an entrance to the amazing nature of the “Caldera de Taburiente”. But you can also go through the back of the island, via the “Cumbre Vieja” to the south along the spectacular volcano route to see, among many other things, the last and so far most devastating volcano of La Palma at close range or to contemplate the unbelievably beautiful valley of Aridane from above. The last and truly most brutal volcano, which is still unnamed, erupted on September 19, 2021. It wreaked havoc for 85 days and destroyed over 2000 houses and buildings. Entire towns, churches, schools and hectares of farmland were forever buried under the merciless lava flows. The volcano caused great suffering to the island and it will probably take some time for all the cleanup and restoration work to be finished.

The cloud cascade is spectacular as well and can be seen regularly. It is a true natural spectacle in which the easterlies acting from the northeast push cloud masses from the more humid east to the dry west: once here, the clouds first fall into the depths before immediately dissolving into thin air.

The western part of the island also guarantees fantastic days at the beach. The clean beaches of Puerto de Tazacorte, Puerto Naos or Charco Verde offer unforgettable sunsets after a perfect day at the beach, even during a pleasant dinner in one of the numerous excellent restaurants around here. The elegant marina of Tazacorte offers excellent boat trips to watch dolphins and whales. Not only you are able to see the popular marine mammals from the boat, but also the amazing rugged coastline with its steep slopes, caves, the hidden little town “Porís de Candelaria” in front of Tijarafe or the youngest piece of land in the world created by the volcano: the new promontory La Fajana Nueva. There is also a boat rental for all those who want to set sail on their own. Do not forget to visit the welcoming and sleepy town of Tazacorte Pueblo (above the port), surrounded by green and dense banana plantations, the beautiful city of Los Llanos, with its beautiful historic core and its welcoming squares, several shops and restaurants of all kinds, and the small town of El Paso.

The east and the northeast

The east of La Palma, greener and more humid, has a completely different vegetation. Here, the lush deciduous forests and hundreds of plant species, some of them endemic, characterise the appearance of the island. For instance, in the northeast of La Palma, the “Magical Forest” of the forest of “Los Tilos” with fairytale laurel forests, refreshing waterfalls and huge ferns looks as if it came from prehistoric times, where it transports you with its “magic”. The multitude of small and idyllic towns such as San Andrés, near the magnificent natural pool “Charco Azul”, are characteristic of the area.

Of course, you must visit the indescribably beautiful and diverse capital of the island, Santa Cruz de La Palma, founded in 1493. The historic core has been declared a historical-artistic monument, which is not really surprising, because of aspects like the many incredibly beautiful houses from the colonial era, the cobbled streets, the beautiful historical churches, the old fortresses and much more. To go shopping, we recommend to stroll through the shopping area, along the “O’Daly” street, surrounded by majestic colonial-style houses in whose ground floors innumerable small shops of all kinds, bars and restaurants can be found. On the “Avenida Marítima”, the main street of Santa Cruz, you can see the famous “Balcony Houses”, which are beautiful houses with wooden balconies decorated with plants, which, like most of the attractions of the island, have secured their place in the photo album. From here, cross the zebra crossing, and after 2 or 3 more steps, you will find yourself at the fabulous beach of the city of Santa Cruz, which is about 1.2 kilometres long. A fantastic beach, loved by kitesurfers, among others. Of course, Santa Cruz has also a fancy marina and large docks for the big weekly cruise ships or the daily inter-island ferry traffic. In the Carnival season, Santa Cruz hosts the legendary “Indians’ Day”, a spectacular show with thousands of visitors.

You can also find the town of Los Cancajos, a touristic place with beautiful beaches, large hotels, etc. You will also discover beautiful areas and towns in the municipalities of Breña Alta and Villa de Mazo.

The north and the northwest

You should also find some time for the north of the Beautiful Island, more distant and less populated. You will find wild and romantic landscapes here, as well as many small idyllic villages with beautiful old estates. Beautiful green mountain slopes, rugged rock formations, amazing gorges and lush laurel forests. The unusual and mythical Canary Islands dragon trees, which are strictly protected, are particularly common in this area.

You should not miss towns like Santo Domingo de Garafía, with its streets surrounded by beautiful traditional houses, Franceses, with its amazing cliffs, the Cultural Park of La Zarza, with its cave engravings of the Benahoaritas, the indigenous inhabitants of La Palma, etc. 

You can reach the highest point of the island, “Roque de los Muchachos”, with 2426 metres of altitude, through a very winding country road. On the way to the summit, you will want to stop every few metres to take photos because you will not get enough of so many incredible views. Shortly before the summit, you will be welcomed by the cupolas of the most important and largest observatory in Europe, the “Roque de los Muchachos” observatory. Astronomers and astrophysicists from all over Europe work together and explore distant galaxies here. After passing the observatory, you will finally reach the summit… and you will be speechless. A moment that you will not forget anytime soon. From above the clouds you will be able to look into the distance, towards the huge and powerful Atlantic Ocean and to Tenerife, and you will realise the huge size of the Caldera. It is really hard to describe the full diversity of this dreamlike landscape; you simply need to see it and experience it for yourself.