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.
General information about La Palma
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
The meeting will take place at the Teatro Circo de Marte, located in the center of Santa Cruz de La Palma. Many of the participants will be accommodated in hotels within walking distance. If your are accommodated in Los Cancajos, remember you will be located between La Palma airport and the capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma (the distance from Los Cancajos to either of these two is about 4 km, 5-10 minutes by car). During the meeting there will be a transportation service from Los Cancajos to Santa cruz de la Palma and back, but in case you need it, there is also Bus and taxi transportation.
- Bus: There is a half-hourly bus service all day Santa Cruz-Los Cancajos-Airport and back. Link to the BUS Schedule information.