Parque Municipal Antonio Gómez Felipe (Centro Botánico) Park, Los Llanos de Aridane

Los Llanos in the west of La Palma is a pretty cool city. For one thing, it happens to be the largest city on our little island and yet it’s not even the capital city or remotely near the airport. For another, it has a really useful dual carriageway that runs in a straight line right through the middle which means that cars can quickly get through the city and there is almost never a build up of traffic. (Plus there is a new bypass anyway). But the most admirable thing about this city is that it manages to not only have a wonderful plaza, the Plaza de España, and large pedestrian zone at its heart but it also has a rather secret park. The Parque Antonio Gomez Felipe or the 'Centro Botanico.'

The park is situated a few minutes walk along the road to Puerto Naos - that's the other side of the dual-carriageway to the Plaza de España, the one with the petrol station on the corner. Even walking, you'll almost pass the park before you realise. But once inside its great wrought-iron gates and down the wide, tiled staircase, you'll wonder where to begin. Maybe to the right to look at the huge, mosaic lizard, or straight ahead to the shady pond or maybe left through the little archways made of volcanic stone.

You see, the park is a complete delight wherever you turn. Actually, there is a plan on display as to how you might best navigate the park so that you take in every little spectacle.  But it's hard not to want to race off and explore it all - except that's impossible because you want to stop and examine everything that lines the path and even the path itself. Endemic plants and adapted endemic plants of La Palma, a fountain, palm trees, a Dragon tree made of mosaic, fanciful ferns and even the public toilets warrant a special trip whether you want to 'go' or not! And after all, you wouldn't want to miss the carefully crafted staircase leading up to a viewing point with its practically pre-historic pillars. Or maybe they are pre-historic ...

Just to continue the fun, the park leads straight onto another park, albeit with a rather different theme. This is where you can wonder along geometrically pleasing paths that line precise quadrants of grass. Young children are now let off the leash and can run along the paths in full sight of parents, perhaps pausing to delight, as did we, at the sight of a mother hen with baby chicks picking at the grass (by the way, when translated into a word, Spanish chickens say 'peep peep' and not 'cheep cheep.') But of course there is also the added attraction of a children's play area.  There is also static exercise equipment for adults too. Or you can of course just sit, have a picnic and enjoy the tranquil surroundings. 

But this is not a new park, no, in fact it goes back to 1958 when it was first inaugurated following the idea to create a space of about 6000 m2 of wooded city park. In 1962 'improvements and additions were made to the park including a space dedicated to wildlife: ducks, monkeys, pigeons, peacocks etc.' (Elapuron)
In more recent times, it was closed to undergo a complete refurbishment (if one can 'refurbish' a park) and re-opened again in 2010. 
Opening hours are 9.00 to 21.00 hours, from Tuesday to Sunday.

Santa Cruz de la Palma Museum - Museo Insular

Tucked away in the corner of a plaza which itself lies tucked away behind the main street of Santa Cruz lies the biggest museum on La Palma. It’s vast, I kid you not. As the discreet banner outside declares, it has ‘paintings, natural sciences and ethnography’ although it doesn’t mention the half of it and  there is no hint as to the scale of it all.

The museum is housed in the old Franciscan 16/17^th century convent which borders the Plaza Santo Domingo. The entrance in the far corner is as discreet as the museum itself. It’s a vast and beautiful building and you’re going to be torn by all the different categories of exhibits.First up is the long hall which is filled with filled animals, by which I mean a taxidermy delight. And whilst I’m not really into looking at stuffed animals I still found it really interesting to see where the land animals and sea creatures had been found – either on La Palma or one of the nearby islands. So it’s a bit of history, geography and biology all rolled into one.




Then there is a room filled with scale models of various sailing vessels associated with the history of La Palma along with marine implements of the time. Open exhibits include hugh scales used for weighing bales.

That leads nicely on to the hand tools used in agriculture. I had no idea there could be so many different types.Then a room filled with huge looms. And talking about moving between rooms, even the open corridors of the open quadrant will stun you – wide wooden floorboards of tea wood harvested from the pine forests of La Palma.

But there are still surprises to go such as the guitar room. Not quite what we were expecting but of course it’s not a room of ordinary guitars – it’s a room of guitars through the ages including a Timple (small 5-string guitar like a Ukulele) made from a cigar box labelled as ‘Santa Cruz cigars.’ Ah, the ever-inventive and resourceful Palmerans.

Opening times:
Monday to Saturday 10.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs.
Sunday 10.00 hrs to 14.00 hrs
July, August, September Monday to Saturday only 10.00 hrs to 19.30 hrs
Fiesta – closed
Last entry is 30 minutes before closure
Price 4€ per person

Embroidery of La Palma

Before I came to live on La Palma, I had no idea that the island was famous for its embroidery. Well OK, I didn't know that La Palma actually existed but that's another story ...

In fact, La Palma has a tradition of many handicrafts including not just embroidery but also silk production (going back to the 16th century), basket making and cigars (which Winston Churchill smoked and highly rated).  And they are all still hand made today. Out of all the crafts though embroidery has always been an important source of income for many families. But it wasn't just an income, it was a way to add the personal touch to traditional dress or tablecloths and even church vestments.

Nowadays, you can find all sorts of embroidered items from bookmarks, to drink mats, mobile phone holders and of course wonderful pieces to hang on the wall.

I am lucky though in that I live next door to a master craftswoman - an instructor of embroidery. Every time I pop in to see Carmen I can almost guarantee she'll be sat working away at her embroidery. From small items to a huge tablecloth, she never tires of it. 'I just love it!' she tells me.

So how much does it cost?
The embroidered roses above will cost around 30€ to 50€ - the frames are extra and normally you would go to a framing specialist who will stretch the cloth so there are no unsightly creases. But for a small item, you can buy nice pieces for just a few Euros.
The great thing is that they make an ideal present to take home from your holiday as they won't break, they don't take up any room and they are actually from La Palma. Beware of buying machine-made imitations though. Of course they are cheaper but they certainly aren't anything to do with the tradition of La Palma and it really is worth going for the real deal.

Also, they are machine washable. Just remember to iron on the reverse.
Carmen's embroidery shop isn't open any more as she's retired although she does make special pieces to order. But if you are in the area of Mazo, do pop in to the Casa Roja (Red House) museum and have a look at their intricate embroideries. It's right in the village centre and the opening hours are Mon-Fri 10:00-14:00/15:00-18:00 and Sat 11:00-18:00 and Sun 10:00-14:00.
You will also find embroidery to buy in some of the 'Artesenia' (Handicraft) shops or souvenir shops and when there is a local craft market too.

Fun on the finca

Yes, we've reached that time of year when it's a little quieter on La Palma with regard to tourism.
This often surprises people as they tend to think that the summer is peak season in the Canaries, but no, the busiest period on La Palma is the winter.  The reason is simple - in January, February and March when the rest of Europe can be particularly cold, people head to the Canaries for the winter sun.

January in Tazacorte

So it follows that some businesses can take a short break (or take stock at least!) and a few restaurants close for their annual holiday for a week or two sometime in May, June or July. And we did a little bit the same this year although never actually closing our doors. But it's certainly a good opportunity to take time out and make a visit to the UK (or other Canarian island). This time, our lovely casita guests were kind enough to look after the finca while we went to Fuerteventura. And what do we find ourselves doing - walking of course!

As it happens, in May and June it's also a turn around in nature. It's a time when the spring flowers finish and need trimming or tidying up and also it's all change with the vegetables on the finca. The winter crops have finished and we can harvest the potatoes, cabbage, leeks and onions. Did I mention onions? I think we went a bit overboard on the onions!!

And in their place, the sweetcorn, beans and tomatoes are sown and planted up. With any luck the outside of the house will get painted and the wooden decking and garden furniture will get a spruce up.
Holiday? Who said that!

Finca Franceses

Miradors of La Palma

A mirador is a look-out point, 'mirar' being the Spanish verb for to look. If you come on holiday to La Palma, you'll learn that word pretty quickly are there are plenty of miradors from where you can look at the wonderful scenery.
For example, in the north east of La Palma there is the Mirador La Tosca which has a view right the way across the north coast of La Palma, Franceses is right in the middle!

Mirador La Tosca

Another stunning one is the Mirador El Time which is is located just above Los Llanos where the GR131 trekking route crosses the road. The Restaurant El Time is located there so you can eat and drink with a view or alternatively just park in the nearby car park.

Mirador El Time

The Mirador La Montaña is at La Galga between Puntallana and Los Sauces - it's also great for observing the skies. If astronomy is not your major subject, there's a lot of help in the way of information boards!

Mirador La Montaña at La Galga

A little-known mirador on la Palma (mainly because there is no sign) is one which overlooks La Fajana de Garafia approximately 400 metres below. Stunning!

Mirador Franceses

But there are plenty of other miradors - I wouldn't like to hazard a guess how many there are really! So while you're on holiday on La Palma, keep a look out for the look outs and don't forget your camera.
And I'll probably be adding to this blog post so do pop back from time to time!

What is there to do on La Palma?

I remember one evening twelve years ago when I was at a friends house in Tenerife. I had found myself in conversation with another English lady about the neighbouring island of La Palma and the fact that it is often to referred to as La Isla Bonita. We agreed that it is indeed a beautiful island.

Santa Cruz de La Palma

‘Yes,’ she continued with perhaps more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary, ‘but you can’t live there!’

Most of my answer was apparently drowned out by the rising background noise but anyway, why couldn’t you live there I insisted on knowing.

‘There’s no hospital for a start!’ she replied in a shocked voice, although conceding that an airport was a possibility for the future.

Eventually, I managed to get her to understand that there is indeed a hospital and in fact there is an International airport already in existence and has been for many years. But I had a harder time convincing her that La Palma, yes sleepy La Palma, is my home.

So what else is there to know about La Palma?

How to get there

The first airport on La Palma opened in 1955 and in 1970 it moved to its current location in Mazo, by the east coast. In 2011 a new and larger airport was built and in that year it handled over 1 million passengers. From the UK there are direct flights from both Manchester and Gatwick with Thomsons. The airport code is SPC. There are also direct flights from Germany, Spain and the Netherlands plus inter-islands flights from Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

For ferries, the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma serves Fred Olsen, Acciona Trasmediterranea and Naviera Armas. There is a new marina at Santa Cruz and a second port/marina at Tazacorte in the west of La Palma.

Flight from Tenerife to La Palma

Accommodation

There are many casas rurales (the traditional Canarian cottages) dotted about the landscape which are available for rent along with apartments, hotels, pensions (room only) and even a few bed and breakfasts.

Shops

La Palma has many large supermarkets (Hiper Dino, San Martin, Trebol) and smaller Spar supermarkets all of which are open all day. There is also a covered fruit and vegetable market in both Santa Cruz and Los Llanos and weekend markets in Puntagorda, Mazo, Puntallana and Barlovento.

Puntagorda Market with Artesenia products

Beaches

Whilst La Palma does not have a great abundance of broad swathes of golden sands, it

does however have a good number of black sand beaches, hidden coves and sea water pools.

The main beaches are at the resorts of  Los Cancajos in the east and Puerto Naos and Tazacorte in the west although there are other sandy beaches dotted around the island. There is also a new beach under construction on the waterfront of the capital of Santa Cruz in addition to excellent beach at Bajamar, just off the road out of the capital to the south.

Beach at Tazacorte, La Palma

Transport

Cars can be hired either on-line in advance or whilst on the island at the airport or in the towns.  There is also an excellent bus service (even in the rural north of the island) and no single bus journey costs more than 2€.

Walking routes

La Palma has over 1000km of marked trails through ever-changing and spectacular scenery. The main long distance trails are the GR130 Camino Real (8 days) which goes around the perimeter of the island linking hidden hamlets, gorges, towns and beaches and the GR131 El Bastón (3/4 days) which includes the Volcano Route and the Roque de Muchachos at 2426m. Other walks pass through the Laurisilva forest of Los Tilos, pine forests, lava fields and country meadows.

What is there to do?

The fun on La Palma is generally provided by the beauty and nature of the island as there are no theme parks, bowling alleys, skating rinks or disco-pubs pock-marking the boulevards.  In no particular order, these are some of the great things to do and see:

Roque de Muchachos - the highest point of the island at 2426m

La Caldera - a near complete circular mountain ridge measuring 10km in diameter and 2000m deep

La Cumbrecita - a stunning viewpoint and walk along the ridge of the Caldera

Volcanoes – the last eruption was Teneguia in 1971

Los Tilos – ancient forest of Laurisilva, a species from the age of Dinosaurs

La Zarza forest and archaeological park with pre-Hispanic rock engravings

Salt Pans of Fuencaliente (area of Scientific Interest and whose waters attract migratory birds)

The rural north with its hidden hamlets, caves, fresh water springs and ancient dwellings with wooden roofs

Weekend markets with fresh organic produce and local handicrafts

Historic capital of Santa Cruz with its flower-festooned balconies, cobbled streets and splendid mansions.

Guided tour of the observatory at Roque de Muchachos to see how the stars are observed on La Palma

Various museums including the Naval museum, Silk museum, Banana museum and Archaeological museum

Dolphin and whale watching from the boats out of Tazacorte harbour

SCUBA diving, snorkelling, swimming and sunbathing

Paragliding - La Palma is often cited as the best place in Spain for Paragliding

In short, if you are bored while on holiday in La Palma, you are probably on the wrong Canarian Island!

We hope you enjoy La Palma too!  For any other information, you are welcome to look at our website www.holiday-lapalma.comhttp://www.holiday-lapalma.com/aboutlapalma.html

Día de Los Indianos Fiesta

There are some crazy fiestas on La Palma - for example there's the Death of the Sardine where everyone dresses in black and weeps and wails at the passing of our esteemed friend, the fish. Then there's the fiesta of the dancing dwarves of La Palma, Los Enanos, once very five years (you may never uncover the mystery of this fiesta). And then there is also El Diablo where a 'monster' with fireworks attached to its body chases small children (and adults who can't help but join in). All wholesome fun.
But then there is the Día de Los Indianos which is right up there in the top three of Big Fiestas. This means that reinforcements are brought in, yes flights and ferries from all over the Canary Islands full of Indianos. And what for? This!

It's a joy-some day where everyone dresses in white and throws talcum powder at each other. Honestly - it's fun!! And it's all to do with the history of La Palma when, following mass emigration to Venezuela and Cuba in the 50's and 60's, Palmerans returned to their beloved island having made their 'fortune.'
Enjoy the photos! And if you are in La Palma next year, hopefully you'll be able to time it so you can join in. It's held in February or March every year. This year's was on Monday, 3rd March.
You can see the list of fiestas on La Palma on our website here: http://www.holiday-lapalma.com/listoffiestas.html

Los Llanos de Aridane

Interesting that when people talk about Los Llanos de Aridane but haven't yet been, there are clearly quite a few misconceptions.
'Are there any shoe shops in Los Lllanos de Aridane' is one question I was recently asked. And the answer is 'yes for sure, it's the biggest city on the island and you'll find plenty of shops of almost every kind.'


And then, 'Oh, I don't want to go to Los Llanos, I don't like big cities.'
Well actually although it is a city with a dual carriageway running almost right through its centre, at the heart of it is the wonderful Plaza de España which is surrounded by a pedestrain precinct. So although it's a vibrant city and certainly more commercial than Santa Cruz, it still manges to feel tranquil and more like a village than a city.




The Plaza de España is the place to go and sit and chat, have a glass of wine or coffee and get down to some serious people watching.
When we were there last week, the magnificent Indian laurel trees which populate the Plaza were in the midst of being pruned. The trees were brought from Cuba in the mid nineteenth century and whilst the pruning can seem severe, they've seen it all before. And probably heard it all before too.

And then there's the culture. If you take a wander in the back streets, particularly the ones that rise up from the Plaza de España, you'll discover all the tiny, multi-coloured cottages jammed in along the narrow streets, one after another.

Around the plaza are the grand mansions, some of them housing the municipal offices. And some huge murals too! 

Around most corners there's also a great view of the Caldera which is a good reminder that this is La Palma - La Isla Bonita!

You might also bump into a bar on your travels, often a in restored old house so there's plenty of atmosphere and a warm welcome too. Street cafes abound, mostly in pedestrianised areas. This is a great chance to try out the tapas - the 'little snacks' - or a 3-course meal. 

Certainly worth seeking out is the Archaeological Museum Benahoarita which is full of fascinating treasures. It's currently open from 09.00 to 20.00 hrs, Monday to Saturday. On Sundays until 14.00 hrs, on fiestas, it's closed. They also hold photographic exhibitions so even if you've been once, you might want to drop by for a second visit. It's a great way to discover the history of La Palma.

For anybody who has any doubts, Los Llanos is more than just a tangle of streets - it's got a heart and a soul and that's for tourists and locals alike! 

Springs of Barlovento

As anybody who had ever traveled around Scotland or Ireland will tell you, castles make up a good proportion of the 'things to see.' And I love a good castle as much as the next person!
But what of La Palma? Where are our castles? Surely there must have been battles fought and wars waged? Well there were, such as when the Spanish Conquistadors finally took La Palma in 1493. But do you know, you can't beat a good natter when it comes to getting a problem solved.
What better then than a visit to see the old fuentes (springs) with their adjacent stone washing basins where the women would gather to wash the laundry.
You'll find them all around La Palma - Puntallana has a good example, Santo Domingo has two washing points, one at each end of the village and in the north east at Barlovento, there are a good sprinkling of them.
Just go to the Tourist Office in Barlovento and look out for the wooden pointing finger. Yup, hard to miss!

In less than 3 minutes you will find yourself at the springs.

And then, if you are walking the GR130 Camino Real from Barlovento past La Tosca, you'll see them there too. OK, the water is just a teeny bit green these days!

Perhaps part of the magic and mystery is the fact that these little bits of history don't have jazzy plaques with rhyme and verse telling you about them. After all, the talking has been done and as the saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved.