⚠️ Entry rules and local regulations change without notice. Before booking, check entry requirements and local rules — visas, access, nature reserves, visitor quotas — with the official authorities.
Nicknamed la Isla Bonita, La Palma is the greenest and steepest of the Canary Islands. A Biosphere Reserve and Starlight Reserve, it unfolds laurel forests, the majestic Caldera de Taburiente crater, recent volcanoes and exceptional starry skies. Far from mass tourism, it delights hikers, stargazers and lovers of authenticity.
La Isla Bonita, volcanoes and stars
La Palma is the steepest island in the world for its size: 708 km² rising to 2,426 metres at the Roque de los Muchachos, the rim of the Caldera de Taburiente — a vast erosion crater eight kilometres across and a national park since 1954, walked by a trail that descends through pine forest to the Barranco de las Angustias. The north-east is green and terraced, the west is banana plantations to the sea, and the south is a ridge of recent volcanoes.
The most recent erupted on 19 September 2021. The Tajogaite volcano on the Cumbre Vieja ridge poured lava for 85 days, destroyed some 3,000 buildings and buried part of the Aridane valley; the new lava delta pushed the coast out into the sea. The island has rebuilt, the roads are open, and the eruption site is now visited — guided walks on the edges of the flows — with an honesty about what was lost.
La Palma is also one of the three best astronomical sites on Earth. The Roque de los Muchachos observatory hosts the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the largest optical telescope in the world, and the whole island is protected by a sky law that limits light pollution: it was the first place certified as a Starlight Reserve, and stargazing from the viewpoints is part of any visit.
All year, greener than the other Canaries
La Palma is the wettest of the Canaries, which is why it is so green: 18–22 °C in winter on the coast, 25–28 °C in summer, with cloud and drizzle common in the north-east and clear skies in the west and on the summit. Spring (March–May) brings the almond blossom and wild flowers; summer is the driest and best for the high trails; autumn is warm and quiet. Every five years — next in 2030 — the Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves fills Santa Cruz with processions and dwarves' dances for weeks in July.
Hire a car for the mountain roads
The airport is on the east coast near Santa Cruz, with direct flights from several European cities and frequent connections to Tenerife and Gran Canaria; ferries link Santa Cruz de La Palma to Tenerife and Gran Canaria. La Palma is Spain — no formality for EU citizens, euro. A car is indispensable: the island is all gradients and hairpins, and the best of it is on the ridge roads and the descent to the Roque.
Santa Cruz de La Palma is a genuinely handsome colonial town — the wooden balconies of the Avenida Marítima, the Plaza de España, the cigar-rolling shops. Eat the goat's cheese, the almogrote (a spicy cheese paste), the black-sand mojo and the bananas; La Palma rum and the Malvasía wines of Fuencaliente are local. Black-sand beaches at Puerto Naos and Tazacorte in the west are the swimming spots.
Essentials & your questions
| Capital | Santa Cruz de La Palma |
|---|---|
| Area | 708 km² |
| Language | Spanish |
| Currency | Euro |
| Visa | Not required (EU) |
| Best time to visit | Year-round |
When is the best time to visit La Palma?
The best time to visit is Year-round. The weather is ideal for outdoor activities.
Do I need a visa to visit La Palma?
Not required (EU). Always check current entry requirements before travelling.
How do I get to La Palma?
Check the air and sea connections from your departure point — see the On the ground section above.
What are the highlights of La Palma?
La Isla Bonita, volcanoes and stars. Nicknamed la Isla Bonita, La Palma is the greenest and steepest of the Canary Islands. A Biosphere Reserve and Starlight Reserve, it unfolds laurel forests, the majestic Caldera de Taburiente crater, recent volcanoes and exceptional starry skies. Far from mass tourism, it delights hikers, stargazers and lovers of authenticity.