A Holiday in Puerto Naos, La Palma

Our last post was all about moving abroad, finding a house and then some of the work that is involved in restoring it. However this post is pretty much the opposite - having a bit of a holiday while still on La Palma.
OK, so the holiday was only one night admittedly but spending even a short amount of time on a different part of the island really does add a different dimension to it all. But then again, I suppose that's why we offer a two-centre holiday on La Palma as an option!
Just for a complete change, from all the places we could have chosen to stay, we chose Puerto de Naos in the west. This was perhaps a strange choice for us because it is a place that we don't frequent very often although we do go from time to time, either for a spot of snorkeling or to try a restaurant that somebody has recommended.  But overall, really we are much more familiar with Tazacorte as a beach resort. And that of course is exactly why it was a good idea to go to Puerto Naos.
Just to carry the theme a little further, it followed then that we should stay in the Hotel Sol at Puerto Naos. It is quite a few years since we last went to the hotel, not that we stayed for the week or even night but rather walked from the car park to the foyer and back again!  Hardly enough to get a fair impression! So definitely a chance to try it out for real.

The drive to Puerto Naos is a far cry from the sweeping green-clad barrancos of the north. There are however pine trees higher up on the western flank of the Cumbre plus of course bananas in their thousands so there is still a good deal of greenery but this is also volcano country. Ropey lava, pillow lava and just plain old lumps of lava in it's solidified state. It's all there if you wish to get out of your car and have an inspection. 
Once you turn off the main road and start heading down towards Puerto Naos and the sea, then you will also have the tantalizing view of the bay below.

Puerto Naos is in fact one of just three seaside resorts on La Palma along with Los Cancajos and Puerto de Tazacorte. That makes it sound all rather bucket-and-spadey, not that there is anything wrong with that, but it certainly isn't a case of mass tourism. It's what I call 'Tranquil Tourism.' For whilst there are quite a few self-catering apartments to rent in Puerto Naos, along with the Hotel Sol, it is still relatively quiet.
Apart, unfortunately, from the fact there they are 're-designing' the promenade at the moment which does involve removing certain sections of it and replacing it with who knows what. I sincerely hope that in the next two months with the lead up to Christmas and New Year that it will all be completed.
But it should be said that if you can manage to ignore that small fact, and let's face it these things have to be done sometime, then it is still mainly possible to walk along the front and not all of it is effected anyway.

As it happened, by the time we arrived at Puerto Naos, it was already almost 6pm so, after checking into the hotel, we didn't waste too much time before springing back out again for a stroll along the front. From the hotel, it really is just two minutes to the beach and then a few more minutes to where the restaurants and bars line the promenade.

At the far end of the bay is where many of the apartments are located and of course we wanted to check these out too!  It was also a good chance to look at a few menus and see where we might like to eat later in the evening.

Right at the end of the bay, there is another very small bay. This is often where you see the SCUBA divers entering the water. We haven't dived here yet but we have snorkeled on several occasions and were surprised at how good it was. But this is probably where you will find the most character in Puerto Naos with a few small fishing boats by the bay and single apartments hanging over the sea.

From here, a long flight of steps take you up into what you might call apartment land. But even so, it is only a matter of a couple of streets and many of them are low level. In fact, there is one very attractive group of apartments that caught my eye, just two-stories high and all the apartments painted in pastel colours, clustered around a pool.
They say that time flies, especially when you're enjoying yourself. It was time to wander back to the hotel just in time to catch the sunset.

Home is Where the Hat is

While people are enjoying their well-earned holidays by the beach in Tazacorte or at the various rural houses around the island, for the most part things tend to keep us pretty busy at home on the finca (small-holding) here in Franceses. Not only is it home to us but also the location of the casa rural La Casita and the bed and breakfast accommodation. One of things we are less busy doing these days however is restoration works.
But of course it wasn't always like this and I remember when we first came to look at the house 'as if it were yesterday.' What would we find we wondered as we drove to the very north of the island, far from the capital of Santa Cruz. One thing we had been assured of was that we would be the only English speakers there in the sleepy hamlet of Las Tierras which sits at the edge of an only marginally less sleepy Franceses in Garafia (the second largest municipality with less inhabitants than even the smallest municipality).
Our recently acquired and still shaky grasp of Spanish was certainly going to be tested to the full. I could only hope that what we had learned from our scarily slim paperback, 'Learn Spanish in 6 Weeks,' with its worn pages and peeling spine from having been read and re-read at every available moment was going to be get us through.
And then of course, there was the little matter of location to consider.
We had always felt that the north was the most beautiful part of the island with its dramatic scenery of swooping green-clad ravines and mountain ridges, seemingly only held in place by the mighty Atlantic. But in an area where there are more goats than people, it was probably safe to assume that a property being sold by Palmeran farmers might be a bit of a project. Whether this was one step too far was another question.
The property, we were told, was down a track that only a 4 x 4 could negotiate and so we would have to walk down the adjacent donkey path to it. This was probably not a good start. However, we had already spent 5 whole months in the Canaries searching for the right place to live. La Palma had stolen our hearts above all the islands (hands down actually) and we had rented an apartment in Tazacorte for two of those months, but whilst we had really enjoyed staying in a beach-side location, it had always felt more of a holiday than a home. Being country lovers and having been brought up on a farm in Yorkshire myself, the call of the wild was, well, calling.
As it transpired the owners of the property had already started the restoration with the intention that they would live in it happily ever after. I have to confess it was probably a good thing that we didn't see it in its original dilapidated condition as the photo below was taken only after some considerable works.
The oldest part, the Casita, had already been part-restored and was exactly the sort of house we love - old and with many original features such as wooden floors, ceilings and window seats. And two foot thick walls of course. However, the other house had been left empty and untouched for years. Broken and missing glass in the windows allowed the elements to drift in at will and the whole house was wrapped up in a metal tube, these being water pipes that made it look like a present tied with galvanized string. Even though plenty of work had already been done, there was still plenty to be done, that's for sure.
Then there was the land, all 2 acres of it. The weeds were waist height and the suggestion to the owner that we might walk the land to see where the boundaries lie, which were of the 'over there' variety, surprised him to say the least. We could try it he said, with a look of disbelief that we might actually attempt to fight our way through a jungle over unknown and precipitous land. Well, that's foreigners for you, his face said. Apart from flat land at the front and side of the house, a lot of the land was west facing and cascading steeply downwards in a series of fig-tree filled terraces. Clearly, if we were not to slide off down into the ravine ourselves, then we had better confine any exploring until we were wearing a harness and rope. Or until we knew the land.
We were shown the view however. I won't even try to put it into words. Just to say that it takes in the whole of the north coast, the isolated and iconic hamlet of El Tablado to the west (from where you can actually hear a rare vehicle on the move or the tinkling of a goat bell despite it being a two-hour walk away), the other hamlets far, far away and up to the ridge of the mighty Caldera at over 2000m above sea level.
If there had been any doubt before, we knew this was the place for us and two weeks later, we moved in. After all, the old farmstead just required a few tweaks here and there. And it's amazing what a few years of tweaking can do.

Going to Market - Puntagorda Mercadillo

You know how it is when you go back to a place that you haven't visited for ages? It looks so much smaller and less interesting than how you remember it from last time. That's the theory anyway!
But maybe it doesn't quite work like that when you are an adult, well at least that what we found when we re-visited the weekend market at Puntagorda on the west side of La Palma.

It must be a good few years since we went to the market - enticed out of our lair in the north of La Palma by the suggestion of a picnic at nearby El Fayal, one of the several lovely recreation areas on La Palma set in a wooded area.

The picnic was great of course and a good chance to meet up with friends in a beautiful setting. At the moment, because it is so dry in the wooded area, BBQ's are not allowed but that's no excuse not to have a picnic.
The market just across the road looked quite busy with people coming and going - those going were laden with all manner of goodies - and once inside, we were pleasantly surprised at the number of stalls. Clearly in our absence, the market has become much more popular and with many more stalls.

I'm quite into handicrafts at the moment so made a bee-line for hand-made jewellery. If you like leather friendship bracelets, bags, purses and even sandals then you will indeed be spoilt for choice. But my eye was firmly on the bracelets and necklaces made from dragon tree seeds. In fact I recently bought a bracelet made from dragon trees while I was on a quick hop over to Fuerteventura and since we have many dragon trees on the finca which are in flower, it's been my ambition ever since to make one myself. My attempts at drying the seeds weren't at all successful so whilst I didn't buy any bracelets at the market, I was really pleased to see loose seeds on sale. So that's me occupied for the next few evenings!

Also on offer were other handicrafts - La Palma T-shirts, a stand with everything made in felt - hats, bags, baby shoes, waistcoats, all in sunny colours.

Ceramics too, lovely paper craft - bookmarks and pretty little cards - silvercraft and a stand with ornaments made from driftwood. There's a thought for the various bits of driftwood we find at the beach below us!

I was also hoping to buy some nice fresh veg and it's good to know that you can buy fresh produce on a weekend when most of the shops are closed. The fact that it is all grown locally certainly adds to the feel good factor and the choice and quality was excellent. Also rather interestingly, the produce is given to you in a brown paper bag, just like in the old days!

For those that want to get a head start in the vegetable garden, then this is where it all happens with lots of plants on offer - courgettes, lettuces, beans, tomatoes, cauliflower and peppers to name but a few.
Also other plants for the garden and house including aloe vera plants.

Apart from the fruit and veg stalls there are also lots of other edibles - local cheeses either smoked or semi-cured, great big fat cakes just begging to be eaten (quite a queue at that stand I can tell you!), black and green olives sat in half barrels and even meat on sale too. That will be exceptionally useful when BBQ's are allowed at the recreation area again.

Just one last thing to complete the purchases. Made on La Palma from a La Palma produce - wine. Cheers!

Chilling out at La Laguna de Barlovento

La Palma is known amongst those 'in the know' as one of the most mountainous islands in the world for its size. But what even those 'in the know' don't always know is that there are some really interesting flat areas too - and that really is worth knowing!
Yes it's true; there are flat areas on La Palma, not just for walking but also for recreation. And since La Palma takes its recreation very seriously, there are quite a few dotted about the island.
One of the flatest however lies a little way out of the town of Barlovento in the north east of La Palma. Slightly deceptively named 'La Laguna de Barlovento' and easy to spot on the map with what appears to be a large lake, the apparent lake is in fact a water reservoir formed from what was a crater. One of the largest in the Canaries with a capacity of 5.000.000 m³ of water, it is sadly non-operational at the moment due to a ruputure last year of mammoth proportions (in fact, more the size of a large bus than a mammoth).

However, don't despair entirely as there is water at La Laguna de Barlovento in the form of an attractive duck pond. With various breeds of ducks, very often along with their ducklings, there are also geese that wander about the area of the pond and spend what looks like a very happy time in the shady, marshy parts under trees. 

In fact, this large park has many hidden assets and a gentle stroll around will lead you through wooded paths to a few surprises. One of my favourites has got to be the bbq's - individual brick-built affairs complete with bbq, sink, table and benches. Firewood is supplied so best stop off at the Spar supermarket just down the road in Barlovento for a few burgers, buns and firelighters and you're all set. A bbq-roasted courgette topped with goat's cheese and La Palma mojo sauce is a great alternative too, not just for vegetarians :) so don't miss out on this outdoor treat. There is a charge of a few euros for the facility so do call in at the warden's office on the way through to let them know you are there and to pay your dues.
Apart from this being a particularly flat area, it is also quite high and often cool which can be another benefit for those who don't like full on heat. For this reason, it is a popular area at weekends for Palmerans who enjoy the open space and the sometimes cooler weather. The largest bbq buildings do get booked ahead but there are usually plenty of the smaller ones still available.

Another great experience at La Laguna is the camping and this might just be for fun, for those walking the GR130 La Palma Camino Real or for anyone wanting to keep the holiday costs low (or a mixture of all three of those things).  You'll either need to bring your own tent or you can hire one of the cabins. The cost is 4.50€ per week day per tent or 9€ per Saturday and Sundays. Be warned though, the end of July and right through August tend to be rather overtaken by large groups singing Ging, Gang, Gooley Spanish style with various Summer Camps. But other than that, you can enjoy the tranquillity of the area. For those camping, there are also free-to-use solar powered showers - the water is generally hot, hot, hot and great after a day of walking or exploring the area. Also, there is an excellent restaurant on site, Las Goteras which is great for a snack or full meal with meat cooked over a log fire.
Another little known facility of La Laguna is the adventure park. It was closed for a short time for maintenance but has re-opened again under the management of Ekalis, a company run by young Palmerans and is an alterntaive type of recreation for tourists and other visitors alike. It is open every weekend and during the week by appointment. To book, ring 922444517 or email ekalis@ekalis.com

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