La Palma is absolutely underrated when it comes to the Canary Islands. It might lack the tourist infrastructure of Tenerife or the golden beaches of Gran Canaria but what you will find will more than surprise you. This is my guide to the most incredible things to do in La Palma.
I’ll start by being completely honest. Up until very recently, I had not heard of La Palma. Initially, I thought it was the capital of Gran Canaria (nope – that’s Las Palmas) or the capital of Mallorca (also nope – that’s just Palma) so you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that La Palma is actually one of the Canary Islands’ best kept secrets.
La Palma is clearly not as well known as Tenerife, Lanzarote or Gran Canaria but, after discovering all the island has to offer over the space of four days, I can honestly say that it’s absolutely worth a visit especially if you like getting outside in nature. This isn’t necessarily somewhere for families with young children but more so for those that want to hike across dramatic volcanic landscapes, wander under ancient laurel forests, explore charming colonial towns or stare into some of the darkest night skies in the world.
So, without further ado, let’s dive straight into my guide to the best things to do in La Palma. Hopefully this will help plan your own trip or, perhaps at the very least, inspires you to discover the Canary Islands’ most underrated destination.
DISCLAIMER – I VISITED LA PALMA WITH JET2HOLIDAYS & THIS POST IS WRITTEN IN COLLABORATION WITH JET2HOLIDAYS WHO OFFER GREAT HOLIDAYS TO LA PALMA. ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE, AS ALWAYS, MY OWN.
THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN LA PALMA, CANARY ISLANDS
LA PALMA MAP
To help give context to this guide to the best things to do in La Palma, I’ve highlighted all of these great places on an interactive map. This will also make it easier when it comes to planning your own trip in terms of creating itineraries or checking whether something is nearby to your accommodation.
HOW TO USE THE MAP | Click the icon in the top left to show the list of all locations. Click on the top right corner of the map to open a larger version in a new tab. The star allows you to save directly to your own Google Maps.
ROQUE DE LOS MUCHACHOS
Welcome to the highest point on the whole of La Palma – 7,959ft / 2,426m above sea level. On an island that is only 28km / 17 miles wide, with sheer cliffs that drop straight into the ocean, it’s quite mind boggling just how high La Palma gets; essentially the smallest little tip of a mountain that stretches for miles under the surrounding Atlantic Ocean. From beach to the peak in around an hour. That’s insane.
Anyway, enough about the numbers, let’s talk about what it’s like to experience Roque de Los Muchachos. The views, oh the views, are absolutely insane. Typically, the clouds of La Palma sit at around 1,000 to 1,500 metres, so well below the highest point meaning that you can almost always expect clear skies every time you visit. It’s no surprise then that La Palma one of the best places to observe the night sky in the world. The stargazing here is on par with Chile and Hawaii and so you can find over 20 observatories including, as of 2026, one of the largest in the world. Whether you’re particularly interested in the universe, stars and galaxies, I honestly can’t recommend a stargazing tour enough. Whilst I would have loved to do this here in La Palma, being one of the best places to do so in the world, I’ve experienced night sky tours in the Warrumbungles National park in Australia with Peter Starr (no word of a lie, if there was the perfect surname…) and even here in the North East of England.
Back to the daytime and there’s still plenty to do to make your visit to Roque de Los Muchachos more than worthwhile. On your way up the very twisty roads from the west coast, you should first stop at the Museo Roque de Los Muchachos which is a great interactive museum where you can learn all about the deep skies and the observatories in La Palma. Entry to the museum does cost €15 which some might say is a little steep but, if you’re interested, then it’s more than worth it as you can spend a good few hours here! Now to the top, right to the top. Stand at Mirador Roque de Los Muchachos and you’ll be the highest person in all of La Palma and almost the whole of the Canary Islands with only Mount Tiede surpassing it at 12,188ft / 3,715m. This is probably the best viewpoint on the island with exceptional views down into the Caldera (which translates as the cauldron) 2,000m below and all around; I could have stood here for hours just admiring the scenery. If you fancy a short walk, you can head along the ridge to Mirador del Espigón del Roque for even more dramatic views straight down into the Caldera.
I’m confident you’ll try to fit as many of the activities on my list as possible but, if you only have time for one, heading up to the Roque de Los Muchachos is absolutely non-negotiable. It really is the best thing to do in La Palma with some of the most incredible views I’ve experienced in the whole of Europe so far.
CALDERA DE TABURIENTE NATIONAL PARK
The whole of Spain has a total of 16 national parks with four, an entire quarter, found in the Canary Islands. One of which, the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, is right here on La Palma.
The Caldera de Taburiente, essentially the cauldron, is the heart of La Palma and can be seen from space. This epic crater of an old volcano, caused by a landslide, is around 5 to 6 miles / 8 to 10km wide with the walls reaching over 2,000 metres in height straight up.
This entire area, within the cauldron itself and the ravine that leads down to the coast, is covered in Canarian pine trees making for some incredible scenery and scents when you’re out hiking.
First things first, the Visitor Centre is a great place for an introduction to the National park; the history as well as the flora and fauna. Once you’ve got a good understanding of La Palma and the National Park, you should head straight to Mirador de La Cumbrecita for absolutely epic views through the pine trees to the sheer cliffs underneath Roque de Los Muchachos.
There are a range of designated hikes through the floor of the crater but, given the remoteness, I would recommend researching through the official website before making any specific plans. It is however fair to say that La Palma is a great choice for those that love walking holidays and they can be booked directly through Jet2holidays too.
VISIT SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA
Of all the fantastic things to do in La Palma, visiting the capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma, was actually the one I most looked forward to. This colonial town is not so big meaning that it’s perfect for an afternoon exploration; wandering the streets, admiring all of the beautiful and colourful architecture, grabbing an iced coffee and watching the world go by are all you need to do to really fall in love with the capital.
Whether you’re visiting La Palma on a cruise or staying for a week in one of the charming hotels across the island, carving out some time for Santa Cruz de La Palma is, in my view, essential. The Balcones de la Avenida Marítima, a 19th century street featuring historic Canarian buildings with wooden balconies and all manner of colourful flowers and plants. This is probably the most recognisable street in all of La Palma and so I’d highly recommend wandering along, capturing some photos and trying to imagine what life might have been like here hundreds of years ago.
Once you’ve taken in the view of the Balcones, it’s time to head into the streets of Santa Cruz de La Palma and simply wander; I was in my element here just observing, getting lost and taking photos. The main attractions that I’d say you need to visit are the Catholic Church of Iglesia Matriz de El Salvador and the plaza directly in front, El Cafe de Don Manual for some of the best coffee on the island in a stunning colonial building (Banana Garden is also highly recommended for coffee too), the simple Mural de Nitrato de Chile (it’s a historic tiled mural advertising fertiliser that has in fact become a symbol of Santa Cruz de La Palma), stroll along the black beach and, if you’ve got the energy, climb the steep streets for gorgeous views. There’s not a lot to do here but that’s absolutely fine, you don’t want to rush around here, there and everywhere trying to tick things off your list – an afternoon or a very relaxed day is more than enough to take in the sights of Santa Cruz de La Palma.
MIRADOR DE LA CONCEPIÓN
There are around 45 designated viewpoints or ‘miradors’ across La Palma and whilst you won’t be able to visit all of them, Mirador de La Concepión is actually one I’d make sure you find time to visit. This viewpoint offers unrivalled views over Santa Cruz de La Palma. You can actually hike up to this viewpoint from the city, it’s around 3km one way with an elevation gain of around 300 metres (yes, it’s steep), but you can visit by car or coach – we visited as part of a wider tour on our minibus meaning it was really easy to admire the views, no tired legs in sight.
The one tip I’d share for visiting Mirador de La Concepión that came straight from our tour guide is to visit in the morning when the skies on the east side of La Palma are ordinarily a little clearer. We had beautiful weather but, by the time we’d returned from our day trip, the clouds had rolled in (we visited at the end of June FYI). That said, I have seen a lot of recommendations to visit towards the end of the day, towards sunset, if you want to see the lights of the city from above – however, if you do, just be careful if you’re hiking after dark plus the sun sets on the other side of the island so often disappears over the top of the hills much earlier than the official ‘sunset’ time.
PLAZA DE LAS NIEVES
In the misty hills above Santa Cruz de La Palma is a beautiful square, Plaza de Las Nieves, and a historic 15th century Catholic Church – Real Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves or the Royal Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Snows. The church is only small, with dark wooden interiors and white washed walls, yet every five years this place transforms for a festival. The 14th century terracotta statue of Our Lady of the Snows (the patron saint of La Palma) is carried down from the mountains into Santa Cruz de La Palma. Tens of thousands, yes you read that correctly, pilgrims join the descent and, as our tour guide explained, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on just how much has changed within the last five years.
The square itself is also wonderful to spend some quiet moments in; underneath the purple flowers of the jacaranda trees, watching locals catch up over a coffee.
WALK THE SAN ANDRÉS COASTLINE
The village of San Andrés was the most surprising place we visited in La Palma. We added it very late onto our itinerary and I’m so glad we did. Expect to find historic mansions, towering palm trees and cobbled streets all surrounded by lush banana plantations. I could have wandered these little streets for hours however we had a plan in mind; to walk along the coastline up to the Charco Azul Natural Pools.
The coastline itself is rugged with the waves of the Atlantic crashing in yet it was entirely peaceful, bathed in that soft morning light (at least it was when we visited) and it was here that really cemented my fondness for the island.
CHARCO AZUL NATURAL POOLS
Around a twenty minute walk north of San Andrés are the Charco Azul natural pools that fill with crystal clear waters thanks to the tide. This makes for some extremely scenic bathing pools that locals, and tourists, enjoy day in day out. We weren’t prepared for swimming unfortunately but it was great to watch others take to the water entirely protected by the pounding waves that came crashing in over them. For the kids, there’s an artificial pool and all are kept safe by lifeguards during certain hours.
RUM TASTING AT DESTILERÍAS ALDEA
There is only one rum distillery on La Palma and so, if you really want to take your subtropical island experience to another level, why not book a tour and tasting at Destilerías Aldea. The distillery sits high above the Charco Azul natural pools so you could easily incorporate a walk along the San Andrés coastline, a dip in the pools and a rum tasting all in one morning or afternoon.
The distillery itself isn’t that big so the tour doesn’t take too long but it was interesting to see the historic sugarcane press, copper stills and vats before heading straight back to the shop-come-bar to taste test some of the rums made here. Interestingly, they also make gin here from the sugar cane too! My favourite drinks were the white rum and caramel rum liqueur.
PUERTO DE TAZACORTE
You’ll find the town of Tazacorte and Puerto de Tazacorte on the western coastline where the sun shines here over 300 days each and every year, making this the sunniest spot on the whole of La Palma. In Puerto de Tazacorte, you’ll find a proper tropical beach vibe with restaurants serving up freshly caught fish, brightly coloured traditional buildings, a marina as well as a very family friendly beach. If you walk down the port area, there’s also a very unique piece of architecture. The breakwater has almost endless and massive concrete arches that make for an amazing backdrop to photos.
MIRADOR EL TIME
High high above Puerto de Tazacorte is Mirador El Time that offers exceptional views along the coastline to Volcán de Tajogaite and its lava flow as well as the huge amounts of banana plantations that can be found on the island. If you’re super fit, there’s a steep trail that climbs from the sea at Puerto de Tazacorte to the viewpoint; just 0.8 miles in length but it gains almost 1,000ft of altitude!
Whether you’re arriving on foot or by the much more leisurely road, once you’ve taken in the sights, head straight into the Geisha Embassy Luxury Coffee Shop for some of the best speciality coffee on the island. It’s also a great place to taste the famous Barraquito from the island of Tenerife which, if I was to describe it succinctly, is a sort of coffee cocktail. This tall drink is formed of layers of the following; condensed milk, Licor 43 (vanilla flavoured liqueur), espresso, steamed milk, cinnamon and lemon peel. Whilst the Barraquito is delightful, if a little strong tasting in terms of alcohol, the team here at Geisha have created La Palma’s own version replacing the liqueur with a local one which results in a sweeter, less alcoholic flavour! Of course, there are also many other drinks available including flat whites, cortados, beer, wine and soft drinks.
VOLCÁN DE TAJOGAITE – EUROPE’S NEWEST VOLCANO
Now, this is probably the most unique activity on this list and certainly one of the most poignant I guess – this is Europe’s newest volcano, Tajogaite. In 2021, in the El Paso region of La Palma, a violent eruption took place and completely changed the earth here. The eruption lasted almost three months with the lava flow travelling over 6km down to the coast. The lava extended into the sea and La Palma actually grew by 62 hectares!
Whilst an unbelievable display of the Earth’s power, around 3,000 buildings were lost and sadly one person died from inhaling the toxic fumes.
With an official guide, you can now hike across fresh black ash (which will get absolutely everywhere) to the crater of the volcano and I’d honestly say that this was the best experience from our time in La Palma. It was like nothing else I’ve done before especially when the eruption was so recent. You definitely think about the devastation the volcano caused whilst wandering along even when, in many ways, the unique landscape is so beautiful.
Our hike started near Montaña Quemada, just off the LP-301 road, and took us one way (mostly downhill) for almost 4 miles / 6.5km to the outskirts of San Nicolás; where the road out of town abruptly stops, covered in metres of ash. The hike is absolutely breathtaking, the landscapes are otherworldly and suitable for most abilities – the hike can take it out of your legs a little as you’re just walking across what feels like sand and, if you’re doing a one way hike, the latter section is very steep when going downhill.
LOS TILOS FOREST
In complete contrast to the western side of the island and the volcanic landscapes of the south, the ancient Los Tilos forest in the north is an expanse of lush greenery with carpets of ferns, towering laurel trees and an epic waterfall. We started our exploration of Los Tilos with a short, easy, walk to the waterfall which cascades around 10 metres down a rock face – this waterfall is actually completely manmade with water being diverted in the 1950’s for a hydroelectric power station.
After admiring the waterfall and taking some photos, we headed back to Casa Demetrio for lunch. Casa Demetrio is a very rustic and local restaurant underneath the laurel canopy. Whilst the Google Reviews aren’t great, I was pleasantly surprised with the food. We had a mix of salads, freshly grilled meats including local Canarian blood sausage, pork and chicken. Of course, there was gofio but it’s really not for me…
To burn off all that food, we had a post-lunch walk along Cubo de La Galga which is another stunning rainforest walk though there didn’t seem to be a particular end point so we turned around and walked back the way we came. Not necessarily a must-see, there are far better walks across La Palma, but another great location to experience the ancient laurel forest.
WINE TASTING AT BODEGAS CARBALLO
As with many countries in Europe, La Palma also produces its own, very distinctive, wine using vines grown directly within the volcanic soil. There are two key wines from La Palma that I’m sure you would love to try – Malvasía de La Palma (a sweet wine) and Vinos de Tea (aged within barrels made from Canarian pine). If you’re a wine lover, I would highly recommend booking a wine tasting experience whilst on the island. We visited Bodegas Carballo for our wine tasting and loved tasting three different wines (white, red and sweet) alongside a mix of local foods. Bodegas Carballo is over 200 years old and has been run by the same family throughout that time. We’re now into the sixth generation and Francisco was so friendly, knowledgable and welcoming. This is a small business, producing only 10,000 bottles of wine each year, but I actually preferred visiting here as opposed to a much bigger company due to the heritage and family aspect (though I’m not sure whether La Palma does have any huge wineries).
VOLCÁN SAN ANTONIO
This is one of La Palma’s older volcanos having violently erupted back in the 17th century and now you can safely walk along the rim of the huge crater to a great viewing spot. It’s difficult to comprehend the scale of this crater even when staring down to the full-size trees at the bottom which look like tiny models. There’s a really interesting visitor centre that you must enter before you can access the volcano (tickets cost €8, under 12’s are free) which gives loads of information not only about this particular volcano but also about Tajogaite (including impressive video footage).
SALINAS DE FUENCALIENTE
At the southern tip of La Palma lie the salt fields of Fuencaliente, an Accidentally Wes Anderson lighthouse and a restaurant that elevates Palermian cuisine to create something truly special. The salt fields were created in 1967 and now you can experience a range of different colours sparkling in the sunlight as the salt goes through its various drying processes as well as brilliant white pyramids of salt when the time has come to harvest.
This salt doesn’t need to travel too far for some of its use in food and cooking. The on-site restaurant, Jardín de la Sal, takes pride in using salt harvested mere metres from where you sit. Once in the Michelin Guide in 2020, you can still expect exceptional cooking techniques and exquisite dishes though especially if you like fish. I’m not a fish lover at all though three of the six courses were all very much fish based – to my surprise two of those were enjoyable, one in particular a delightful mix of white fish, sweet potato and a spicy banana sauce. The tasting menu was full of surprises and is a great way to experience a mix of local, fresh food cooked to perfection.
PLAYA DE NOGALES
Playa de Nogales is quite possibly the most beautiful and unspoilt beach on the whole of La Palma. Situated in the north-east of the island, this is a proper wild beach with deep black volcanic sand, steep and immensely high cliffs and not another person in sight. To access the beach, there’s a free car park to the southern end from where you’ll need to hike around half a kilometre down (much harder coming back up…). There are no facilities here so please be careful, take your own water, mind your step and don’t swim unless it’s super calm – there’s a reason why this beach is popular with surfers.
We admired the beach from up high; there’s a great mirador on the side of the road down to the car park which offers perfect views which, if you’re not good with heights like me, can be a little unnerving.
Where To Stay In La Palma
I wouldn’t necessarily say that La Palma has such a wide range of luxury hotels that perhaps other islands and destinations might have but what you will find here are typically more traditional hotels alongside authentic rural accommodation. There are however some real standouts that feel authentically Palmerian yet offer something special to take your stay in La Palma to another level.
We stayed at the H10 Taburiente Playa right on the seafront only ten minutes or so from Santa Cruz de La Palma by road. The rooms were really comfortable and large, with great views over the pool area and the sea beyond. You can book flights to La Palma with Jet2, including flights from Manchester Airport and this particular hotel, the H10 Taburiente Playa, with Jet2holidays for ease, simplicity and peace of mind.
Other recommendations for places to stay in La Palma are:
La Palma Princess – Large resort in the south of the island with multiple pools, perfect for families
Meliá La Palma – Luxurious hotel in Tazacorte
Hotel Hacienda de Abajo – Adults only hotel located in a former 17th century sugar plantation.
Notes From A Photographer
From a photographer’s point of view, La Palma is up there with some of the best places I’ve shot recently. It has everything that I love to capture – natural landscapes, waterfalls, colonial architecture, friendly locals and great coffee. I’m no expert, and have only dabbled a little, but it’s fair to say La Palma is also incredible for astrophotographers.
To help give context to the images within this post, I thought it might help others to know exactly what equipment I used and how the colours came together.
Camera: Fujifilm X-T5
Lenses: Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8 & Fujifilm 56mm f/1.2
Fujifilm Recipe: Summer Negative
Sling: Bellroy Venture Sling 6L
Backpack: Bellroy Venture Travel Pack
Drone: DJI Mini 5 Pro
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