La Palma unspoilt Spain

La Palma is a Spanish island which makes up part of the Canary Islands, the island is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of mainland Spain, just over 120miles from Africa. La Palma covers 440square miles and is home to 85,000 residents. This island was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption and has peaks reaching 2400meters above sea level with the foundation lying 3000meters below sea level. From above the island looks stunning with the Caldera de Taburiente dominating the northern area. The Caldera de Taburiente is the world’s largest crater with a width of 9km and a depth of 1500meters.

La Palma lies within both the cool north-easterly Canary current and the northern trade wind, these combine to give the island a sunny climate with moderate temperatures, cooler than would be expected given its latitude. Despite the relatively small size of the island the rainfall varies across La Palma with most falling in the north east of the island. Between June and August rain is extremely rare whilst November sees the most rainfall with an annual average of 140mm.

The southern part of the island is dominated by the Cumbre Vieja a ridge formed by numerous volcanic eruptions some of the volcanoes are still active. The island has several beaches made up of black sand a unique feature that can only be found on a selection of volcanic islands.

The island has a road network of 1,200kms most of which is in good condition but some roads contain sharp and narrow bends, so hiring a car is a sensible option for travelling around the island.

The island offers tourists an unspoilt environment with a quiet atmosphere. The small pines that cover the mountains offer fantastic scenery. As well as the black sand beaches La Palma also has some great golden beaches that make the island a popular destination for tourists looking for sandy beaches and hot weather without the hassle of a busy, overcrowded resort.

Flights to La Palma can be booked from almost all UK bases airports, but booking early is recommended to take advantage of lower prices. Accommodation is widely available either in a rented holiday home or a small hotel, unlike many Spanish holiday resorts La Palma has not seen the same level of development and consequently does not have many large hotels.

So if you are looking for a break for your busy working life without the chaos of a stereotypical Spanish holiday resort La Palma could be the place for you.