Day 1 - 22 Feb 2022
Content: Santa Cruz de La Palma is the greenest island of the Canary archipelago in Spain. It is also much less touristy, at the time social networks, we wanted to promote slightly different destinations and thus make you discover nuggets still unknown! So we begin this 1st stage of the day to stroll through the pretty alleys..
Day 1 - 22 Feb 2022
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Content: The “balcones típicos” located on the maritime avenue are so beautiful! These colorful and flowery houses, of Portuguese influence, undoubtedly contribute to the charm of the capital.
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Content: Santa Cruz beach is not the prettiest beach on the island for chilling or swimming, but for a walk on the seafront it's perfect 👌😍
Day 2 - 23 Feb 2022
Content: Entrance is free but you can only visit the patio, the rest of the house is not accessible to visitors. From the patio, you can completely admire the architecture of the house and take beautiful photos.
Content: The CajaCanarias Foundation offers various exhibitions throughout the Canary Islands. In La Palma, the Foundation is located in the Plaza de España, you can't miss it. Until March 19, the theme of the exhibition is pop culture! It's really interesting, you can (re)discover the leading artists of the last 50 years, including musicians, painters, graffiti artists, etc.
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Content: The museum is very varied and has 3 different parts with a natural science area, a fine arts collection and a library. the entrance to the museum is free and it takes about 1h30 minimum to visit the museum. If you are not very museum-oriented, we still advise you to take a trip there for its architecture and its inner courtyard! The place is a former Franciscan convent which has preserved an architecture typical of this period.
Content: The castle of Santa Catalina is not the most impressive that we have seen nor even the most beautiful, it must be said, but we still wanted to go see it since it is one of the must-sees in the city. In addition, the castle cannot be visited because in fact, only the entrance remains, which is intact. This is why, if you are in Santa Cruz for only one day, we do not recommend it.
Content: Experience an expedition like in the time of Christopher Columbus by visiting the Naval Museum. The museum is inside the ship of the Virgen, which is actually a reproduction of Christopher Columbus' ship Santa Maria. If you want to document yourself on maritime explorations then you have to take a look. You can find a collection of navigation maps for example or even models of ships built in the 19th century in the capital.
Content: Built in the 19th century to defend the island against pirate attacks, this castle today plays a special role in one of the most significant events on the island, the “dialogue between ship and castle”.
Content: The panoramic view of Santa Cruz from the castle is breathtaking!
Day 3 - 24 Feb 2022
Content: On the third day, adventure and a real change of scenery await us. We leave the east of the island towards Proís de Candelaria. To get there, take a first bus from Santa Cruz to Los LLanos (line 300), then a second bus from Los Llanos to Tijarafe (line 110). Once in Tijarafe, we take a taxi to go to the site. Arrived at destination, there is a very short and easy walk to get to the cave. The place is breathtakingly beautiful and it feels like a privilege to be able to be there. We hear only the waves, there are not many people, we are surrounded by pretty white houses (which are in fact holiday homes for the most part) and we are amazed. It is certainly one of our favorites in La Palma.
Day 4 - 25 Feb 2022
Content: This fourth day took place in several stages. First, when we arrive in Los Canarios (capital of the municipality of Fuencaliente).
Content: we decide to make a stop at the Mirador de los Canarios, then we head towards the San Antonio volcano. What we appreciated to get to this point of view is that throughout the course, we are surrounded by the rich vegetation of the island. First of all, cacti and succulents lead the way. Then, it is a pine forest that leads us to the Mirador de los Canarios, from which there is a very beautiful view of the San Antonio volcano and the sea in the background.
Content: It is already lunch time, so we stop at the restaurant La Casa del Volcán which is located a few meters from the crater. La Casa del Volcán offers simple but local cuisine. Indeed, they produce their own white wine and highlight products from the island such as bananas, fish, mojo (sauce made from chilli, garlic, peppers, etc.) and goat cheese. We opted for melted chorizo toast and lentil soup as a starter, tuna wok with vegetables and barbecued pork as a main course, plus tuna croquettes. We really liked the melted chorizo, the soup and the croquettes! On the wallet side, it's a good deal: 38.40 € for the two starters, the two dishes, the croquettes and two bottles of water.
Day 4 - 25 Feb 2022
Content: After a hearty and delicious lunch, we go to the San Antonio visitor center. San Antonio Volcano is accessible from the Visitors Center. It allows both to see the crater and at the same time to learn about the volcanic activity of the island thanks to its projection rooms and seismographs. Admission is €6 for foreigners, €3 for residents of the Canary Islands and free for residents of La Palma.
Content: And then we walk through the Cumbre Vieja natural park. The unique landscape of the park has been shaped by a succession of volcanic eruptions. Despite this nature which may seem hostile, the fauna and flora is present there. If you are lucky, you may even spot the Common Buzzard, a diurnal bird of prey!
Content: We should rather talk about the lighthouses, firstly the old lighthouse 12 meters high entirely in stone open to the public, as well as the former housing of the guard converted into an interpretation center for the marine reserve of the island in order to promote the marine environment. Secondly, the new 24-meter high concrete tower, not open to the public, but which blends in very well with the decor with its white and red bands.
Day 4 - 25 Feb 2022
Content: The salt flats are one of the most visited sites on the island due to the palette of colors that emanates from the landscape between the white of the salt, the black of the volcanic earth and the blue of the sea. day to meet a local need for salt, now classified as a site of scientific interest because of the migratory birds that land there.
Day 5 - 26 Feb 2022
Content: San Andrés y Sauces is in the North East of La Palma. It is the greenest town on the island. We went there to visit the first space declared a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco in all of the Canary Islands. This is the Bosque de El Canal y los Tilos. We take bus 100 to reach our new destination for the day and off we go! ☺️
Content: To get to the waterfall from the city, there is no bus. So you have to either go there by car, or by taxi from the city around 7 euros per trip or on foot as we did. It takes about 1 hour of walking (there and back) or you have to alternate between walking in the pedestrian zone and walking on the road. It is therefore not very practical and it is quite tiring, but it is still doable. In addition, the song of the birds accompanies you throughout the walk and it is also an interesting way to discover the fruit trees and plants of the island.
Content: Amazing place 😍👌
Day 5 - 26 Feb 2022
Content: When you get to the entrance to the waterfall trail there is a picnic spot on the right and even a restaurant at the very end. What a surprise it was for us to come across this restaurant, right in the middle of a nature reserve. There are birds everywhere, in the trees surrounding the restaurant, on the tables, at our feet too. It's a really special moment, we loved it.
Day 6 - 27 Feb 2022
Content: we continue our exploration and we go to the natural swimming pool of Charco Azul. This is the perfect place to end our day and relax. The site is well equipped, there are changing rooms, showers and also a restaurant. The best way to get there is by taxi (or car) because for only €7 the driver will take you there. On the Taxi en La Palma website, you will find the number of the driver, who is also very friendly. There are also 3 buses a day from Los Sauces at 2.40 € / pers.
Day 7 - 28 Feb 2022
Content: The Roque de los Muchachos is the highest peak on the island with 2426 meters. It is located in the municipality of Garafía. From its viewpoint, it is possible to see Tenerife, La Gomera or even el Hierro and especially the impressive Caldera de Taburiente 1,500m deep, moreover it is possible to walk along the edge of the Caldera which is located in the the national park. The place is also dedicated to stargazing, considered one of the most beautiful spots in the world for this activity due to the environmental quality devoid of pollution. It is also one of the most important astronomical observation points in the world. The observatory can be visited by appointment and depending on the weather.