Spanish speaking places can be confusing geographically in that there are many different places with the same names. There’s Las Palmas, and then there’s La Palma. There’s Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and then there’s Santa Cruz de la Palma. Just to be clear, the latter is the capital city of the island of La Palma. The old town area is quaint and beautiful with it’s brightly painted houses and contrasting shutters, streets paved with black volcanic stone, palm trees and plants hanging down from balconies. The city has a long black sand beach right nearby as well.
ARRIVE
The best way to get around the islands is by rental car. Canary Island Rentals (CICAR) are great. As far as parking goes in the city, it remains a mystery to me. There’s a big Mc Donald’s by the ferry port with lots of parking but it’s usually jam packed. There’s a little patch of land just nearby there that people seem to park in without getting into trouble (use at your own risk).
EAT
There are plenty of lovely restaurants to choose from, many with sunny outdoor seating. Most places will serve traditional food options. There are also a good few ice cream shops to try out. If you’d like to organise a picnic lunch, stop at the city’s mercado.
SLEEP
If you’re travelling to the city for a day trip, you can probably stay anywhere on the island as it only takes about 40 minutes to travel from west to east.
SEE
Here are a few landmarks to check out:
- La Palma Maritime Museum
- Castillo de la Virgen
- Calle O’Daly
- Balcones de la avenida Maritima
- Castillo de Santa Catalina
