Bus stops

A few years back, when we had family staying with us, a certain member of said family (mention no names) was rather taken with the bus stops on La Palma.  And ever since I have been receiving emails from said family member asking when on earth they can become a subject for a blog post. Patience is eventually rewarded - just like waiting for buses - and so, eventually, some three years later, here it is!
The area of Garafia, where our holiday accommodation is located, and Barlovento is lucky enough to have some lovely bus stops, generally painted in pastel colours and with the logo of the area.

However, all around the island they are of a similar building design, being of a solid construction with three walls, a built-in bench, a lovely layered wooden ceiling and a tile roof.  In fact, a miniature house!
Puntagorda though, in the north west of La Palma, I have to admit easily takes the prize for the best decorated bus stops with the most amazing interior murals.

They are of local scenes such as a market stall packed with fresh fruit and vegetables, ladies preparing the almonds or the church, complete with little balcony.  

Have a look for yourself - and I think you too will wonder why it has taken so long to dedicate a blog post to the bus stops of La Palma.

Oh and by the way, you will find that buses on la Palma generally run on time so better make sure you arrive early enough to enjoy being at the bus stop.

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

The micro

One of the things that I love most about Los Machines in Franceses is the width of the street because it is definitely of the single track variety.  If you time it right, you will spot the bus squeezing through.  The locals don't call it the 'bus' though, nor the 'guagua' but the 'micro.'  Of course, it was all built long before cars - and heaven forbid, buses - were even considered as a mode of transport in the north.  If a couple of fully-laden donkeys could pass each other, then there was enough room.

But the bus service here is surprisingly good with a two-hourly service throughout the day beginning at 6 am and finishing at 8.30 pm (weekdays).  This is vastly improved from the previous service of only three buses a day.   Nowadays, we use the bus service quite frequently to either take us to a start point for a walk or to take us back to the car or home.  

And whilst there are bus stops across the north, the micro will happily stop for you anywhere providing that you are standing in a place safe for it to stop and that he sees you.  Make sure you raise your hand and, if in doubt, jump up and down too!

A happy house

This is a historic moment - the first time the casita has had windows in the downstairs level.
For some months if not years now, we have been considering how to achieve this fete without spoiling what is a very old, traditional and treasured Canarian house. In the age that it was built, no country house had windows downstairs. This was because the downstairs with its soil floor was used as a store for potatoes, beans and so on or as a workshop. As it happens, the downstairs of la casita was a carpenter's workshop.
Of course the store did not need or indeed want light and, so we are told, much the same went for the workshop - when there wasn't enough light, they stopped work.
Most old houses were however built on one level and you will see many of these dotted about the countryside in Garafia. Some have the flat French type roof tiles
while others, like the Casita, have the much older, round Arabic type. Before then, the roofs were of naked wood and before that .... caves.
It is not so common to see old, two-storied houses such as la Casita. As you may know, or realise, the downstairs level of la casita is built into the land. That means that essentially a 'hole' or flat area had to be dug initially before they could even begin to build the house. That fact amazes me. The work involved - and all by hand - was immense.
This type of house is called 'casa de arrimo' or 'leaning house' because it leans into the land. I like to think of it not so much as leaning but rather 'resting.'
So how could we bring in natural light without spoiling the look of the outside of the house? We noticed that other houses that have had glass put in the door retrospectively have done it by attaching glass to the outside of the door, and having wood at the back for shutters. This is fine, except the wood is backed by glass and the window doesn't open - we were looking for a different method.
Our resident genius (David) came up with an alternative solution which you might be able to follow from the photo. The top panel of wood was taken out and replaced by a window. The original panel was sat into a new frame attached to the door and this can slide up and down according to wether you want light in or not. Clever, huh? and the window opens too.
What a happy little house we have.