Beach Life and Swimming in the Blue Atlantic Ocean
Enjoy a bath in the sea
- Beach at Tazacorte
Numerous beaches border the island with black lava sand. Two of these beaches have been awarded the EU Blue Flag award, which is awarded for first-class water quality and safety. Furthermore, there are many dreamy bays and small beaches where you are often completely alone and where you can fill up your batteries, for example at the enchanting Playa de La Veta near Puntagorda. In the north of the island there are beautifully laid out sea swimming pools, like the Charco Azul near San Andres in the northeast, or further north the sea swimming pool La Fajana. Bodysurfers usually find themselves in the west, at Playa Nueva, or at the beach of Tazacorte. The Puntagorda open-air swimming pool, reopened in August 2006, is a great place to enjoy yourself even if the waves of the Atlantic Ocean do not allow you to swim in the sea.
Hiking on Historical Routes
Royal roads on the Isla Verde
- Excursion Destination El Tablado in the North
La Palma is a paradise for nature lovers and hikers due to its location and mild climate all year round. On more than 1000 kilometres of marked hiking trails there is something suitable for every hiker. Many of the old paths of the Benahoaritas and goat herders have been repaired and extensively signposted, including the old royal roads known as the Caminos de los Reyes. There is hardly any other landscape on earth that offers you such a wide variety in such a small area as La Palma. The colourful volcanic landscape of the Cumbre Vieja in the south of La Palma, generously equipped with magnificent views, will inspire you just as much as a walk through the lovely area around El Tablado in the north, one of the most rustic villages of the island. And the intense blue of the Atlantic is always present. Whether you explore the nostalgic ways in the east, or discover the paths to the dreamy bays by the sea in the west, the "green beauty" will fascinate you.
Cycling and Mountain Biking
Pleasure tours and dream routes for connoisseurs
From the sea to 2426 metres above sea level, the island of La Palma is covered with more than 400 kilometres of asphalted roads, countless natural roads and small paths.
Whether you want to make a leisurely cycling tour on paved paths, like a professional cyclist needing the hardest climbs or want to explore the beauty of La Palma off the beaten track on single trails, everything is possible. Wonderful panoramic stretches in the east and west invite you to roll along, and the mountains offer lava runs in the south and breathtaking downhill trails over goat paths and forest paths covered with pine needles in the north for sporty, ambitious cyclists.
Diving in the Underwater Lava World
Crystal clear water and black coral
- Jewfish and Diver - the Bottom of the Sea drops steeply
With about 20 different dive sites around the island, La Palma is a diversified area, which has a lot to offer even divers who have travelled far away. The unique underwater landscape, formed from the lava of volcanic eruptions, has created bizarre shapes everywhere. The Barrancos of the mountains stretch as underwater canyons down to the base of the island at 3000 meters depth. Fairytale arches of lava, overhangs and steep walls covered with black corals and a diverse living community of colorful swarming fish, morays, groupers and the majestic eagle rays make you forget about time, and you have to go back up faster than you like. The crystal clear water and the subtropical temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean of up to 25 degrees Celsius invite you to dive into the blue depths and explore this fascinating world.
Flying - La Palma from the Top
Conquering the island with a paraglider
- Paragliding over Puntagorda
The constant climate of La Palma guarantees excellent flying conditions for paraglider pilots all year round. There are various take-off and landing sites all over the island, inviting you to take a flight over the impressive landscape of Isla Bonita. The main centre of the Paraglider is Puerto Naos on the west side, as the weather is usually more constant. From here it is possible to fly down to the southern tip of the island with good thermals or to glide along the slopes for hours. After an introduction by a local pilot, who explains the special meteorological conditions to you, you can take off and experience La Palma from the bird's eye view, but also beginners and non-flyers can book a tandem flight together with an experienced pilot at the local flight schools, and so you can already get a taste of the mountain air. Or take a single-engine flight from Santa Cruz airport on Sundays to experience the beauty of the island from above.
The Observatories of the European Northern Observatory
View into space with high-tech at the Roque de Los Muchachos
- Gran Telescopio de Canarias - the Most Modern Mirror Telescope in the Northern Hemisphere
Due to the cleanest air in the Northern Hemisphere and the exceptionally clear atmosphere, La Palma has more than 10,000 stars in sight. Due to these excellent characteristics for observing the universe, a total of 15 telescopes with diameters ranging from 1 metre to the telescope giant Gran Telescopio de Canarias with a diameter of 10.4 metres have been built on the highest point of the island of La Palma since 1984. This giant telescope with a segmented primary mirror consisting of 36 parts and over 80 sqm of mirror surface is the largest and most modern European reflecting telescope in the northern hemisphere. The European North Observatory on La Palma, with its unique research instruments and renowned scientists from 19 countries, is one of the best European top-sciences on offer. You should definitely make a trip by rental car to the Observatorios Astrophisicos de Roque de Los Muchachos with its unique panorama. During the summer months, you can also take part in guided tours of scientists who will explain the individual telescopes and give you an insight into their scientific work.
Boat Trips and Whale Watching
Dolphin swarms and caves that can only be reached by water
- 26 Species of Dolphins and Whales can be Observed
In the waters of the Canary Islands you can see 26 species of dolphins and whales. Some species live here all year round, while others are international hubs on their migrations through the seas, to their breeding grounds and far-away food sources. You can find as many marine mammals as there are only a few places in the world with sperm whales, blue whales, grim whales, fin whales, humpback whales and several species of dolphins. For anglers there is the possibility to go fishing in the open sea by boat. Those who would like to visit an old pirate's nest like Cueva Candelaria, want to go by boat into the beautiful Cueva Bonita or want to swim a little bit in dreamy bays, which cannot be reached from the shore, can do this from the harbour in Tazacorte with different providers.
