Website design By BotEap.comThe little-known island of La Palma is described by many as the beautiful island of the Canary Islands (“la isla bonita”).

Website design By BotEap.comIt’s true, the scenery is simply out of this world. It gives you a burst of adrenaline and goosebumps at times, it really is that special. It is the steepest island in the world and the views are probably nothing like what most people have seen before.

Website design By BotEap.comIn my opinion, it is this unevenness of this volcanic island that has saved it from becoming another Tenerife or Mallorca, where what could only be described as mass tourism is present. La Palma simply does not have the long, flat, accessible white-sand beaches that the better-known Canary Islands have and that package tourists want.

Website design By BotEap.comInstead, La Palma has smaller coves and black volcanic sand beaches, often difficult to access and without the usual tourist facilities. For example, one of the most beautiful beaches in the west of the island is “Playa de la Veta”, which involves a twenty minute drive up a steep road, then another twenty minute walk along a path of cliffs and through a tunnel. of cliffs. This is La Palma, natural and virgin. It is one of the best places for hiking.

Website design By BotEap.comLa Palma, of course, has more accessible beaches, such as Tezacorte, Puerto Naos and, of course, the capital Santa Cruz. And it is here that La Palma has its share of neon lights and cheap accommodation packages available, which have so far been limited to these areas. By far the best tourist accommodation is the historic villas. There are plenty available, often in idyllic rural settings with swimming pools.

Website design By BotEap.comPeople have talked about how the island is changing, as is often the case. The government has plans for tourism to put La Palma on the map. Currently, the main problem is that the airport is not big enough to park the planes and, in particular, the runway is not long enough for larger planes to take off. As a result, the airport has been expanded at enormous cost. This new airport is not yet open. Ask the locals and they will tell you: “Small island, big airport!” However, I’m guessing once some airlines increase their flight times and other airlines start arriving, the airport won’t seem as big.

Website design By BotEap.comThe island has also gone the route of golf courses and many will open in the next few years. Much rural land has been set aside for this. To accompany the golf courses, several of the typical grand hotels are being built, each with hundreds of rooms.

Website design By BotEap.comOf course, the locals are skeptical of tourism. Fortunately, I do not think that La Palma will ever become “Playa de las Américas”: the geography of the island of La Palma is not set up that way. I only hope that tourism is handled sympathetically so that the local economy benefits and tourists can appreciate the peace that this island offers, in an otherwise chaotic world.

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