Unlike the other Canary Islands, La Palma only began promoting tourism in the late 1980s and today attracts visitors mainly for its natural beauty, ideal for trekkers.
But its capital city, Santa Cruz de La Palma, also offers much to see for transit travelers. Nestled on the eastern slope of the Caldera del Taburiente, Santa Cruz municipality rises from sea level to an altitude of 1,800 meters, giving it a unique scenic appearance.
Once you disembark in this 15th-century town, you will immediately be enveloped in its quaint atmosphere, with colonial-style manor houses and flowers decorating its typical carved wooden balconies. In the port area, you can visit the Naval Museum and the Barco de la Virgen monument, a reproduction of the ship Santa Maria with which Columbus landed in the Americas.
Not far away, you can visit the Santa Catalina Castle, the last bastion of the ancient defensive walls of Santa Cruz, from which you can enjoy a splendid view of the port and the city.
If you want even better views, just continue inland and you'll quickly rise in altitude. In La Palma you can try your hand at hiking trails of all levels in the laurisilva and Canary Island pine forests and along the ridges of ancient calderas, or join guided tours in the parks of still-active volcanoes, such as Cumbre Vieja.
How to reach the boardings
Address: Av. los Indianos, 38700, SC de La Palma (SC de Tenerife), Spain
GPS Coordinates: 28°40'34.7 "N, 17°45'55.0 "W
SC de La Palma can be reached by car from the rest of the island via LP-1 Circunvalación Norte to the north and LP-2 Circunvalación Sur to the south. There are bus and cab stations at the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma for connections to the city center and other tourist locations on the island. The international airport is less than 10 km from the port, and there are shuttle buses available.
→ It's time to get your tickets! Do not forget you have to be at the boarding at least 2 hours before your departure time when travelling with your vehicle!