Discovering the Coolest Attractions of La Palma Island. In this article, you’ll not only learn about the must-see spots on La Palma Island, but also find out about the lava pools, wineries offering tastings, with maps, prices, and personal ratings from the author, along with tips for visiting. This guide will help you create your own perfect itinerary for exploring the island.

Attractions of La Palma: General Information

Everything about vacationing on La Palma, public transportation, beach resorts, and the best places for tourists to stay, along with how to get to the island, is covered in this overview article about La Palma Island. You’ll learn about the island’s unique features and what sets it apart from other Canary Islands. If you’re planning a trip to La Palma, this is a must-read. And next, we’ll delve into the top-rated attractions.

Useful to Know:

Each attraction on La Palma Island comes with my personal rating and visiting tips. While ratings are subjective, I’ll do my best to justify them. This will help you decide whether to visit a particular location or skip it, as not all attractions on La Palma Island are equally impressive.

What to See on La Palma Island: Map

Brief legend of the map:

  • Blue markers – beaches and lava pools Maroon markers – natural attractions
  • Maroon markers – natural attractions
  • Black markers – man-made attractions, museums, and wineries

The map is interactive, allowing you to click on it, zoom in, and explore attractions in more detail.

Best Beaches and Lava Pools of La Palma

The list of the best beaches on the island includes both developed beaches in resort areas with many tourists and secluded ones requiring a hike through mountains. The lava pools, formed by volcanic eruptions and refined by human hands, are a special pride of the island. La Palma boasts several such lava pools.

  • Regarding lava pools on other islands, you can read about them in the article: lava pools and water parks in the Canaries. The main advantage of these pools is their calm waters, absence of waves, and warmer temperature compared to the ocean.

Important:

As you’ve probably gathered, La Palma Island is one big super volcano, so there are no beaches with white sand here (at least none that I know of). All beaches on La Palma Island are either pebbly or have fine black volcanic sand. But you’ll see that in the photos below. And, of course, all beaches, including lava pools, are free to access.

So, the best beaches of La Palma Island, with coordinates, photos, and brief descriptions:

  • Main urban beach of Santa Cruz de La Palma: 28.684618552512994, -17.76219898653616. The most developed and longest beach on the island, over 2km long. Suitable for everyone, including children and adults.
best beaches on la palma
The main and largest beach of the island is located in the capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma, hence the name.
  • Playa de los Cancajos – a beach of a small resort town with hotels and apartments. Here you’ll find all the necessary facilities, and during the season, it’s one of the most touristy spots on the island. There’s a promenade: 28.652696507883817, -17.76037371447959
attractions of la palma
Very cool Los Cancajos beach, feel free to add it to your list of “what to see on La Palma”
  • Playa de Charco Verde – a small beach outside populated areas. Fully equipped for relaxation, suitable for children. There are no restaurants or shops, but there’s a parking lot with a beautiful view for campers and RVs: 28.572478697990874, -17.899327674352644
beaches on la palma canaries
The beach is quite small. The top photo was taken from the parking lot where campers are parked. If you’re traveling in an RV, you can stay here for a couple of days with this view.
  • Playa de Puerto Naos – the town beach of Puerto Naos. The town was closed for 3 years and completely evacuated due to a volcanic eruption in 2021. Local residents were allowed to return to their homes only in February 2024. Here you’ll find a beautiful urban beach, so tourists can start planning their trips here: 28.584463404339303, -17.909724793561537
  • Playa de Tazacorte – a great beach in the town of the same name. The town is very small, with only 500-700 residents. But it has all the necessary facilities, shops, restaurants, and a promenade. And, importantly, a large and long beach. The town is nestled between cliffs, sheltered from the wind, so it has more sunny days and warmer temperatures than the eastern coast of the island: 28.65103886254674, -17.94618262911303
best places on la palma
Playa de Tazacorte – an excellent beach. Even during the peak tourist season, there are fewer people here than on other beaches.
  • La Fajana Lava Pool – a remote part of the island for those who prefer solitude and dislike crowds. But that’s in winter; in summer, it gets quite busy, despite the lack of a beach, hotels, or shops. There’s only a lava pool, a restaurant, and breathtaking views of mountains and the ocean. You can only reach it by car; there’s no public transport: 28.84275329109758, -17.7896246297827
lava pools la palma
Lava pools themselves are cool attractions of La Palma Island. It’s best to visit them in good weather. Pay attention to the bottom photo, where the ocean is rough, and waves flood the pool, making swimming impossible.
  • El Charco Azul Lava Pool. Same as La Fajana, but this place is more popular and developed, located in a village, and parking can be an issue during the season. However, there’s a decent equipped beach just 200m from the lava pools. Personally, I prefer La Fajana for its beautiful views of mountains and the ocean: 28.807975611862815, -17.76161530092199
best lava pool on la palma
El Charco Azul is another great and equipped lava pool. You can confidently come here for half a day to swim/sunbathe.
  • And one of the most beautiful wild beaches of La Palma – Nogales Beach (Playa de Nogales). Drive to the end of the road, and another 1km from the parking lot, along a very scenic trail along the ocean, leads to the beach. Swimming here is dangerous for everyone, even adults. Parking coordinates and the start of the trail to the beach: 28.75739708713461, -17.735880033753475
best beach la palma where
The top photo shows the beach from the road. And the bottom one, we’re already descending to it. The trail to the beach is very scenic. This is one of the best wild beaches on the island and tops the list of what to see on La Palma Island. But there’s no need to swim here; who will look for you across the entire ocean later? There’s a strong undertow.

Wine Region on La Palma Island

The southern part of La Palma Island is a unique wine region with DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) status. Here, grapes are grown on black volcanic soil on the slopes of the volcano, and wine is produced with “protected designation of origin.”

Important to Know:

Almost every winery on La Palma offers a shop, often with open areas for tourists, cellars, and mini exhibitions showcasing wine production methods from 100-200 years ago. All of this is free. In the winery shop, there are sometimes tastings available, sometimes not. A tasting typically costs around 5-7 euros for two 50ml glasses of wine and a plate of cheese.

I recommend visiting the village of Los Canarios; you can rent apartments here for a day and explore private wineries on foot. It’s not a touristy town; besides visiting wineries and the San Antonio volcano, there’s not much else to do. But more information about the volcano will be provided below.

Here are the coordinates of my favorite wineries in Los Canarios. You can open Google Maps, explore the town of Los Canarios in more detail, and look for establishments with the word BODEGAS (which means winery in Spanish).

la palma winery tour
My favorite winery is Carballo. I recommend the one in the center, Brisas del Sur, for 12 euros a bottle. It’s an excellent wine aged for 6 months in sherry barrels, my personal top choice.

Important to Know:

Most wineries are private, family-owned, and very small. They’re not huge factories. The operating hours here are very abstract. For example, Bodegas Teneguía is a large winery, and the shop operates on a schedule. But Bodegas Carballo is small, and the shop operates on a schedule known only to them. Avoid visiting such places in the evening; try to plan your visit a few hours before 3 pm because by 4-5 pm, everything will be closed everywhere.

Santa Cruz de La Palma

The capital of the island, with a population of 18 thousand people. Santa Cruz is a significant attraction of La Palma Island. If you rent accommodation here and stay for a couple of days, it’s an excellent option. It has a beautiful Spanish city center with a pedestrian street, a lovely long promenade along the beach and the ocean, a small fortress, a museum, and much more to entertain tourists.

Santa Cruz de La Palma attractions
Of course, the capital is the main attraction of La Palma Island. The top photo was taken from the fortress, overlooking the entire city, and the ship in the center is the maritime museum, quite decent albeit small. The bottom photo shows the administrative part of the city in Spanish colonial style.
  • Coordinates of the main pedestrian street, which leads to the fortress, to the maritime museum shaped like a ship: 28.682038557386957, -17.765852630585808
  • The city is quite small; you can walk through the entire center in a couple of hours. I recommend coming here for an evening stroll.

Author’s Rating:

10 out of 10. The center of infrastructure and tourist life in La Palma. Visiting the island without visiting Santa Cruz is almost impossible. Most tourists either stay here or in Los Cancajos, which is 4 km south of the capital. There’s a regular city bus service between these resorts.

National Park Caldera de Taburiente: Viewpoints and Hiking

The most famous national park, created in the caldera with an 8km diameter formed after the eruption of the Taburiente volcano in the early 20th century. Today, the entire caldera is covered with forests, rivers, waterfalls, viewpoints, hiking trails, much like Conan Doyle’s “Lost World.”

caldera taburiente la palma
The main overlook point, Mirador de La Cumbrecita, in the Caldera de Taburiente National Park. Behind me is the vast 8km diameter caldera. And on the opposite side is the highest peak on the island, Roque de los Muchachos, but more about it below.

You can come here just for a lookout and view the caldera from above, as in the photo above. Or spend a whole day, descend below, and hike one of several hiking trails of varying difficulty.

Important to Know:

Pre-install one of two map apps on your phone: Organic Maps or Maps.me (I use the former). Both are free. Download the map of the Canaries; you’ll intuitively figure it out. These are the best offline maps for the islands, containing all the trails and paths in the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.
what to see on la palma
Here, views like these unfold at every turn. Parque Nacional de la Caldera de Taburiente is simply a must-visit.

And now, the most crucial information on how to get to the park, as it’s not that simple:

  • Coordinates for the Visitor’s Center: 28.654377231858245, -17.852434174918155. There’s a cool exhibition with island models, a museum, and the park administration. The museum is free!
  • Official Park Website
  • Entry to the national park is free.
  • How to get to the park:
    • As part of a guided tour. The organizer handles all questions.
    • Arrive independently at the Visitor’s Center and purchase a bus ticket to the park (runs every half hour, costing around 7 euros). Look for the schedule and detailed information about these buses on the national park’s website, the link was mentioned above.
    • By car: you need a pass, which is free, but without it, you won’t be able to enter the park by car.
      • You need to get the pass in advance, 1-2 days before; usually, there are no free slots on the same day. You can obtain a pass for your car at the Visitor’s Center; the procedure takes 3 minutes and is free. I usually stop by the center a day before visiting the Caldera and get the pass.
      • The pass is issued for a specific time, so don’t be late.

Useful tip:

You can book the pass yourself on the park’s website, but the site is from the last century, and everything is very complicated. You’ll need your ID or passport (vehicle number is not required; you can book a pass even if you’re still at home). If you manage to navigate it yourself, kudos to you. Here’s the link directly to the car registration page. You won’t be allowed into the park without a pass.
  • Parking coordinates in the park, where you can arrive if you have a pass (or on a guided bus tour): 28.698027549121143, -17.856555239571183. Mirador de La Cumbrecita is the main overlook in the park. All hiking trails in the caldera start from here.
  • If you plan to visit just for a lookout and return, book a pass for 1 hour; that’s more than enough. If you’re going hiking, book for 2-8 hours, depending on the trail. Don’t book unnecessary time; it might prevent other tourists from accessing the park.
  • There’s a significant altitude difference in the park; keep that in mind. Wear hiking shoes, bring sticks if possible, water, and snacks for the trails.

Author’s Rating:

10 out of 10. This is one of the most significant attractions of La Palma Island. Some tourists come to the island just to visit Caldera de Taburiente. The main question you need to address in advance is obtaining the pass.

The highest peak on the island – Roque de los Muchachos (2426m)

Another TOP attraction on the list of what to see on La Palma Island is Roque de los Muchachos, which literally translates from Spanish as “Rock of the Boys.” It’s the highest peak on La Palma Island, 2426 meters above sea level.

Interesting to Know:

Roque de los Muchachos is located directly on the opposite side of the caldera from the overlook point Mirador de La Cumbrecita mentioned earlier. It’s only 8 km as the crow flies between them, but the detour takes an hour and a half and almost 80 km on winding roads. Mirador de La Cumbrecita’s elevation is 1320 meters, while Roque de los Muchachos is at 2426m.
highest peak of la palma
We’re at the top of La Palma – Roque de los Muchachos. Notice the footpath behind; this trail follows a small picturesque route.
  • This attraction is entirely free and available to tourists 24/7. No pass is needed here. Tourists even visit at night; more on that below in the article.
  • Coordinates for the parking lot where you need to drive: 28.75463826501258, -17.88521535483263
  • There’s a paved footpath here, the entire route is 1km, suitable for walking with children. There are three lookout points along this trail. Part of this trail is visible in the photo above.
  • Important: this is a serious altitude, almost 2.5km. It’s windy here, and it can be 15 degrees colder than on the coast, sometimes even snowing in winter. Don’t come here in shorts and flip-flops; dress wisely.

Author’s Rating:

10 out of 10. Once again, an attraction right to the heart. Plus, the road to Roque de los Muchachos is very scenic; you’ll be driving above the clouds, with a million lookout points along the way and incredibly picturesque serpentine roads. Allocate an hour and a half to two hours for the drive to Roque de los Muchachos one way.
best road on la palma
And here’s one of the million photos you’ll take on the way to Roque de los Muchachos. It’s a unique feeling to drive above the clouds.

Astrophysical Laboratories and Space Museum

A Quick Lesson:

The peak of La Palma Island, Roque de los Muchachos, is unique for its climate. The air here is very dry and transparent. There are no large cities on the island, and light pollution is minimal. Additionally, clouds are often below 2000 meters above sea level. All of this has made Roque de los Muchachos an ideal place for stargazing.

Today, there are over 10 world-renowned astrophysical laboratories and telescopes here. Serious scientific work is underway, and the Canarian telescopes are part of the global network of astrophysical laboratories. The Gran Telescopio Canarias (Great Canary Telescope) alone is noteworthy – it boasts the world’s largest mirror, over 10 meters in diameter and with a surface area of over 78 square meters. And that’s just one of the 10 telescopes located here.

Telescope la palma canaries
Famous attractions of La Palma Island; the photo shows several astrophysical laboratories and gamma telescopes.
  • You’ll pass by all these astrophysical laboratories on the way to Roque de los Muchachos. There’s no other road. You’ll see them about 3-4 km before the final destination.
  • You can visit only the Gran Telescopio Canarias (the others are closed to tourists): 28.75613636809489, -17.891681780823802. Advance booking is required for the tour. It’s quite dull, more like a lecture on stars. At the end of the tour, the whole group will be taken to the hall where the world’s largest telescope is located. However, you won’t be allowed to touch anything. Serious scientific work is really conducted here.
  • A good alternative to the Gran Telescopio Canarias tour is the space museum right on the mountain at the Centro de Visitantes del Roque de los Muchachos (the tourist center at the astrophysical laboratories). There are interesting exhibitions about stars and space. Center coordinates: 28.76678712796945, -17.899334307603322
  • Official website of the center. Opening hours are from 10:00 to 17:30. The ticket price is 15 euros per person. There are also nighttime star observation programs available for an additional fee. Booking for nighttime programs is usually a week in advance.
  • The largest resource for volcano tours on La Palma, offering tours even to the Gran Telescopio Canarias and nighttime star observation programs. Check out what they offer, prices, and programs on the GetYourGuide website GYG.

Author’s Rating:

6 out of 10. The museum for 8 euros wasn’t particularly exciting. The Gran Telescopio Canarias tour was frankly dull. And all the telescopes in this valley can easily be seen from the outside on the way to Roque de los Muchachos. Yes, the location itself is interesting, and many of us have never seen such telescopes with views above the clouds. But you’ll see them without leaving your car. If Roque de los Muchachos doesn’t interest you, then there’s not much point in going just to see the telescopes; they’re a bonus to the highest peak on the island.

Maroparque – Zoo

A very small but neat and interesting zoo. Children will definitely enjoy it, and tickets are four times cheaper than at Loro Parque in Tenerife, but everything here is much more modest. There are many parrots, meerkats, reptiles, and aquariums with fish. You can feed many of the animals (food is provided).

Maroparque la palma
Children will certainly enjoy this zoo, adults can probably skip it.

Author’s Rating:

4 out of 10. It will definitely appeal to children up to 8-10 years old. Others will probably find it boring. If you want a truly fantastic zoo experience, then Loro Parque is for you, but that’s on another island. And on La Palma, this zoo is the best option.

Belmaco Archaeological Park

The name speaks for itself. This archaeological park is highly praised by locals and various guidebooks.

About 50 years ago, a settlement of indigenous La Palma residents was found here, who lived here before the arrival of Europeans. Excavations went on for about 30 years, and then an archaeological museum was opened.

The museum is quite small, with few exhibits – clay pots, tools, scenes from the life of local tribes, many photos, and three caves carved into the rock where these people lived.

Archaeological Park la palma
Belmaco Archaeological Park is perhaps the only attraction that left absolutely no impressions. In the photo are the caves where the settlement was found.

Author’s Rating:

3 out of 10. Perhaps only for archaeology enthusiasts and those studying the life of the native Canarians. The enthusiasm of the locals for this place is unclear. Overall, if you’re short on time on the island, you can skip this one.

San Antonio Volcano Crater

A very interesting attraction of La Palma Island. The San Antonio volcano is located at the southernmost point of the island and last erupted in 1971. Today, it’s private property, with a path around the crater and a beautiful viewpoint. The crater is small, about 100 meters in diameter, and you can examine it in detail.

volcanoes la palma
San Antonio Volcano Crater, which erupted 55 years ago, covering the southern slope of the island with lava, right up to the salt works.
  • Parking coordinates: 28.487160219328203, -17.848031586056234. Parking is paid, 3 euros per car. You can park your car before reaching the barrier, without driving 100 meters further, and it will be free.
  • Entrance fee per person: 8 euros, free for children.
  • The route from the parking lot to the crater is very simple, just 300-500 meters one way.
  • Plan a maximum of 1 hour for this attraction. There’s a small exhibition, an earthquake simulator, and several interesting stands.
  • Just 500 meters from this attraction is the Bodegas Carballo winery, where you can stop to buy a bottle of wine 🙂

Author’s Rating:

7 out of 10. Overall, a very interesting attraction of La Palma Island. You can approach the edge of the volcano crater directly. The museum (entrance is included in the ticket price) is also quite informative and interesting. I recommend this location to everyone.

Lighthouse and Saltworks

On the southern tip of La Palma Island, in a very picturesque and beautiful spot, you’ll find two active lighthouses and a saltworks where salt is still extracted from seawater today. There are several conveniently located viewpoints, a restaurant at the saltworks, and a shop where you can buy this salt.

interesting places on la palma
I recommend everyone to stop by here; it’s an incredibly scenic spot, despite the scarcity of greenery.

Author’s Rating:

8 out of 10. A beautiful attraction in a stunning location. Highly recommended for a visit. Excellent viewpoints offer magnificent views of the salt works and the ocean. You’ll witness salt extraction in the 21st century.

Mirador el Time

An observation deck with a restaurant. You can have a snack, coffee, or sangria right on the terrace overlooking the entire valley. The view from the platform is excellent.

best viewpoints la palma
View from the El Time viewpoint.

Author’s Rating:

7 out of 10. It all depends on the weather and how long you’ve been in the Canaries. The Canary Islands are all about viewpoints; there are many on every island. At some point, they start to feel repetitive. If this is one of your first viewpoints in the islands, you’ll be delighted. If it’s your 101st, then yes, it’s beautiful, and let’s move on. With each successive viewpoint, you enjoy them less and less 🙂

Los Tilos Waterfall

A recreational area in the mountain gorge of La Palma Island. Los Tilos is primarily known for its waterfall. But there are also several beautiful hiking trails in the lush green mountain gorges here. The route includes several tunnels. It’s a very popular spot for active tourists.

waterfall la palma
It’s very difficult to photograph the waterfall as it’s located in a narrow gorge, but the hiking trail looks like this, with a passage ahead, and in some places, the trail is no wider than a meter.
  • Parking coordinates: 28.790151540991797, -17.80196801959426
  • The trail is open 24/7 and is free to access.
  • Attention! In December 2023, due to landslides, the entire trail was closed. There’s a barrier about 4 km before reaching Los Tilos; you can’t even approach it on foot. As of the March 2025, the trail and waterfall are still closed, and when they will reopen is uncertain. But if Los Tilos is open during your visit, please let us know in the comments.
  • Official website with up to date information.
  • Plan to spend: if you just want to see the waterfall, then 30 minutes; it’s close to the start of the trail. If you want to walk along the scenic route, then 2-3 hours.

Author’s Rating:

8 out of 10. Yes, it’s a beautiful and tall waterfall for La Palma, but without overwhelming enthusiasm, especially if you’ve seen waterfalls in Southeast Asia or Latin America. The hiking trail is very picturesque, passing through narrow gorges among the rocks. I recommend this place to every active tourist.

By now, you’ve probably realized that the attractions of La Palma Island are for active tourists with a car. Without a car, you won’t see half of the locations on the “what to see on La Palma Island” list. A useful article about renting a car specifically on La Palma: roads, parking, local driving style, prices, where to rent, what to pay attention to – you can read all about it through the link.

In conclusion: I hope you’ve made your list and already chosen which attractions of La Palma Island you want to see, and this article has helped you. La Palma is one of the greenest islands in the archipelago. You should come here not only for beach relaxation: you’ll find starry skies, roads above the clouds, plenty of hiking in the national park, and, of course, local wine.

Useful links to help you plan your dream trip to Canary Islands:

  • Car Rental: LocalRent or DiscoverCars – the most popular car rental platforms.

  • Accommodation:
    • Trip.com – the largest accommodation booking platform.

    • or TripAdvisor – to compare prices among other platforms and choose the best one.

  • Budget-friendly vacation packages to Spain and Canary Islands: CheapOair.

  • Tours and activities: GetYourGuide or Viator – hundreds of offers, whales and dolphins, entrance tickets with discounts.

  • eSIM and internet: Airalo.

  • Flights: WayAway compares prices among dozens of companies.

  • Travel Insurance: EKTA.