Best Things To Do in La Palma

Palma is an island that perfectly captures all the distinctive features of what a tourist can expect from a visit to the Canary Islands. Large volcanoes, wide cliffs, captivating forests and several towns and cities that amaze everyone who passes through their peculiar streets.

In this publication I have taken care to find a couple of things that will allow you to enjoy your visit to the fullest, discovering the most important natural attractions of the island, as well as the beauty of its people and the cultural identity that distinguishes it from other places on the planet. Read on to get a clearer idea of what you will find when you opt for a tourist visit to La Palma in the Canary Islands.

In the north of the island, in the municipality of San Andrés y Sauces, you will find the most representative and famous natural pool of La Palma. They are actually a tourist complex with several geological formations and for this reason some locals know them as the Charcos Azules (Blue Puddles ). They are characterized for being salt water pools that come directly from the Atlantic Ocean and are formed on a base of completely black volcanic stones that create a quite peculiar landscape.

The municipality reformed the area to condition it for visitors and therefore currently has a small children's pool, safer paths to go from the main pool, to the distant pool of the ladies, public parking, showers, changing rooms and several solariums for tanning. It also has a bar in the best style of a beach bar where you could buy snacks or drinks to refresh yourself.

Keep in mind that access to this resort is completely free and visiting it is an excellent idea if you value the beauty that characterizes this corner of the island. I recommend that the same day you decide to go to Charco Azul you also visit Puerto Espindola Beach, as it is a section of coastline with black sands. The Puente de los Tilos is another site you can't miss when visiting this part of La Palma, especially for the perspective it offers you of the Barranco del Agua.

In addition, also in the north of the island you can take the opportunity to see the morning fauna in one of the dolphin watching tours on the island.

The southern tip of La Palma also has several attractions that can keep you entertained and busy during your visit to the island. Specifically, the lighthouse of Fuencaliente is one of these sites and it stands out for being the southernmost construction of importance of the whole island. For many years it was the resource that sailors had to locate the south coast of La Palma and today is an ideal place to create photographic memories of excellent quality.

A couple of meters away are the Salinas de Fuencaliente, a complex of 35,000 square meters that are dedicated to the extraction of sea salt since 1967 and has a declaration of scientific interest since 1994. In this complex there is a restaurant where you can have lunch with panoramic views over the salt pans and the Atlantic Ocean.

In the area of the lighthouse there is also a beach with black sands that can be very entertaining for you. Especially if after bathing there you are looking to contrast the experience with a visit to the Hot Springs Ponds that are located at the entrance of Echentive Beach. Keep in mind that many of the best boat trips in La Palma usually include this area in their tour through the volcanic and totally arid landscape that defines it.

The route of the volcanoes is a famous hiking trail that extends from the Refugio del Pilar in the center of the island to the area of Fuencaliente in the south of the island. Usually, it starts at the Refugio del Pilar due to the fact that there is an Interpretation Center where you can get information about the route, but it is also common that less experienced participants decide to start it at some point closer to the south.

We must value the fact that it is a route of 22 kilometers long and it stands out for the fact that participants will find several volcanic peaks along the way. I can highlight the Deseadas, the Birigoyo, the Duraznero, the San Antonio Volcano and the Fire Mountains for their beauty and geological importance. On a day with sufficient visibility you can see the islands of El Hierro, Tenerife and La Gomera from the top of the Hoyo Negro crater, which is also part of this hiking route.

It is important to take with you enough hydration as well as food options in case you need to replenish energy to continue with the route. An alternative and highly recommended version of this route is to make the descent from the San Antonio Volcano to the lighthouse of Fuencaliente, since it is approximately 6 kilometers and allows you to see the Teneguía volcano, the youngest of the entire island.

The Caldera de Taburiente National Park is located in the geographical center of La Palma and is characterized for being an epicenter of the volcanic formations that gave origin to the island. Also for being a greenish landscape that has an impressive amount of water resources both subway and surface.

The park has an area of 4,800 hectares and is distinguished by having the famous Caldera de Taburiente, a crater of 8 km that has had an infinity of volcanic explosions in the past. The waterfall of colors is another of the great attractions of this national park, however, the hiking route that takes you to the Roque de los Muchachos is something you can not miss.

First for the fact that it is a good sporting activity that can keep you entertained for a couple of hours and secondly for a tourist theme. This is the highest point of the park and of the whole island and when you reach it, you will enjoy panoramic views of all La Palma worthy of an artistic painting.

This peak stands out for being quite accessible even for those who do not have any experience in mountain hiking, as the LP-4 road is just a few meters away. Reason why you can perfectly park the rental car at the visitor's center and you will reach the beautiful Mirador del Espigón del Roque with a short walk of about 46 minutes.

For some reason La Palma has one of the best views of the cosmos and outer space on the planet and for this reason in the area near the Roque de los Muchachos is an astrophysical observatory with a great importance for the international scientific community.

It should be noted that this is not the only astronomical observatory on the island, as in Barlovento, Puntallan and Garfafía there are other complexes for the study of the cosmos and the observation of astro-space phenomena. However, it is also true that it is the most important of the island and stands out for the presence of the Isaac Newton telescope along with other projects of European aerospace agencies such as the Swedish Solar Telescope or Telescopio Nazionale Galileo.

There are guided tours that usually take place every week for several family groups simultaneously. Special events are also held at certain times of the year, such as the Tears of San Lorenzo meteor shower that occurs annually in mid-July and August.

This stop is usually included in most guides for a 3-day trip to La Palma because it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit an astrophysical observation complex knowing that few places in the world have this type of scientific facility.

The admiration of the natural beauty is one of the great attractions of visiting La Palma, as this island is actually a Biosphere Reserve declared by Unesco. At the same time, many of the most important areas of the island are still present in the Caldera de Taburiente National Park. While the Mirador de Las Cumbrecitas is another of the sites you can not miss on this visit to the island.

This point of the park is known for being part of several hiking trails with varying degrees of difficulty and with different extensions. You can access the viewpoint by private car if you make a request through the online booking page of Spanish National Parks.

If you bet on a visit by car you can not miss the visitor center of the Caldera de Taburiente, as they have a series of exhibitions on the geological history of the national park, as well as you could also buy snacks to enjoy at the top of the mountain.

If you ask for a parking permit, it is important to make sure that it will last the amount of hours that you could take if you start a hiking route at the top of the mountain. The idea is that you don't have to deal with a fine for wanting to enjoy one of the island's natural attractions.

Another point worth visiting in the extreme north of the island, now on the eastern coast, are the Roques de Garafía. They are geological formations that are located throughout the area, just in front of the cliffs, to create a very beautiful natural spectacle.

The best way to admire them is driving to the Mirador de Santo Domingo, which has a free parking lot where you can leave the car before starting to walk the route that will allow you to see more closely the Roque de Las Tabaibas or Roque del Guincho.

Being in this area you can not miss the opportunity to drive around the municipality, highlighting the Natural Park La Zarza and the Bosque de Dragos el Palmar. Which are other places where you should park the car to get out and take a tour of the natural beauty of the area.

Keep in mind that all these places in Garafía are places that should be visited in a 4-day trip in La Palma and therefore you can not miss the opportunity to be in this area of the island to meet stops that are considered essential in other types of itineraries.

La Palma is an island that stands out for offering its tourists experiences that are more oriented towards nature due to its status as a protected biosphere reserve. In this panorama, the Bosque de Los Tilos is a must on your visit to La Palma, as it is one of the most important forest reserves in Spain and specifically one of the most peculiar of the entire archipelago of the Canary Islands.

There are several hiking trails that allow you to enjoy the peculiar vegetation of this nature reserve, but the most famous and fun of all is the route of the springs of Marcos and Cordero. Keep in mind that to complete it you have to spend about 6 or 7 hours approximately and along the way you will pass through about 13 different tunnels.

Something that I strongly recommend if you decide to visit this forest is that you go through the Interpretation Center, as this establishment details various aspects of the fauna and flora of the area, as well as its importance for the entire ecosystem of the island. The Los Tilos waterfall is another place you should visit in this forest and fortunately it is just a couple of minutes from the road that takes you to the parking lot of the interpretation center.

In La Palma there are also important urban settlements and its capital Santa Cruz de La Palma is a place you can not miss to understand how the life of the inhabitants of this beautiful island is given. The city is characterized by its cobblestone streets, its small size and for having a very typical character of the Canary Islands.

There are several points of the city that you should know in your passage through it. The Museo del Puro Palmero, the balconies of the maritime avenue and the Real Castillo de Santa Catalina are just some of them. The Museo Insular La Palma with its exhibits of natural history, handicrafts and works of art, is also an important point in this community.

The viewpoint of La Concepción gives you a direct and panoramic perspective of the lower part of the city and the Naval Museum offers you the opportunity to see a fairly faithful replica of the caravels that were used by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage of exploration to America. The promenade of Bajamar Beach can also be an entertaining activity if you like to admire the boundaries that are created between a coastal town and the sea that surrounds it.

Near the communities of Llano Molino, El Corcho and El Granel, you will find the famous Playa de Nogales. It is a kilometer long black sand beach that is surrounded by cliffs full of vegetation that create a landscape worthy of the most beautiful corner of the Hawaiian world, but in the middle of La Palma in the Canary Islands.

The beach stands out among other alternatives on the island for its unique beauty but also for its logistical convenience. For the truth is that it has a completely free public parking as well as a beautiful viewpoint that would allow you to enjoy it even if you are not looking to spend an afternoon in the sand.

The whole town of Nogales has a variety of plantations very characteristic of the fertile volcanic soils of this region of the island. Therefore, this is a stop that cannot be missed in a 5-day visit to the Canary Island, a 7-day trip to La Palma, as well as in a visit that intends to be extended for a whole season.