La Palma
Information
CLIMATE
The island of La Palma has a total area of about 706 sq km and is located in the north-western area of the Canary archipelago. The area offers black sand beaches due to its nature of volcanic origin with a splendid sea with a rich seabed
vegetation with an amount of multicolored fish.
The temperature during the year is maintained with little variations around 25 degrees Celsius, while in the summer season it rises to around 30 degrees, the climate however
in the island of La Palmahas a remarkable atmospheric stability.
Territory
BEACHS
La Palma offers a diversity of natural landscapes in a very small area, unique for its places, its people and its attractions. The main beaches of the island of La Palma are made up of fine volcanic sand, they are located in Puerto Naos, and Charco Verde, Los Cancajos, Echentive and La Zamora in Fuencaliente. The territory is made up of extensive pine forests, dense woods and volcanic craters, the highest peak the Roque de los Muchachos with its 2426 meters of altitude is also home to the European astrophysics facilities. where the brightness of the sky and the altitude of the mountains,
made possible the opening of the largest terrestrial astronomical observatory in the northern hemisphere.
Airport
In the Canary Islands, La Palma airport is located about eight kilometers from the capital Santa Cruz de La Palma, it is connected to the urban centers by the LP-138 road. As for public transport, the buses of the Island Transport company of La Palma run every half hour to the capital Santa Cruz, passing through Mirador, Salinas and Cancajos. The taxi service is located outside the terminal and represents a valid alternative for those who need to reach holiday destinations located in places without other sources of communication. In the small terminal there are two bars and a restaurant, some shops and ATMs, birds, fish in single cabins, turtles, small amphibians, rabbits and reptiles, except snakes, if they travel in a suitable container for the species. accompanied by the relevant health and vaccination certificates, with the corresponding entry permits and other documents required for the countries of entry and transit, without which it is not possible to accept the relative carriage. Furthermore, the limitation provides for a maximum of 4 animals in the cabin and 2 in the hold for flights and arrivals at the airport.
Among the other services present in the La Palma airport are located in the Central Hall, the general services office of Aena, the operator of most of the Spanish airports, there are also offices of the national airline Iberia and the Tourist Office.
The IATA code of La Palma Airport is SPC while the ICAO abbreviation is GCLA. The main carriers operating low-cost international flights from this airport are Air Berlin, Condor, Jetairfly, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, Thomsonfly and Transavia.
Flights
From Europe there are no direct scheduled flights to La Palma, to get to the island there is the possibility of starting with Iberia scheduled flights to Madrid and then taking the direct flight to La Palma. Or during the course of the year the major tour operators organize charter flights from Italy to Tenerife and then you can continue with the flights of the local airline, Binter Canarias to La Palma. For the arrivals of tourists, the best solution is to stay in an apartment for rent for weeks, as with the price of one person in a hotel, you can find an apartment for 3-4 people, with the convenience of having a kitchen to prepare eat. The west side remains sheltered by the mountains, it rarely rains and the climate remains spring-like with temperatures ranging between 22 and 28 degrees throughout the year. Upon arrival at the airport you will become aware of the situation. as far as the area located east of La Palma is concerned, it is subject to trade winds usually coming from the north-east, which are constant and bring clouds and rain to the island, they are of fundamental importance for its water reserves.
Excursions
Also called "the beautiful island", La Palma is the greenest and most flowery of the Canary Islands. In Fuencaliente i the volcanoes of Sant'Antonio and Teneguia represent a splendid geological contrast of the island, the last eruption of the Teneguia volcano dates back to 1971. Unesco has declared a Biosphere Reserve "Il Bosco de Los Tilos" composed of ancient trees and plants. Also worth visiting is the capital of the island Santa Cruz de La Palma, its wonderful promenade and i characteristic Canarian wooden balconies.
Local Products and Shopping
As far as souvenirs and typical local handicraft products are concerned, they are represented by silk, embroidery, wickerwork, ceramics and manually produced cigars, while the local restaurants allow you to taste the specialties of Canarian cuisine with sweets, cheeses and the particular wines of Fuencaliente, well-known drink from the island of La Palma. Postage stamps, bills of exchange, tobacco and other items for smokers can be purchased in establishments known as "estancos", marked with a "T".
Communications
From Santa Cruz de La Palma Airport there are two weekly flights to La Palma from Madrid, there are also connections with ships and ferries with the Trasmediterranea from Cadiz via Las Palmas - S. Cruz, or from San Sebastián with Los Cristianos-Tenerife through the Trasmediterránea and Fred Olsen companies. As regards the bus lines for internal transport, it is advisable to consult the website www.transporteslapalma.com.
Tourism
The Tourist Office is located in S. Cruz de la Palma, Telephone +34 922 412 106, Fax +34 922 412 106 Email patrotur@la-palma-tur.org, website www.la-palma-tur.org . The tourist establishments of La Palma are obliged to provide a form - Hoja de Reclamaciones - at the request of customers. In any case any complaints can be made at the competent regional tourist administration.
Kitchen
Restaurants normally open from 1pm to 3.30pm. Dinner is from 8.30pm to 11pm. Many bars and cafés remain open continuously, in many of which it is possible to take samples (tapas), prepared dishes (platos combinados), sandwiches (bocadillos) and portions (raciones).
The local cuisine is famous in the pastry shop, typical dishes are, rapaduras or cone de gofio, honey, almonds, the bienmesabe a cake with almonds, eggs and honey as well as almond cheese. In the markets of Santa Cruz, Los Llanos and in the markets of Mazo and Barlovento, there is excellent fresh seasonal fruit.
Territory
Geographically, the island of La Palma is located in the north-western part of the archipelago, has an average annual temperature of 20ºC, the rugged relief exceeds 2,000 meters in altitude, making it the highest island in the world. In the heart of the central cordillera is the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, a huge crater that reaches 28,000 meters in circumference, with a depth of over seven hundred meters. The coast of the island of La Palma is about 130 kilometers long, the main beaches are el Charco Azul, La Fajana, Los Cancajos and La Playa Nogales, with clear and transparent waters. The majority of the coast is overhanging the sea with cliffs shaped by lava. The surrounding sea is populated by schools of small multicolored fish and trumpet fish, while the seabed show the black coral formations.
History
The first inhabitants of the island of La Palma called it Benahoare. The Europeans landed on the beaches of Tazacorte, defeated the last aboriginal king Tanausú in the area known as El Riachuelo, near La Cumbrecita, conquering the island. In 1943 Alonso Fernández da Lugo allowed the annexation of La Palma to the Crown of Castile, consequently on May 3 of the same year he founded Santa Cruz de La Palma, on the bay of Timibucar.
During the past centuries El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma were called Fortunate Islands due to the mild temperature and lush vegetation. The beaches of the island of La Palma are not numerous or even as beautiful as those found on the easternmost islands of the archipelago, but in any case they are true paradises due to their uncontaminated nature with intact sea beds, clear blue skies, ideal for spending of vacation and rest peacefully.