About La Palma
La Palma, the fifth largest of the Canary Islands, is located northwest in the Atlantic Ocean, some 200 km west of the Moroccan coast. The island is approximately 30 km across at its widest point and less than 50 km long.
The island carries its own charm and character and being largely unspoilt and undeveloped, it offers a more natural, peaceful and relaxed environment than some of the other well-known Canary Islands. If you've been to Madeira, you may find some areas similar and the upper volcanic regions compare to Mount Teide in Tenerife.
 The island is known as “Isla Bonita” (pretty island), or “Isla Verde” (green island) and you'll find plenty of unusual plants (view gallery) growing largely in a random and wild manner. The North of the island is more lush compared to the South and vegetation is more established.
The 728 square kilometres that make up La Palma are home to some 80,000 inhabitants and many are employed in the subsidised banana growing trade or more increasingly, the tourism industry. Banana plantations are prevalent on the island, particularly in the coastal regions and you'll see bananas growing pretty much wherever you go.
 La Palma itself is very steep for its land mass, with many areas growing steeply upwards from coastal regions to volcanic tips. This terrain forms the backdrop for interesting walks, paragliding and in some areas cycling but since many of the roads are steep, winding and narrow, they are not ideally suited to roadside walking or cycling and care should be taken.
La Palma is known for its volcanoes which vary tremendously in their time of formation. In the centre lies Caldera de Taburiente, the largest known crater and one of the best possible walks on the island.
Apart from relaxing, the island offers many activities such as walking, cycling, paragliding, diving, potholing, caving, horse riding and fishing. For keen walkers and hikers, there is a network of some 1080 kilometres of way-marked paths all of which provide varied and often stunning scenery along the way.
 La Palma buildings are generally one or two storeys high and beautiful balconies, old churches, charming villages and old style towns can be found across the island and are worth a visit either by excursion or bus.
The three main tourist areas of the island are Los Cancajos on the east coast, and Puerto Naos and Tazacorte on the west coast.
La Palma is a traditional island to relax and explore. If you're looking for a wild party atmosphere, English fish and chips and crowded sports bars, this is not the place for you!
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or comments on La Palma or our website in general. We hope our site provides a comprehensive source of information but if you feel we have missed anything or our information is incorrect, please let us know.
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