The Island of La Palma
At the northwest of the Canaries archipelago, a few hundred miles from the coast of north-west Africa, lies the island of La Palma, also known as La Isla Bonita, because of its extraordinary natural beauty.
La Palma is one of the smaller of the Canary islands, with a surface area of 706 square kilometres and a population of only 80,000. It is unusual in that it rises exceptionally steeply from the ocean, the entire central mountain range exceeding 2000 m in altitude. The highest point on the island is the Roque de los Muchachos (2426m), the location of the astronomical observatory.
Weather
La Palma enjoys a sunny climate with year-round moderate temperatures. Average sea-level temperatures in Santa Cruz vary from 22º C in August to 15º C in January. There is a substantial seasonal variation in rainfall, with almost no rain from June to August, and a peak in November.
Temperatures drop substantially with altitude; average temperatures at the observatory (El Roque de los Muchachos) vary from 18º C in summer to 3º C in winter.
Transport
- Bus: There is a half-hourly bus service all day Santa Cruz-Los Cancajos-Airport and back. Link to the BUS Schedule information.
- Car hire: If you wish to hire a car, at a very good rate, we recommend you to use the services of CICAR (info@cicar.com / http://www.cicar.com). You may find the CICAR desk at the airport hall. The rate is 30 Euros/day, full insurance included.
- Taxi: Taxi fares are around 7 Euros from/to Santa Cruz or the airport.
Restaurants
