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La Palma
It's lush. It's green. And it's absolutely gorgeous. Mother Nature had a field day with La Palma.
Thomson Destinations
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El Mundo Garafia La Verada
2426 Muchachos
Barlovento
Las Ledas San Anfres
Orotava Roque de los Puntallana Roque de Idafe Tenagua
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Los Llanos de Aridane Tazacorte El Paso San Nicholas Puerto Naos
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SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA
Los Cancajos Brena San Antonio Mazo
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Ask someone to name the Canary Islands and they can normally drum up the big four Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. But the smaller ones don't spring to mind so easily. La Palma falls into this camp. A lot of people haven't heard of it. But this is where the appeal lies. It remains unspoilt. You won't find the marks of mass tourism here - instead, you get a more authentic picture of the Canaries. One of whitewashed houses, colonial buildings and low-rise resorts. And then there's La Palma's trump card. The scenery. The locals call it La Isla Bonita - the Beautiful Island. But La Palma's more than just a pretty face. It's also home to the largest volcanic crater in the world. With all this on offer, we think La Palma is one of the Canaries' best-kept secrets. Things to see and do Santa Cruz de la Palma It may sound a bit schmaltzy, but Santa Cruz is incredibly cute. Think twisting backstreets with dinky houses huddled together. Palm-lined streets dotted with stately colonial mansions. And grand Renaissance churches and chapels. Back in the 16th-century, Santa Cruz was one of the most important ports in the Spanish Empire, and reminders of the glory days are sprinkled here, there and everywhere. La Zarza Cultural Park Long before the Spanish arrived, La Palma was inhabited by a group of people called the Benahoares. For an insight into their lives and a glimpse into the past, head to the information centre at La Zarza. The highlight of the park has to be the strange rock carvings that were discovered here in the early 1940's. Their meaning still remains a total mystery. La Caldera de Taburiente National Park This enormous National Park is actually a volcanic crater. And with a circumference of 28km, it's the biggest one in the world. Inside the crater bowl you'll find sweeping woodlands and dense pine forests. It's a nature lover's dream-come-true and there are numerous trails running through the park for you to enjoy.
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Tiguerote
Fuencaliente
La Palma LA PALMA
Punta de Fuencaliente
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© TUI 2005
Beaches La Palma isn't your run-of-the-mill beach resort. The coastline tends to be quite wild and rugged, with hideaway coves tucked here and there, and some good sandy beaches, too. Most of these are concentrated around Puerto Naos, Puerto de Tazacorte and Los Cancajos. All three areas offer up strips of black volcanic sand where you can while away a few hours in the sun. La Palma's a bit of a hit with the diving fraternity. During the summer the ocean's calm and clear, and rich in aquatic life. The southern resort of Fuencaliente's a favourite scuba haunt.
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Fuencaliente
Location 35km to Santa Cruz Transfer time Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes Fuencaliente means hot spring'. And while the spring's long since gone, you can certainly still see the hot part - this area of La Palma overflows with volcanoes. As you can imagine, with this dramatic volcanic backdrop Fuencaliente is more than picturesque. It's gorgeous. Made even more so by the surrounding pine forests and lush hillside vineyards. Fuencaliente's best-known for its sweet, heavy wine and is home to the largest and oldest winery on the island. The beach area is known as Faro de Fuencaliente and, like most of the beaches in La Palma, it's made of volcanic black sand and pebbles. Fancy taking a dip? Why not go the whole hog and don a pair of flippers and an air tank? And it's a hit with ramblers, too. From here you embark upon the spectacular ruta de los volcanes' - the volcano trail. Trust us, the reward is well worth the effort.
Los Cancajos
Location 5km to Santa Cruz Transfer time Approximately 20 minutes Los Cancajos - the guide books describe it as La Palma's most developed holiday resort'. And granted, with its good selection of restaurants and fledgling nightlife, it's certainly the biggest resort on the island. But it's still got all of that low-key loveliness. Made up of a series of hotels along a small stretch of coast, Los Cancajos is backed by the central ridge of the island. From here you can often see across to Tenerife and La Gomera. It gets the thumbs up in the location stakes. Not only is it near to the airport but Santa Cruz is close by, too. But Los Cancajos' pièce de résistance is its beaches. Three bays spread inviting sweeps of fine black sand before you. Awarded Blue Flags, they're brilliant for families and sun and sea addicts. And if you're into snorkelling and scuba-diving, beneath the surface lies a treasure trove of marine life.
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