La Palma is the ideal place for boat journeys if you want to see both the sea and the mountains at one time. When you come to the seashore, cliffs, hills and abysses surround you. But don’t get scared. It is a convenient place to take pictures with spectacular views at every turn. And there are a lot of inspiring curiosities among the island hills which are worth a quick look at least. All you need it to find the nearest yacht rental on Canary islands and sail to seek for the adventures.
La Palma Beaches
You can hardly call La Palma a beach island because of its rocky shores. But it’s all the more interesting to find here places lost in the rocks for everyone else.
Puerto Naos. A sea of black volcanic sand and a holiday town behind it.
Tazacorte. Cosy little beach with fish restaurants for those who like exotic seafood.
Charco Verde. A small but very picturesque place to relax. It is convenient to come here by car or by sailing yacht from the seaside.
Los Cancajos. Here diving enthusiasts gather from all the Canaries. Else, this beach has a special water reservoir for children, ideal for the family rest.
Playa Nueva. Surfers gather here for the highest waves on the coast.
Las Monjas. A local beach for naturists. Fun fact: its name translates from Spanish as “Nuns”.
Playa de Los Nogales is one of the most beautiful beaches. With the viewpoint next to it, to see the whole shoreline from above.
La Palma Volcanoes
Of all the Canary Islands, La Palma is the most volcanically active. The last time the island had been shaken by an eruption was in 1971. That’s how Tenegua, the southernmost one in La Palma’s volcano chain, has appeared. You can watch it on the Ruta de Los Volcanes, an ecological trail with amazing views of most of the island flaming mountains.
One of the main attractions of La Palma is also connected with volcanoes. Here you may visit La Caldera de Taburiente, a giant crater with a diameter of 5 miles, which can be seen even from space! In 1954, a national park opened here, and now you can climb inside the crater on one of the mountain trails. If you want to see the entire crater from a bird’s eye view, ascend the Roca de Los Muchachos, the highest peak on the island.
La Palma Observatory
La Palma is the second most convenient place for stargazing in the world (the first one is on one of the Hawaii islands). The ideal climate favours this: the season in La Palma lasts all year round. The clouds here gather between the heights of 2,000 and 4,000 feet, and the peaks are ideally suited for the stargazing most of the time. Several international observatories were built in the mountains of the island. Including the largest in the Northern Hemisphere on Mount Roque de Los Muchachos. By the way, the lights in the park turn off every day from 8 p. m. to 9 a. m. because of these observatories.
Santa Cruz de La Palma
Santa Cruz de La Palma is considered the most beautiful capital in the Canary Islands. It was once the third most important port in the Spanish Empire after Antwerp and Seville. There are so many places of interest to see here.
- Renaissance houses with carved balconies. The most notable building is the city hall (ayuntamiento), a small elegant building on the main square of the city. Be sure to inspect it inside — moreover, the entrance there is free for all comers.
- Churches. They’re not remarkable on the outside. But inside you’ll have a lot to look at. For example, Iglesia Matriz de El Salvador has elegant carved panels that combine Christian and Muslim motifs. The carvers were the Muslims who had stayed on the island after the Spanish Reconquista.
- City streets. Unlike the usual European towns, which are sharply divided into historical and modern parts, every street in Santa Cruz de la Palma belongs to its era. For example, the Avenida Maritima, with its bright wooden balconies, was built in the 19th century.
- The castles. There are two of them: Castillo Real in the city and Castillo de la Virgen on a rock with an excellent view.
7 facts about La Palma
- The sea of clouds “mar de nubes” is a natural phenomenon one can observe at the highest points of the island. The clouds coming from the sea look like a big fluffy ocean that fills the valleys smoothly.
The water tunnels “minas galerias” are the most famous buildings of La Palma. Carrying water from the mountains to the settlements, they’ve been carved in the local rocks for centuries. The water gathers in the mountains thanks to a sea of clouds.
La Palma is the only island in the Canaries with rivers (but very tiny ones).
La Palma is also known as Isla Verde (Green Island) and Isla Bonita (Beautiful Island).
There are plenty of dracaenas (or dragon trees) on the island. It is said there had been once dragons in the Canary Islands who had been eating elephants for dinner. Then one of the elephants jumped on the dragon and crushed him. Blood soaked into the ground and the roots of a tree sucked it up. Its bark became to look like dragon skin then.
The island has a thriving agro-industry because of its mild climate. For example, people grow potatoes here four times a year.
One of the gastronomic attractions of the island is goat cheese smoked on pine needles and cactus leaves.
Marina Santa Cruz de La Palma
A marina in the main port on the east coast of the island is the most suitable for La Palma boat charters. Beware of the cliffs south and southwest of the port. Also, give way to commercial and fishing boats.
Contact the port via VHF 06 when you’re 2 miles (3.2 km) from it. Then head west to the new marina at the Nautico Club. The national police process the papers inside the port terminal near the cruise ship mooring site.
Marina is well protected from all sides against waves, both caused by the sea wind and large vessels near the marina.
The Marina of Santa Cruz de La Palma is conveniently located near the city: the historical part is very close by, and the international airport is only ten minutes away. There are 180 berths for boats up to 65 feet long, electricity, drinking water and free Wi-Fi. There’s a supermarket in the port to buy food for the boat trip on the Canary islands.
