La Isla Bonita

Home to incredible landscapes, imposing volcanoes, dense forests, unique beaches, and star scattered skies, the island of La Palma is rightfully named ‘La Isla Bonita’ (the Pretty Island)

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La Palma has many popular beaches, offering all kinds of leisure and entertainment services. It also has plenty of almost deserted beaches where you can enjoy wonderful solitude and tranquillity. While La Palma isn’t primarily a sun and sand resort, it has several outstanding beaches, with pristine sand and crystal-clear waters, along with untouched scenery and imposing cliffs. There are some beaches which you have practically to yourself and in which the word «crowded» is totally unknown. This is one of the main characteristics of La Palma’s beaches: there’s no need to get up early to get a place or to stake the umbrella. Beaches worth spending a day on are: Puerto de Naos y Charco Verde, in Los Llanos de Aridane; Los Guirres, o the one near the harbour, in Tazacorte; la Zamora or Echentive, in Fuencaliente; Los Cancajos, in Breña Baja, Bajamar in Breña Alta; and that of Santa Cruz de La Palma and Nogales, in Puntallana. Worth of a mention are the seawater natural swimming pools La Fajana (Barlovento) and Charco Azul (San Andrés y Sauces).

Desserts, liqueurs, fruits, nuts, meats and fish are part of the extensive list of local products that define the gastronomy of La Palma, where simple and traditional foods coexist with a more elaborate and avant-garde cuisine

A place that knows how to preserve its traditions, making this island an incredible, authentic place. Learning about the architectural, cultural and historical heritage of the island is an enriching experience that should not be missed. This is La Isla Bonita, the Beautiful Island.

The extraordinary natural beauties of La Palma make it an island full of surprises. The scenery is one of its chief natural resources, and demonstrates the island’s environmental health. The astonishing landscapes and indigenous flora and fauna species inspire visitors to explore every corner of this spectacular island. And its well cared for environment makes a perfect backdrop to enjoy outdoor activities, in contact with nature. It’s not for nothing that its beauty and its natural heritage are iconic and its greatest attraction.

 
Right in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean … lies La Palma, a World Biosphere Reserve, Starlight Reserve and with a Marine Reserve. It covers a surface area of 706 square kilometers and offers plenty of leisure activities. Hiking, mountain bike, diving, paragliding, boat trips and much more … On this island, everything is possible. By sea, by air, by land … an adventure in every corner. This is the ideal environment for an adrenaline rush and your holiday here is the perfect time to get back in touch with nature and have fun.

La Palma possesses certain unique environmental features which have won it the distinction of being named a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. More than one third of its surface area is protected land, the highlight of which is the Caldera de Taburiente National Park. Its landscape is the result of a dramatic formation process that took millions of years, and houses a multitude of microclimates and surprisingly contrasting vegetation.

At its highest point, over 2400m above sea level, the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory rises above the “sea of clouds” where the atmosphere is clear and stable thanks to the Atlantic Ocean. Consequently, this is considered one of the best places on earth to observe the sky.

In order to avoid excessive light pollution, the island has been protected by law, becoming the first Starlight Reserve in the world, and in 2012 being designated a Starlight Tourist Destination. La Palma is an unrivalled location for stargazing and for learning about the scientific, cultural, natural and landscape related values of the stars.

On 20 April 2007, La Palma hosted the signing of the Declaration in Defence of the Night Sky and the Right to Starlight (La Palma Starlight Declaration) An unpolluted night sky that allows the enjoyment and contemplation of the firmament should be considered an inalienable right equivalent to all other socio-cultural and environmental rights …»

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