Tourist guide: what to do and see in Santa Cruz de la Palma

All over the island you can find restaurants that serve from traditional food (roasted cheese with mojo, pork with wrinkled potatoes and mojo, fish...) to more international cuisines or sophisticated menus. Some by the sea, enjoying the sea breeze and with the Atlantic Ocean as background music and others more inland with the scent of Canarian pine and spectacular views. Even among hidden streets of small towns.

Con numerosos bares y tascas el tapeo en La Palma acompañado de sus ricos vinos y sus deliciosas cervezas artesanales es toda una experiencia en esta isla y una ocasión única para ser testigos del ritmo que este destino tiene. Pequeñas plazas, acogedores rincones, tascas o bares en lugares recónditos donde parece que no pasa el tiempo, una parada en el sendero o la conclusión del mismo, un atardecer … cualquier momento y cualquier rincón son ideales para ello en la isla de La Palma.

Canarians love their stews, and one highly popular local version is garbanzas, with ingredients such as chickpeas, bacon, blood sausage and regular sausage, carrots, and pork ribs (though some prefer beef instead of pork). A dish as hearty as this is generally eaten by itself, without sides. Same goes for escaldón de pescado, a fish stew which includes Canarians' beloved gofio (manioc flour). Those in the mood for similar fare on the lighter side have options such as vegetable stews with a spot of meat and perhaps gofio, as well as sopa de picadillo, chicken broth with shredded chicken, pasta, egg, and maybe a bit of beef or cured ham.

Both meat and fish play significant roles in the cuisine of La Palma and the Canary Islands - especially pork. It's served in variations such as simple roast cutlet; breaded with salmorejo (tomato/bread purée); and seasoned with coarse salt from the salt ponds of Fuencaliente. When it comes to fish, popular species include porgy, pomfret, sama, cow bream, leopard grouper - often served fried. There's also stewed halibut and vieja, and grilled bonito and tuna. Yet other interesting options include prawns, eels, and even limpets, popular as starters. Or consider cherne (wreckfish), a salty fish usually accompanied by stewed bananas or sweet potatoes. All the above is also frequently accompanied by the famous Canarian papas arrugás ("wrinkled potatoes").

This island actually produces some splendid wines, which have in the past several decades been marketed under a La Palma denomination of origin, divided into three production zones: Hoyo de Mazo, Fuencaliente, and Norte. These wines are young and sweet, and can be found in most island restaurants and pubs. Wineries where you can buy bottles include Bodegas El Hoyo (www.bodegaselhoyo.com) in Hoyo de Mazo; Bodegas Carballo (www.bodegascarballo.com), in Fuencaliente; and Bodegas Noroeste de La Palma in Tijarafe. There's also a denomination of origin for cheese. Queso Palmero can be bought at very good prices at virtually any of the weekend farmers' markets in various towns across the island.

One of the locals' favourite treats - especially during the heat of summer - is sitting down at a café to a nice plate of papas arrugás (Canarian dialect for "wrinkled potatoes). These little round spuds are boiled in salt water and eaten unpeeled with mojo picón, a slightly zingy dressing made with olive oil, vinegar, cumin, and garlic. And while many people do enjoy them on their own, papas arrugás are often also served as a side dish.

Some visitors to the Canary Islands don't quite know what to make of the dark doughy stuff that islanders commonly serve as a side dish - especially at breakfast. Called gofio and made from manioc flour, like the taro root it was a ubiquitous and very nutritious staple for centuries that has remained popular even as Canarians' diets have long since improved vastly. It has a malty flavour and gooey consistency that many consider and acquired taste, but you can give it a try in various forms such as escaldado (with beef or fish broth or vegetable stew), en escacho (with potatoes, cheese, green pepper, salt, oregano, and onion); and with chicharrones (fried pork chunks).

The plant with the enormous leaves that produces the carby tuber known as red-stem taro (here called ñame) has a centuries-long history on La Palma as a dietary staple. The local diet has certainly expanded enormously, but taro remains a major product and culinary ingredient, for example in various kinds of soups, stews, and even desserts (this last often accompanied by honey). Most taro is produced in localities north of Santa Cruz such as San Andrés and Los Sauces, but taro dishes are served all over.

Throughout La Palma you can find the so-called "farmer's markets" which are ideal occasions to get to know the rhythm of the island as well as its agricultural and craft production. The Puntagorda, Villa de Mazo, Puntallana, and El Paso markets are the most frequent. In them you will find both fresh products (cheeses, fruits, vegetables, meat, wines...) and crafts.

La Palma is an ideal destination to go shopping. With a praiseworthy craftsmanship, for its tradition and its perfect finish, as well as a gastronomy to suck your fingers, there are multiple options in which to spend money. Little shops in the villages, improvising markets... A ceramic bowl, a basket, an embroidered tablecloth, some handmade earrings, a bottle of good wine (or rum...) Shopping on La Isla Bonita is a real pleasure and a great experience.

Lots of Santa Cruz locals make a habit of taking a Saturday-morning outing to the town of Puntallana, 11 kilometres (seven miles) north - about a 20-minute drive. The reason is a particularly appealing variety of foods and fresh food ingredients brought in from all over the island. Held 9 am to 2 pm on downtown Puntallana's Plaza de San Juan.

Located in the town of El Paso, in the centre of the island, this marketplace on Calle El Paso de Abajo (near the town's tourist office) is a modern, 25-stand affair with the usual produce, meat/fish, sweets/baked goods, flowers, and handcrafted arts, textiles, and other products. There's even a little play area for kids. Another difference here is that its not open both weekend days but rather Friday (3 to 7 pm) and Saturday (10 am to 4 pm).

A number of La Palma towns and villages run colourful farmers' markets, mostly on weekends, and the one in Puntagorda, in the island's northeast, is a particularly appealing one. Still going strong since its establishment in 2004, it has become a lifeline for farmers, ranchers, artisans, and bakers, whose more than 40 stands sell an attractive variety of produce, meat, fish, and baked goods - and visitors take note, also lovely arts and crafts to take home as mementos or gifts. Open Saturdays 3 to 7 pm and Sundays 11 am to 3 pm.

One of La Palma's most popular markets is to be found every weekend in the town of Villa de Mazo at Calle Dr. Morera Bravo. Its purpose is to sell and generally support local farms, ranches, artisans, and similar traditional small businesses. Here it's all about locally produced wines, honey, sweets and baked goods. Except for the sweets and pastries, all that is more valuable to visitors as photo ops than purchases - but what tourists will appreciate far more is a lovely and very attractively priced selection of local crafts such as embroidered sheets, handkerchiefs, tablecloths, blankets, garments, and other uniquely La Palman mementos. Open Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 1 pm.

Santa Cruz's historic, traditional covered market specialising in produce, meat, and fish, has been operating since 1886 in the onetime Hospital of Our Lady of Sorrows, built on Avenida de El Puente in the early 16th century. Behind its elegant façade and lovely entryway, crowned with a semicircular pediment, you can also find comestibles such as nuts, traditional Canarian sauces, sweets, cheeses, and wines. Even if you don't buy anything, watching locals doing their marketing - and grabbing some colourful photo ops - makes a visit here well worthwhile.

Santa Cruz's main high street is named for Irish-descended local businessman Dionisio O'Daly (honoured for his role in helping overthrow an entrenched elite in 1773, allowing for Spain's first democratic municipal elections). Today, besides being an attractive thoroughfare indeed, it's also unsurprisingly the city's main shopping destination. In addition to quite a few banks with ATMs, there is a wide variety of shops, all kinds: from fashion, to bookstores or crafts, while the footsteps reverberate on the cobblestones of the famous and beloved Calle Real, as the clappers call it. A delight to walk through it, in the middle of buildings with history.

It is possibly the most modern and avant-garde museum on the island of La Palma. It is located in the town of Los Llanos de Aridane, to the west of Santa Cruz, and its origin dates back to the last years of the 20th century. With its creation, the town hall of this municipality had the interesting idea of socializing art by taking it out into the street. That is what the project basically consists of, creating a huge open-air museum that uses the walls of different buildings in the city as supports for gigantic works (the dimensions of the paintings range between 38 and 140 square meters). It is, for all these reasons, a pioneering museum in Europe that has enjoyed notable success, housing works by renowned artists from the Canary Islands and from other areas of Spain. In addition, the visit is completely free.

It was in the town of Belmaco, 42 kilometres (26 miles) north of Santa Cruz, that the Canary Islands' first pre-Hispanic petroglyphs were discovered inside a dozen caves back in the 17th century. Today the contents of this archaeological park are still fodder for researchers in addition to making a truly compelling visit for folks interested in history - and in particular that of the Aurita (aka Benaurita) peoples who lived on La Palma prior to Spain's colonisation. The complex includes an interpretive centre which provides context and background in the form of photos, scale models, and other documentation. The park is open daily from 10 am till 6 pm (except Sunday, till only 3 pm).

The north of La Palma presents landscapes that will remind you of those in areas as far away from the Canary Islands as Asturias or Galicia, full of trees and green areas. To check it, it is enough to enter the road that leads from Garafía to Barlovento, full of forests that hide numerous treasures. One of the most important is in the La Zarza Cultural Park, in the municipality of Garafía. There, in 1941, some interesting rock engravings were found made by Auarit shepherds, also called Benahoaritas (the ancient inhabitants of La Palma). These are simple drawings, some of them located on the trunks of trees, which have different shapes and meanings. To get to know them in depth, it is enough to enter the La Zarza Ethnographic Interpretation Center, which can be visited every day, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (and until 7:00 p.m. between June and October).

As do the rest of the Canary Islands, La Palma has a deeply rooted winemaking tradition. If that interests you, head 35 kilometres (22 miles) west of Santa Cruz to Los Llanos de Aridane in the region of Las Manchas de Abajo. Here in an old farmhouse on a spectacular vineyard, the Casa Museo del Vino lets you learn about, taste, and buy all the major wines produced on La Palma, as well as various other artisanal island comestibles. Open daily except Sunday year round, with reduced hours in winter.

La Palma is home to a surprising number of fairly niche museums, and this is another prime example. In the southern town of Tazacorte's historic neighbourhood of El Charco, the Museo del Plátano is Europe's only museum dedicated exclusively to bananas and commercial banana production - which along with tourism remains enormously important to the economy of this island. And in fact, these two storeys do go into exhaustive detail with panel after panel about the internationally recognised Canary Island banana and its cultivation. Soon another section is expected to open including a small kitchen which will demonstrate how to make local Canarian products such as mistela grape dessert wine and banana liqueur.

One of the most prominent landmarks and attractions of Villa de Mazo, nine kilometres (just over six miles) south of Santa Cruz, is the Casa Roja, an early-20th-century building which today is home to a pair of interesting museums. The one on the ground floor is devoted exclusively to the popular June Corpus Christi festival, which transforms local streets into a whirl of flower carpets and petal-adorned wooden arches. Upstairs, meanwhile, is all about artisanal embroidery, displaying a wealth of handcrafted garments and textiles.

Perhaps the top attraction of the inland town of El Paso, less than 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Santa Cruz, is the Silk Museum on Calle Manuel Taño, which is all about the process of artisanal silk making, from raising the silkworms to the final manufacture of clothing. Dubbed the Silkweavers Workshop, it chronicles the evolution of an industry that has been so strong historically for La Palma since its introduction in the 16th century by the early Spanish colonisers. The exhibitions also detail the steps necessary to manufacture high-quality silk garments, including washing, dyeing, and pedal-powered loom weaving.

The Plaza de San Francisco is made up of a church and an old convent. The first building houses an important collection of sacred sculpture, while the second, built in the 16th century, currently houses the Insular Museum of Fine Arts, Natural Sciences and Ethnography, as well as the General Archive of La Palma and the José Pérez Vidal Insular Library . The museum was created in 1915 to house the works of Pedro Poggio Álvarez, a senator from La Palma who also collected art. Over the years, the collection of the venue has increased with the works of numerous local artists, among which those of Manuel González Méndez stand out. In the ethnographic section it is possible to see objects linked to the island's gastronomy, agriculture or textile production, while the Natural Sciences section includes numerous minerals.

One of the most unusual attractions in Santa Cruz de la Palma is a huge ship located on Avenida de las Nieves, inspired by the ship Santa María, a member of that famous expedition with which Christopher Columbus discovered America. It is the Barco de la Virgen and was built in 1940 by a group of inhabitants of La Palma linked to the world of the sea (shipbuilders, collectors and sailors). In addition to playing a prominent role during the Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves festivities, this imposing ship houses the Naval Museum, an interesting place for sailing fans. Among many other things, the enclosure houses a significant amount of cartography linked to the Canary Islands, as well as numerous documents and files or models of various ships built by the old local shipyards during the 19th century.

La Palma's history of strong volcanic activity has reshaped its geography up until relatively recently. The last eruption of the Teneguía volcano in the south of the island in 1971, for example, did alter the island's coast. An even more powerful eruption by the San Antonio volcano way back in 1677, created nearby Playa de Echentive (also known as Playa Nueva), a lovely spot for nature lovers the latter thanks especially to its various caves and other cool rock formations.

Apart from various volcanoes, the southern areas of La Palma are home to some truly spectacular beaches. Head southward toward Punta de Fuencaliente, a bit over 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Santa Cruz. You'll come to Las Indias, in an area full of banana fields where you'll find two lovely swimming spots, beaches Playa Chica and Playa de la Zamora, separated from each other by rocks that can be crossed during low tide. A bit farther south you'll find the so-called "raya del viento" (wind line), the point where the island's east-coast currents meet its west-coast currents - and one of the best spots on La Palma to enjoy a truly incredible sunset.

Less than 10 kilometres (seven miles) outside Santa Cruz de La Palma in the town of Breña Alta, Maroparque is a spectacular complex displaying a seemingly endless variety of exotic animals including porcupines; all manner of monkeys and snakes; albino kangaroos; birds including various parrots, peacocks, and raptors; crocodiles; and others - various of which are endangered in the wild. The park also conducts various education, research, and conservation programs; in fact, your 11-euro admission fee (5.50 for kids) goes not just toward the facility's maintenance but also conservation efforts in the wild. Open weekdays 11 am to 6 pm, weekends 11 am to 7 pm. Details: www.Maroparque.es.

Most visitors interested in the classic Canary Islands beach holiday tend to head to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, or Fuerteventura. But La Palma also has its share of resort areas, and one of the most popular is Los Cancajos, in the town of Breña Baja, on the island's east coast just five kilometres (three miles) south of Santa Cruz. Its beach is 300 metres (985 feet) of classic Canary Island volcanic black sand with umbrellas and chaise-longues for rent, as well as showers and chiringuitos (beach shacks) selling drinks and light bites - amenities relatively uncommon at other La Palma beaches. And of course all throughout the area there's a full complement of hotels, resorts, holiday flats, and shopping areas.

Theatre mavens will find a varied playbill of options in Santa Cruz - and the two main venues for them also merit a look in and of themselves. The first is the Teatro Chico, built in 1514 on Calle Díaz Pimienta, a small but lovely Italianate structure built in a horseshoe shape on four storeys. Just as handsome in its own way is the Teatro Circo de Marte on Calle Virgen de la Luz, dating back to 1871. Originally hosting cockfights - all the rage back in the 19th century - in the 1910s it was converted into a conventional theatre. More recently closed for two decades, it reopened in 2008.

Though the Carnaval celebrations of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are more nationally and internationally famous, La Palma's own version is also of great interest to visitors - and comes with its own interesting twist. The central event of the festivities is called the Arrival of the Indianos, celebrating the return of island immigrants to Cuba and the Americas, having made their fortunes and flaunting said fortunes back home. So the locals come out dressed in old-timey Cuban finery (featuring lots of white suits, hats, and parasols) and carouse to the sounds of Cuban music from loudspeakers throughout downtown. 

It's only every five years during the months of June and July, that the island's most important religious event takes place in Santa Cruz. The Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves is a procession in which the icon of the virgin kept at the santuary church five kilometres (three miles) from city centre is paraded through the streets - a tradition dating back to 1676 - as well as related events over the course of several weeks. They include a romería (pilgrimage), allegorical carriages, the minuet, and the "dance of the dwarves". This last is especially coveted by the local faithful, who wait patiently in the streets to witness the distinctive moves of the dancers, long into the wee hours. It's also possible to enjoy the show in a purpose-built enclosure, although it comes at additional cost and is not quite as appealing.

Overlooks have been built on many of the highest points throughout the Canary Island archipelago, offering breathtaking panoramas of beaches, hills, forests, volcanoes, beaches, and more. Here on La Palma, one of the most notable is Lomo de las Chozas, a superb vantage point from which to survey the mountainous highlands of the northern Taburiente Caldera Park. A different perspective of this terrain can be had from the Roque de los Muchachos overlook. In the island's far east, the Time overlook provides perfect views of the banana plantations covering the Aridane Valley.

Estás en el parque que alberga la mayor concentración de erupciones volcánicas de la isla y la célebre Ruta de los Volcanes. Cumbre Vieja alberga, además, la más reciente erupción volcánica en España, acaecida el 19 de septiembre de 2021 y que duró 3 meses. Permitió la creación de nuestros territorios en la costa de la isla, conocidas como fajanas. Se trata de un espléndido parque natural que acaba en el mar con las Salinas de Fuencaliente y que recuerda la fuerza y energía de los volcanes. Además, acoge, año tras año, la celebración de la carrera de montaña Transvulcania, una de las mejores carreras de montaña y trailrunning del mundo con sus desafiantes modalidades que lleva a los corredores desde el nivel del mar hast ael punto más alto de la isla, el Roque de los Muchachos.

Northwest of Santa Cruz, in the north centre of La Palma, the Taburiente Caldera National Park offers some of island's most impressive scenery. A perfect example is its Roque de los Muchachos, at 2,400 metres (7,875 feet) the island's highest point. The easiest way to get out to the park is via the town of El Paso, then to this caldera, ten kilometres (seven miles) across and 28 km (17 mi.) around via La Cumbrecita, Los Brecitos, or Angustias Gorge. Besides an impressive green mass made up of canarian pine and its vegetation, you'll also find the La Palma Astrophysical Observatory, one of the world's most important.

Just 11 kilometres (seven miles) north of Santa Cruz, the town of Puntallana is a favourite hot-weather getaway for capital residents. Its most impressive feature is a spectacular coastline of craggy cliffs punctuated by occasional beaches, one of the prettiest and most popular being palm-fringed Playa de Nogales. Other outstanding aspects of the local scenery; natural caves amid the rocks; and the dramatic contrast of the foamy waves crashing on fine black-sand shores. Depending on what time of year you visit, you may even spot giant marine turtles crawling ashore to lay eggs on the beach or whale watching .

The Faro de Fuencaliente at La Palma's southernmost point is actually now a pair of lighthouses, the older of which dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, was retired from service some three decades ago, and is now open to visitors. This area is one of La Palma's most attractive, among other reasons because it's home to salt flats which are still active thanks to the high iodine content of its salts. And if you want to get your own briny taste of the Atlantic hereabouts, just over the lava fields is a fairly popular black-sand beach, some 150 metres (492 feet) long, with a restaurant (beach shack) serving fabulous fish. Stick around, too, for sunsets to die for.

La Palma is, of course, full of small towns, and this one has more hours of sunshine than any other and is among the most historically important on the island. It was here on the spot now occupied by the port of Tazacorte that the forces of Spanish conquistador Alonso Fernández de Lugo made landfall on September 29, 1492 - St. Michael's Day - and christened the entire island San Miguel de la Palma. The town derives its own name (from the Spanish for "Court of King Tazo") from the local leader vanquished by the conquerers. Today Tazacorte is a pleasure to visit because of its extensive banana fields and lovely area beaches. You can also take boat excursions to be wowed by the enormous, rugged cliffs north of here, as well as spotting dolphins and whales in the vicinity.

La Palma boasts a number of natural parks and reserves, and Las Nieves ("The Snows") ranges over some 5,100 hectares (20 square miles) north of the outskirts of La Palma. It's a phenomenal option for hikers and nature-lovers in general. Roaming its trails, visitors can luxuriate in their breathtaking surroundings thick with Canary Islands pines (known for their extraordinary abilities to withstand drought), numerous specimens of this type of vegetation, inherited from the Tertiary Era, such as chestnut trees and giant ferns.

In 1588, not long after the old Santa Cruz cabildo (city hall) was torched by French privateer François Le Clerc (aka Jambe de Bois, or Pegleg), a lovely four-spout fountain was built on one side of the diminished Plaza de España. This monument is crowned by a triangular pediment supported by a simple pedestal and adorned with various heraldic images of the island - prominent among them the coat of ams of the Archangel Michael and the governor of the day, Jerónimo Salazar. For many years this Renaissance-style fountain was also instrumental in supplying water to the city, although as the centuries went by it eventually became purely ornamental.

As you stroll the cobblestone streets of Santa Cruz de la Palma's more historic precincts, you'll notice among the most distinctive architectural features are its balconies, crafted centuries ago by mostly mainland artisans in a variety of styles. Carved in "tea" wood with crystal jalousie windows, these balconies also have a backstory, as a symbol of rebellion by islanders against prohibitions by the governments of Charles V and Phillip II against constructing any projecting structures that would block streets. The prettiest are of course concentrated in the "historic-artistic" district of Santa Cruz's Old Town, roughly from Plaza de Santo Domingo to Plaza de España and Plaza de la Alameda - in particular streets such as O'Daly and Anselmo Pérez de Brito. These balconies receive extra special attention once every five years when they are gaily decorated to mark the Virgin of the Snows being brought down to the city from its sanctuary.

Candelaria was the name by which the current town of Tifaraje was known for many years, since its growth took place around a small hermitage destined to worship the patron saint of the Canary Islands. During the first half of the 16th century, it was decided to replace the aforementioned hermitage with a church that was projected on a single floor, something very unusual in La Palma, in the shape of a Latin cross and with two chapels on its sides. It is a beautiful temple in which a flamenco image of the Virgin of Candelaria stands out holding the Child Jesus, corresponding to the 16th century. But possibly the element of greatest artistic value in the temple is the altarpiece in the main chapel, in the Baroque style, made in the 17th century by the famous Antonio de Orbarán, one of the greatest exponents of Canarian imagery.

The Real Sociedad Cosmológica was founded in 1881 with the mission of promoting knowledge of the natural sciences on La Palma, and housed in an old grain storehouse purchased by the island government for this purpose years earlier. It's an attractive, typically colonial-style building with whitewashed façade and wooden windows, balconies, and doors. Over the many years since, the society has remained relevant as one of the Canary Islands' most important scientific institutions - among other reasons because it has been at the forefront of studying the archaeological legacy left by the ancient settlers of La Palma, as well as hosting important physicians, humanists, botanists, and researchers of all stripes. This same building, by the way, also serves as the home of the Cervantes Library, inaugurated in 1905.

One of the landmarks most beloved by the La Palma faithful is the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Las Nieves, because it is home to the venerated Virgin of the Snows. Located between the neighbourhoods of La Dehesa and Belhoco, five kilometres (three miles) from city centre, it was built at the beginning of the 15th century and totally rebuilt in the 17th. The Virgin, the patronness of La Palma and the Canary Islands' oldest religious icon, was transferred here from the ravine in which the original Spanish conquerers had placed it in the mid-15th century. This sanctuary is of the same style as most others on the island, with prominent features including its elevated high chapel, its half barrel vault; some 16th-century Flemish images (Spain ruled Flanders at that time); and a magnificent collection of 17th-century Andalusian works.

The boom experienced by Santa Cruz de la Plama during the 16th century attracted the interest of pirates, which in turn stimulated the construction of major defensive systems. The city was also a major stopover for vessels making the transatlantic crossing, and housed the first Juzgado de Indias, a court which adjudicated issues connected with trade between Spain and its colonies in the Americas (the port, in fact, became the third most-important in the Spanish Empire, after Seville and Antwerp). The city's fortifications came to include various bastions, a wall, and various access portals - though many of these have since disappeared. One that remains is Santa Catalina Castle, built at the end of the 17th century over the remains of another castle. It's a rectangular affair which imitates the San Cristóbal de Santa Cruz Castle on Tenerife, and is a Historic Artistic Monument of Spain.

Santa Cruz de la Palma's main high street, Calle O'Daly, is home to a number of aristocratic palazzos and townhouses, of families like Arce y Rojas, Pereyra, and García Aguilar. The most famous - and possibly most handsome - of all is the Casa Principal de Salazar, built in 1631-1642 by a family originally from Burgos on the Spanish mainland. Behind its elegant Baroque façade is a richly adorned interior and courtyard ringed by lovely wooden balconies. Special mention is due to the rosettes decorating its friezes, as well as the central balcony, constructed in forged steel and exhibiting the coat of arms of the Salazar family in marble. The house is now property of the La Palma government and operates as a cultural centre.

Santa Cruz de la Palma's main square, the Plaza de España, is home to some marvellous townhouses and palazzos of impressive age and lineage. Prominent among them is the Casa Monteverde, built at the beginning of the 17th century and restored in the 1920s; it now houses an exhibition hall on the ground floor as well as UNED, local branch of the National Distance Learning University. Another is the Casa Massieu, built in the end of the 18th century by Colonel Juan Massieu Fierro to replace a previous structure destroyed by fire - and in 1990, history repeated itself. The building was subsequently completely restored, and today houses various institutional offices and departments of the Canary Island government.

Along with the city hall, the Iglesia del Salvador is considered the main architectural icon of La Palma. It, too, is prominently located on downtown's Plaza de España, and was the first church built by the Spanish invaders around the end of the 15th century (and had to be rebuilt in 1553 after being torched by famous French pirate "Pata de Palo" ("peg leg"). The church's whitewashed façade is marked by an elegant Renaissance stone portal; in the 17th century a tall Plateresque tower was added including four bells (the Great Bell or Bell of Fire, the Green Bell, the New Bell, and "Goat's Leg"). Inside you'll find three naves and five chapels, wooden ceilings of Mudéjar style (the neo-Moorish style of Muslim converts to Christianity after the Reconquest of Spain completed in 1492), and a grand neoclassical altarpiece which includes such interesting images as the "Christ of the Mulattos".

Built between 1559 and 1567, for many, the Santa Cruz de la Palma city hall is the most notable and attractive example of civic architecture in all the Canary Islands. Unsurprisingly located right in the centre of the city, forming one of the edges of the Plaza de España, it impresses right at the outset with its enormous windows, as well as the statue of then King Phillip II, accompanied by the Habsburg coat of arms. Also notable are its arcaded gallery, rounded arches, and murals painted by the artist Mariano de Cossío, from the mainland city of Valladolid, during the early 20th century. This city hall was the first in all of Spain to have been founded by popular suffrage, in 1793.

The Roque de los Muchachos Visitor Center is located in a unique landscape setting on La Palma. At 2,426 meters above sea level, Roque de los Muchachos is a privileged place for astronomical observation and houses one of the most important astrophysics observatories in the world. This visitor center allows you to learn about the importance of astronomy on the Island, thus promoting the natural and cultural heritage of the highest point on the island of La Palma and the historical trajectory of this science on the Island.

The Archaeological Park of El Tendal reveals the history of the ancient inhabitants of the Island of La Palma. Its nerve center is a large natural cave where the ancient aborigines of the island lived for around a thousand years. Several excavations have been made in this site that show a multitude of remains that these inhabitants used in their day to day, such as ceramic pieces, lithic pieces, bones of domestic fauna, collection of vegetables, coal or seeds... .

The “Caños de Fuego” Volcanic Cavities Interpretation Center is a set of volcanic tubes that comes from the solidification of the lava emanated in the eruption of the San Juan Volcano in 1949. Here you can see the geological formations that develop during and after the eruptions of the volcanoes and also understand the fragility and conservation of the ecosystems that surround this center. Opposite, crossing the road is the majestic system of floating walkways that give access to the glass viewpoint and the volcanic tube "Cueva de Las Palomas".

On September 19, 2021, the earth roared on La Palma, giving birth to a new volcano. For three months, the island was affected by the volcanic eruption and especially the lava flows it created. 10% of the surface of the island was affected by it, with a special incidence in homes and businesses. The island faces its recovery with strength and tenacity. More and more roads are being opened and services are being restored, as well as solutions being given to affected residents. The new volcano, which has changed the landscape of that part of the island in the west, does not yet have an official name.

By sea, by air, by land… you choose the element. La Palma puts the adventure in your hand. Diving, canoeing, nautical excursions to watch cetaceans or admire the lava flows and swathes formed by the recent eruption... Hiking, mountain biking or paragliding. La Palma is the destination where an adventure awaits you around every corner.

The stars at your feet. At night, La Palma is still alive. It remains dormant under the watchful eye of the stars, the Milky Way and the planets. And it is that the night sky of La Palma is quite a spectacle. You will see so many stars that you will be unable to count them and you will feel as if you were looking at an open astronomy book. If you want to enjoy them, you can do so with one of the specialized companies on the island that organize stargazing activities. Or, if you prefer, go to one of the astronomical viewpoints that you will find in the destination. Just...look up.