Best Things To Do in La Palma

Palma is an island that perfectly captures all the hallmarks 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 maximum, 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'll 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 swimming pool on 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 characterised by salt water pools that come directly from the Atlantic Ocean and are formed on a base of completely black volcanic stones that create a rather peculiar landscape.

The municipality reformed the area to make it more suitable for visitors and so nowadays it has a small children's pool, safer paths to go from the main pool to the distant pool of the ladies, public car parks, showers, changing rooms and several solariums for sunbathing. It also has a bar in the style of a beach bar where you can buy snacks or drinks to refresh yourself.

Bear in mind that access to this tourist complex is completely free and visiting it is an excellent idea if you appreciate the beauty that characterises this corner of the island. I recommend that on the same day you decide to go to Charco Azul you also visit the beach of Puerto Espindola, as it is a section of coastline with black sands. The Puente de los Tilos bridge is another site not to be missed when visiting this part of La Palma, especially for the view it offers of the Barranco del Agua.

Also in the north of the island you can take the opportunity to see the morning wildlife on one of the island's dolphin watching tours.

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 stands out as the southernmost construction of importance on the island. For many years it was the resource for sailors to locate the south coast of La Palma and today it is an ideal place to create excellent photographic memories.

A couple of metres away are the Fuencaliente Salt Flats, a complex of 35,000 square metres that has been dedicated to the extraction of sea salt since 1967 and which has been declared an area of scientific interest since 1994. In this complex there is a restaurant where you can have lunch with panoramic views over the salt flats and the Atlantic Ocean.

In the area of the lighthouse there is also a beach with black sand 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 which are located at the entrance to Echentive Beach. Bear in mind that many of the best boat trips on La Palma usually include this area in their tour of the volcanic and totally arid landscape that defines it.

The route of the volcanoes is a famous hiking trail that stretches from the Refugio del Pilar in the centre of the island to the area of Fuencaliente in the south of the island. It usually starts at the Refugio del Pilar because of the fact that there is an Interpretation Centre where you can get information about the route, but it is also common for less experienced participants to decide to start somewhere closer to the south.

It is worth noting that the route is 22 kilometres long and is notable for the fact that participants encounter several volcanic peaks along the way. The Deseadas, the Birigoyo, the Duraznero, the San Antonio Volcano and the Fire Mountains are of particular 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 enough water and food with you in case you need to replenish your energy to continue the route. An alternative and highly recommended version of this route is the descent from the San Antonio volcano to the lighthouse of Fuencaliente, which is approximately 6 kilometres and allows you to get to know the Teneguía volcano, the youngest on the island.

The Caldera de Taburiente National Park is located in the geographical centre of La Palma and is characterised by being an epicentre of the volcanic formations that gave rise to the island. It is also a greenish landscape with an impressive amount of water resources both underground and above ground.

The park covers an area of 4,800 hectares and is distinguished by the famous Caldera de Taburiente, an 8 km crater that has been the site of countless volcanic explosions in the past. The waterfall of the colours is another of the great attractions of this national park, however, the hiking route that takes you up to the Roque de los Muchachos is something you can't miss.

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

This peak stands out for being quite accessible even for those who don't have any experience in mountain hiking, as the LP-4 road is just a few metres away. That's why you can park your rental car at the visitor's centre 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 Roque de los Muchachos there is an astrophysical observatory of great importance for the international scientific community.

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

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

This stop is 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.

Admiring the natural beauty is one of the great attractions of visiting La Palma, as the island is actually a UNESCO-declared Biosphere Reserve. At the same time, many of the island's most important sites are still to be found in the Caldera de Taburiente National Park. The Las Cumbrecitas viewpoint is another site not to be missed on this visit to the island.

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

If you opt for a visit by car, you can't miss the Caldera de Taburiente visitor centre, which has a series of exhibitions on the geological history of the national park, and you can also buy refreshments to enjoy at the top of the mountain.

If you ask for a parking permit, it's important to make sure that it will last for the amount of hours you might 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 spot worth seeing in the far north of the island, now on the east coast, is the Roques de Garafía. These geological formations are located all around the area, right in front of the cliffs, and together they create a very beautiful natural spectacle.

The best way to admire them is to drive to the Mirador de Santo Domingo viewpoint, which has a free car park where you can leave your car before starting to walk the route that will give you a closer look at Roque de Las Tabaibas or Roque del Guincho.

Being in this area, you should not miss the opportunity to drive around the entire municipality, especially to the La Zarza Nature Reserve and the Bosque de Dragos el Palmar. These are other places where you should park your 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 on a 4-day trip to La Palma, so you should not miss the opportunity to be in this area of the island to make 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 nature-oriented due to its status as a protected biosphere reserve. In this context, 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 in the whole archipelago of the Canary Islands.

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

One thing I strongly recommend if you decide to visit this forest is that you visit the Interpretation Centre, as this establishment details various aspects of the fauna and flora of the area, as well as its importance for the island's entire ecosystem. The Cascada de Los Tilos waterfall is another place you should see in this forest and fortunately it is just a couple of minutes from the road that takes you to the car park of the Interpretation Centre.

There are also important urban settlements on La Palma and its capital Santa Cruz de La Palma is a place you should not miss if you want to understand the life of the inhabitants of this beautiful island. The city is characterised by its cobbled streets, its small size and its typical Canary Island character.

There are several places in the city that you should visit on your visit. The Museo del Puro Palmero, the balconies of the Avenida Marítima and the Real Castillo de Santa Catalina are just some of them. The Museo Insular La Palma with its exhibitions of natural history, handicrafts and works of art, is also a highlight 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 at Playa de Bajamar 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 kilometre-long black sand beach 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. It has a completely free public car park as well as a beautiful viewpoint that allows you to enjoy it even if you are not looking to spend an afternoon on the sand.

The whole village of Nogales has a great variety of plantations that are very characteristic of the fertile volcanic soils of this region of the island. Therefore this is a stop not to be missed on a 5-day visit to the Canary Island, a 7-day trip to La Palma, as well as on a visit that is intended to last for a whole season.