What to see on the island of La Palma in 4 days

La Palma is an island that has been in the news several times due to its high volcanic activity but also thanks to its incredible landscapes and the nature that surrounds it. On this occasion, we left on a flight from Madrid to the island known as La Palma the beautiful island Canary Islands, eager to get to know both the cities and small coastal towns as well as the landscapes and routes recommended things to do on La Palma, some of the most recommended greener we have ever seen.

To move around the island we recommend rent a car since public transportation limits you a lot when you want to get to areas a bit more distant or unknown. We stayed in the capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma In a small fishing district on top of a hill from which we had spectacular views of the city and its promenade. In this promenade are concentrated most of the restaurants in the city so if you are thinking of going to the beach, you will be able to find where to eat in Santa Cruz de la Palma take a look at our selection of restaurants.

Day 1. San Andres and the Blue Puddle

The same day of our arrival, after picking up the car and dropping off our luggage, we decided to go and visit the natural pools most famous of the island of La Palma, an area known as the the Blue Puddle. They are relatively close to Santa Cruz and on top of that you can visit the small fishing village next to it, San Andres.

✔ Free tour of Santa Cruz de la Palma

El Charco Azul - The best natural pools of La Palma

The natural pools of Charco azul are seawater pools protected from the waves right next to the cliffs. There is a small waterfall and several viewpoints that allow you to contemplate both the sea and the pool area. Imagine it as a swimming pools to the use in an area of cliffs. It has showers, changing rooms and a children's pool and even a bar area.

Whether you have time to swim or not, the scenery is spectacular so it is well worth a walk around and enjoy the surroundings. We were caught a little cloudy but at least we took the opportunity to make some amazing pictures since we were the only ones in the area. Once you have seen the swimming pool area, you can walk to San Andres by the blue puddle promenade along the cliffs, it is highly recommended as you will start to see the first signs of the banana plantations the most famous tree of the whole island.

Right next to the entrance to the Charco Azul you will find a small neighborhood bakery called Royal Confectionery where you can buy cakes or typical sweets and drinks at very good prices that will help you to recover your strength. They are usually small squares with sponge cake, puff pastry, cream and chocolate. Besides being very cheap, they were very good, so much so that another day we had to go back for more.

What to see in San Andres

Once you arrive to San Andres, you will see that you can visit the center of the town taking a quick walk, we recommend you to visit our article about qhat to see in San Andres not to miss anything of the town and its surroundings. After strolling around the square and its surroundings we went to dinner at one of the restaurants in the square called the Placita and start enjoying the spectacular Canarian gastronomy. If you want to know which are the best places to eat in the area of San Andrés y Sauces go to our post.

When we left the restaurant it had become dark and we were surprised by the muted tone of the streets and the atmosphere, it was a kind of orange tone but muted. This happens because the streetlights in La Palma are different from the rest of the streetlights we know, they illuminate less to avoid interfering with the observatory international Roque de los muchachos. This island is the only place in Spain that allows its inhabitants to see the starry night sky without light pollution.

Day 2. Los Tilos, Caldera de Taburiente and Roque de los Muchachos

Linden Forest Route

The day after our arrival we made the first of the excursions we had planned: The Los Tilos forest route. Here you will find one of the most popular hiking trails on the island of La Palma. It is a hike of about 5Km round trip that crosses the Laurisilva de los Tilos forest one of the most important in the Canary Islands.

This route starts at the Los Tilos visitor center located just off the road where you will find several holes to leave the car. The trail is of medium difficulty, with a drop of about 260 meters. The first part of the route is a little steep, but to reach the viewpoint of the crossed breakwater and contemplating the views of the entire forest is well worth the effort.

After contemplating the views, you can continue the route towards the laurel forest. The trail is gentler and during the tour you will get lost among giant ferns and walk among trees and stones covered with moss. Making your way through the fern leaves makes you feel as if at any moment a dinosaur or prehistoric animal is about to appear.

How to get to Los Tilos waterfall

After returning to the visitor center, right next to where the cars are parked, you can go up a marked path and reach a small tunnel carved into the rock. If you go through it, you will arrive at one of the few waterfalls on the island, the Los Tilos waterfall.

It is a landscape so beautiful that it looks like a set, it is one of the things you can't miss at the island of la Palma. Spend some time contemplating the water fall and take a few pictures to posturear in social networks.

What to see in Caldera de Taburiente

This same day, after the Linden trees, we went to the Taburiente Caldera A huge sinkhole or crevice full of canary pine forests and ravines. You can not miss this kind of landscape because like almost everything on the island is much more impressive when you visit it in person.

To get here you will have to drive through the center of the island. The roads are narrow, there are many curves and in some sections there is a real danger of landslides so we recommend driving carefully. Here are some of the best activities to do in Caldera de Taburiente:

• Visit the area and enjoy the sky of La Palma at dusk.
• Walk through some of the trails to get lost, there is a path network that are perfectly indicated.
• Reach the cascade of colors which appears in a corner of the Rivanceras ravine.
• Visiting the visitor center and/or arriving at the La Cumbrecita viewpoint and look out over the immensity of the area.

In addition, you can find a sort of beach, the Taburiente stream where you can take a bath. Access is through the Los Brecitos trail The walk lasts approximately two hours and you will find canary pine forests and an emerald green shore. Nearby there is an authorized camping area.

👟 Take a look at this one. hiking excursion through the Caldera de Taburiente

Roque de los Muchachos astrophysical observatory

The island of La Palma is a marvelous place for the astronomy lovers. The Observatory astrophysicist of the Roque de los Muchachos is one of the most outstanding places to visit on the island. This observatory has been declared an Astronomy Heritage Site by UNESCO and has one of the most complete telescope arrays in the world.

For visit the observatory can be book a guided tour (there are day and night tours). It is essential to book in advance and be aware of weather conditions, as the visit may be cancelled. One of the facilities includes the world's largest telescope It can be visited in groups with previous reservation. If you don't feel like taking a guided tour, don't worry, you can simply touring the area and to contemplate the different observatories belonging to different countries is already a good plan.

We parked in the permitted area and took a walk from there to get to the viewpoint of the Roque breakwater from which you can see the trail left by the volcanic eruption flow that swept through La Palma in 2021.

Here are some of the best things to do around the Roque de los Muchachos Astrophysical Observatory:

• Visit to the Roque de los Muchachos Astrophysical Observatory Visit to the Roque de los Muchachos observatory and access to the inside of one of the telescopes.
• Astronomical observation The night sky in La Palma is one of the cleanest and darkest in the world, which makes it an ideal place for astronomical observation. There are many companies that offer night tours to see the stars.
• Hiking The area around the Roque de los Muchachos astrophysical observatory is an ideal place for hiking. There are many routes offering spectacular views volcanic landscape and the Atlantic Ocean.

Where to park at Roque de los muchachos

Day 3. Porís de Candelaria and the route of the volcanoes.

After breakfast in the area of the promenade, near the beach of Santa Cruz, we decided to go to Porís de Candelaria It is a magical place that is somewhat reminiscent of the famous village of Setenil de las Bodegas, although in this case the houses are literally next to the sea.

How to get to Porís de Candelaria

To get to Porís, follow the road from Tijarafe towards the sea. The drop to the village by car is very steep and some people may feel a bit dizzy. On the way to Porís you will find some small parking spaces on the side of the road downhill, depending on your luck you may have to walk a stretch of road to reach the village or you can park just below. 

In the first of the parking areas There is a very nice viewpoint which is accessed by climbing some rocks. If you manage to park in the last area you will only have to walk down a path for a few minutes until you can see the village.

What to see in Porís de Candelaria

Porís de Candelaria is a small fishing village located on the west coast of La Palma, close to Tijarafe. This place has become very famous for its small houses dug under the rock and its crystal clear water that invites you to take a dip.

The visit to Porís is quite fast, it depends a little on the photos you want to take once there since there is only one street that follows the cliff formed by the rocks. Right in the center of the village, in the area where the boats go out to sea is one of the most famous pictures of this village and if you find the ideal perspective, you can discover the silhouette of the island of la palma in the contrast between the rocks that surround the village and the sky. We leave you a photo that we took, although we did not get the perfect spot.

We recommend you to sit on the small stairs right next to the sea and have a drink quick bath if you feel like it. There are several areas from which you can enter the sea and exit by stairs anchored to the rock.

Going down by car is somewhat complicated because of the steepness of the road leading to the area, so two good options are to visit Porís with a kayak excursion or do hiking in the area to get to the village.

Time Viewpoint

Leaving Porís you can go to the Mirador del Time, one of the most impressive of La Palma. From there you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Aridane valley flooded with banana plantations and where there is an enormous ravine the one in Las Angustias which ends at the port of Tazacorte. Weather permitting, it is possible to see the island neighbor of El Hierro. This viewpoint is located between Los Llanos de Aridane and Puntagorda and has an altitude of about 700 meters. From there we could see the remains of the volcanic eruption and the volcano crater with lava solidified to the sea, you can see it in the photos!

Right next to the viewpoint there is a restaurant with a terrace where you can sit and contemplate the wonderful views you have right in front of you. It looks like the perfect place to have a drink with a good view, although we wouldn't recommend it for lunch as it seemed like a typical place with a somewhat inflated price compared to the rest of the island (you pay for the view!).

Green puddle beach

Our next stop was the Charco Verde beach It is a small cove of fine black sand surrounded by rocks that form a cliff. The access to the beach is through an asphalted road and it has parking nearby with plenty of space. In addition, there is a recreational area with umbrellas, showers and lifeguard.

We were bathing and swimming to the rocks that are bordering the beach. It is easier to access by sea than on foot, since you have to walk along the rocks with many protrusions and slippery. The water was clear and not very cold.

Fuencaliente Salt Flats

We left the beach and headed for the Fuentecaliente Salt Flats declared a site of Scientific Interest because migratory birds pass through it.

From the lighthouse you can follow a path to the left that leads down towards the rJardín de la Sal Restaurant well known for appearing in the Michelin Guide. 

There is a possibility of making a self-guided tour that allows you to go around all the salt flats and get to know a little more of this characteristic landscape. The entry to the salt flats is free and there is plenty of parking space. There are explanatory signs all along the route and it is an excellent way to discover how salt is produced there.

San Antonio and Teneguía volcanoes

We then headed to the San Antonio and Teneguía Volcanoes which is another important tourist attraction of the island. The San Antonio volcano that erupted in 1677 buried the hot springs that had given rise to the name of the municipality, Holy Source.

At present, the interior of the crater is full of vegetation and trees. Although it is not the largest on the island, being easily accessible it is one of the most visited. From there you have very good views of the Teneguía volcano The volcano erupted in 1971 and until recently was the last volcano that had erupted, the eruption lasted only a short time but expelled a large amount of lava that gave rise to new black beaches.

We had no luck and the interpretation center The San Antonio volcano was closed, but from there there is a path to the volcano that is well indicated. There is also an astronomical observatory and a very curious earthquake simulator. The road is somewhat steep but once you reach the first viewpoint of the crater you will be impressed by its large size.

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Day 4. The cube of the Galgas and the beach of Los Nogales.

Cube of the Galgas Route

We arrived at our last day in La Palma, where we decided to go to visit the Gauge Cube One of the best routes to do in La Palma.

The routes leave from the Cubo de la Galga parking lot, where the visitor center is located. You can do a circular route or a much longer one of about 12 kms that takes you into the thick forest and leads you to the La Somada viewpoint.

We chose the circular route which are approximately 9 kms. The first sections of the trail are asphalted. After a few more meters, you will find a sign indicating La Galga, where you have to be careful because you can get lost right there. If you continue upwards, you will come to the  Somada Alta viewpoint after climbing a few hills.

From this viewpoint you can contemplate incredible views. There we decided to stop to rest for a while and we were lucky enough to see a lot of birds and the typical blue-necked lizards de la Palma.

Continuing our route towards the Cubo de la Galga, we go into the ravine (almost all downhill), where we can see huge ferns among which you can almost get lost due to their large size. You will also find some lianas like in the jungle movies. It is one of the most amazing routes we have ever done. 

Back at the starting point, you will find a picnic area right next to the information point. If you have brought something from home you can take the opportunity to eat and drink something here. 

Los Nogales Beach

After the route we made a brief stop in the village of the Willows (capital of the municipality of San Andres) to regain strength, and we continue our journey towards the Los Nogales beach which is in the town of Puntallana. The access path to the beach starts from the parking lot and goes along an impressive cliff. To reach the beach you have to use the only access available by wooden stairs under the rocks of the cliff. When you get to the beach you will find a wild and impressive landscape with one of the most beautiful beaches in the world black beaches most beautiful we have ever seen.

According to what we were told, it is not recommended to swim in this beach because of the currents, although it is usually a typical area of surfers. When we arrived there was absolutely no one there and we were able to take some very cool pictures that we leave below.

FAQs about La Palma

How long does it take to drive around La Palma?

Going around the island of La Palma by car is a wonderful experience full of breathtaking landscapes. The duration of the tour depends on the pace you want to take and the stops you decide to make along the way. On average, it is estimated that you can complete the tour in approximately 6 hours. This would be our recommended route to enjoy the main attractions of the island:

• 1 Santa Cruz de La Palma You can start your tour in the capital, where you can visit the historic center and stroll through its charming streets.
• 2 Los Llanos de Aridane Continue west until you reach Los Llanos, a picturesque village surrounded by banana plantations. Here you can enjoy the traditional architecture and stop to taste fresh bananas.
• 3 Caldera de Taburiente National Park Continue to the interior of the island to visit this impressive national park, famous for its imposing volcanic caldera. Here you can hike and enjoy beautiful panoramic views.
• 4 Roque de los Muchachos Climb to the highest point of La Palma to visit the Astrophysical Observatory, where you can contemplate the stars in one of the best places in the world for astronomical observation.
• 5 Puntagorda Continue north until you reach this charming village, known for its famous almond blossom. Here you can enjoy a quiet and relaxed atmosphere.
• 6 Fuencaliente Head south to visit this picturesque coastal town, famous for its vineyards and wineries. Don't miss the opportunity to taste the local wines.
• 7 Beaches Finish your tour enjoying one of the beautiful beaches of La Palma, such as Puerto Naos beach or Los Cancajo beach.

What kind of clothes to take to the island of La Palma?

Climate and seasons

La Palma has a subtropical climate, which means that temperatures are mild throughout the year. However, keep in mind that the island has microclimates and there can be differences in temperature and rainfall depending on the area.

Lightweight and comfortable clothing

For most of the year, you can opt to wear light, comfortable clothing. Think short-sleeved shirts, cool blouses, shorts and skirts. Don't forget to pack a couple of bathing suits, as La Palma has beautiful beaches and natural pools.

Coats and coats

Although temperatures are usually mild, especially in summer, it is a good idea to bring some warm clothing for cooler evenings or if you visit mountainous areas. A light jacket or sweater are ideal options to keep you comfortable.

Appropriate footwear

To explore the island, you will need appropriate footwear. Opt for comfortable, sturdy shoes, such as sneakers or hiking boots, especially if you plan to hike La Palma's beautiful nature trails.

Sun protection and accessories

Don't forget to protect yourself from the sun at all times. Pack a hat or cap, sunglasses and high protection sunscreen. In addition, a backpack or small bag will be useful to carry your belongings while exploring.

From where is the volcano of La Palma best seen?

If you are looking for where to see the Cumbrevieja volcano, the cause of the eruption suffered by the island of La Palma in 2021, you have several options. Our recommendation is to go to any of these sites:

• Viewpoint of Espigón del Roque
• Town of Los Llanos. You can also try crossing any of the roads that cross the wash from the village itself.
• Time Viewpoint

If you are interested in visiting this area, you can hire a guided tour of the ones we leave below, which will take you around the area of the Tajogaite volcano to see the lava left by the recent volcanic eruption.

• Hiking on the Tajogaite volcano
• Excursion to the Tajogaite volcano

What can be seen in La Palma after the volcano?

After the volcanic eruption of Cumbre Vieja, there are some interesting things to see and do on the island. Here are some ideas:

• Observing the lunar landscape The eruption has left a unique and surreal landscape in the affected area. You can take an excursion to see the solidified lava flows up close and marvel at this new geological formation.
• Visiting the Caldera de Taburiente National Park This park is one of the natural treasures of La Palma and is safe from the eruption. Here you can enjoy impressive ravines, waterfalls and hiking trails.
• Exploring picturesque villages Although some villages near the volcano may be affected, many others on La Palma are still intact and worth visiting. Santa Cruz de La Palma, Los Llanos de Aridane and Tazacorte are just a few examples.
• Enjoying the beaches Fortunately, the most popular and beautiful beaches of La Palma have not been affected by the eruption. You can relax on the beach of Puerto Naos, visit the beach of Los Cancajos or explore the beach of Nogales, known for its natural beauty.
• Stargazing La Palma is famous for its dark and clear skies, ideal for stargazing. Don't miss the opportunity to visit the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the universe.

How long does it take to do the La Palma volcanoes route?

The route of the volcanoes is a route that crosses the National Park of Caldera de Taburiente, an impressive place where you can admire the majesty of the volcanoes and its stunning scenery. However, the time it will take you to complete this route will depend on the pace at which you decide to walk and the time you dedicate to enjoy the panoramic views.

On average, it is estimated that the volcanoes route can take approximately 6 to 8 hours. However, this may vary depending on your level of fitness, as in some sections the terrain is a bit more demanding. But don't worry, the effort is totally worth it!

It is important to mention that this tour has an approximate length of 18 kilometers, so I would recommend you to take with you enough water and some food to replenish your energy along the way. Also, be sure to bring comfortable clothes and shoes, sunscreen and a hat to protect you from the sun.

Remember that in La Palma, nature is the protagonist, so enjoy every step and take your time to explore and marvel at every detail, I assure you that you will be left breathless by so much volcanic beauty!

Where to see the lava from the volcano of La Palma?

The best way to see the lava left by the recent eruption of the La Palma volcano is to get close to the area of the plains and cross by car (since it is the only way allowed) one of the roads that have enabled through the volcano's lava flow. Another way is to approach the time viewpoint but you can also see it from the viewpoint from Roque breakwater if you happen to be visiting the observatory.

Anyway, if you want to live the experience at 100% we recommend you to hire any of these excursions who will guide you through hiking areas in which you will be able to contemplate the lava flow left by the volcano from closer.

• Hiking on the Tajogaite volcano
• Excursion to the Tajogaite volcano

Where to see the sunset in La Palma?

Here are some recommendations on where to enjoy a spectacular sunset:

• La Cumbrecita viewpoint This viewpoint offers you an incredible panoramic view of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park. Imagine the sun setting behind the mountains while enjoying the tranquility and natural beauty.
• Puerto Naos If you prefer to combine sunset with a more lively atmosphere, Puerto Naos is the ideal place. Here you will find a beautiful beach where you can relax and watch the sun sink into the horizon.
• Fuencaliente Lighthouse Located at the southern tip of the island, this lighthouse offers a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean. You will be able to see how the sun gradually fades into the sea, creating a postcard-worthy image.
• Roque de los Muchachos This is one of the highest points of La Palma, ideal for lovers of astronomy and panoramic views. You can enjoy a magical sunset while contemplating the sea of clouds that covers the landscape.

Remember that these are just a few highlights, La Palma is full of wonderful places to enjoy the sunset! So, be sure to explore and discover your own favorite spots - make the most of your La Palma experience!

If you want to read other articles ideal for your trip that complement What to see on the island of La Palma in 4 days you can visit our posts about La Palma.