The history of Santa Cruz de La Palma begins at the end of the XV century, when Alonso Fernández de Lugo conquered the island and brought it under the Crown of Castile. From this time, the city began to take on a particular economic strength.

Its importance in the trade routes to Europe and especially to America was so great that in 1558 the first Court of the Indies was installed in its port. The city had become a flourishing point for export which attracted many merchants and bankers. All of this, together with the intense naval activity of its shipyards, made Santa Cruz de La Palma the third maritime port in the Spanish Empire after Seville and Amberes.

The City

This splendid past has left in the historic quarter of Santa Cruz de La Palma a valuable legacy of palaces, colonial buildings and houses showing typical elements of traditional Canary architecture, such as the wooden balconies.

The Plaza de España houses some of the most important buildings on the island. Here you will find the Town Hall, built in the XVI century during the reign of Phillip II. The façade of the Town Hall is presided over by a relief image of the monarch and by the shield of the Austrian dynasty. Inside, there are excellent displays of the coffered ceilings typical of the island and some fresco paintings.

Another striking example of classic architecture is the Casa de Salazar, built during the first half of the XVII century. The building, which has recently been restored, is currently used to house various cultural events.

Around the city centre there are also exceptional religious buildings. On one side of the Plaza de España is the Church of El Salvador, construction on which began at the start of the XVI century. On the outside, its Renaissance style portico stands out as well as its attached tower built from blocks of volcanic stone. The building is divided into three naves covered with coffered ceilings in the Mudejar style. The outstanding fixture is the reredos of the main chapel, which is a Neoclassic painting of the Transfiguration by the Sevillian painter Antonio María Esquivel (XIX c).

The Church of Santo Domingo, built in the XVI century, belongs to the former convent of San Miguel de las Victorias. This place of worship, which was built on top of the former San Miguel Hermitage, has a Latin cross plan and Mudejar roofs. Its interior houses a rich collection of Flemish canvases, among which stands out the “Last Supper”, by A. Francken ( XVI-XVII c.).

Flemish images are also present in the Church of la Encarnación. Here you can see The Annunciation (XVI c.), a series of sculptures from Flanders made from polychrome wood.

It is worth visiting the Church of San Francisco, declared Historic-Artistic Heritage. The building is in the Renaissance style and it used to belong to the Royal Convent of the Immaculate Conception, which is currently the Island Museum. Some architectural elements inside it attract the attention of visitors, such as the coffered ceiling in the form of a dome which can be found in the chapel of the Señor de la Piedra fría. Among its artistic wealth, worthy of mention is the Flemish series of sculptures of Saint Anne, the Virgin and Child (XVI c.), or el Señor de la Caída, an eighteenth century Sevilian carving.

The Sanctuary of the Virgen de las Nieves, situated in the upper part of the city, is one of the most popular in the capital, since it houses the image of the patron saint of the island (XIV c.). Inside you can see the high altar, a work from the XVII c. made of silver, as well as several Flemish carvings, reredos and paintings.

Culture, gastronomy, and the outskirts

In Santa Cruz de La Palma you can discover the most representative dishes of the island`s gastronomy. The best options range from wrinkled potatoes with sauce (small potatoes boiled in their jackets and served with typical sauces), a Canary stew or a bienmesabe for dessert (a sweet made with egg yolks, ground almonds, sugar, etc.), all washed down with Designation of Origin wine from La Palma.

Both in the city and in the rest of the island there is a good choice of hotels. Near the capital, and on the shores of the Atlantic, is the Parador de La Palma, a new building built in the typical Canary style.

The inhabitants of La Palma, like the rest of the Canary Islanders, are pleasant people, as their culture demonstrates. The Descent of the Virgen de las Nieves takes place every five years and one of its main attractions lies in the famous Dance of the Dwarves.

There are various place of interest to visit on the island, such as Los Llanos, the second most important city on the island; El Paso, well known for its hand produced silk and cigars; Mazo, where you can visit the preHispanic cave of Belmaco, and Fuencaliente, a wine producing area.

La Palma is an authentic natural paradise which offers numerous oppportunities for practising hiking. A national park and two natural parks reflect the high ecological value of the island.

The Caldera de Taburiente National Park covers an extensive territory in the centre of the island in which a spectacular crater with a diameter of eight kilometres and mountains of over two thousand metres high can be seen. From the miradors or by walking along the numerous paths in the crater you can discover this unique volcanic landscape, covered with exuberant vegetation with numerous local species. In El Paso and Roque de los Muchachos there are visitor centres, which offer all kinds of information on the routes through the park, as well as showing the park and the island through exhibitions and audiovisual displays. There are information points at the main access roads to this area. Visitors who wish to stay in the park overnight have a campsite available (Los Llanos-Los Brecitos track) and a Campsite-Nature Study Area for organised groups.

The Parque Natural de Las Nieves is proud to house one of the largest concentrations of laurisilva in the Canary Islands (a group of local plant species which disappeared from Europe during the Tertiary Era). Meanwhile, in the southern area of the park there are mainly pine trees and various protected plant species. A curious note lies in the fact that within its boundaries is Los Tiles, which has been declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

In the south of La Palma is the Cumbre Vieja Natural Park, with a landscape which reveals the volcanic nature of the whole island. Within the park are abundant examples of Canary pine and laurisilva woodland.

Stänga

The history of Santa Cruz de La Palma begins at the end of the XV century, when Alonso Fernández de Lugo conquered the island and brought it under the Crown of Castile. From this time, the city began to take on a particular economic strength.

Its importance in the trade routes to Europe and especially to America was so great that in 1558 the first Court of the Indies was installed in its port. The city had become a flourishing point for export which attracted many merchants and bankers. All of this, together with the intense naval activity of its shipyards, made Santa Cruz de La Palma the third maritime port in the Spanish Empire after Seville and Amberes.

The City

This splendid past has left in the historic quarter of Santa Cruz de La Palma a valuable legacy of palaces, colonial buildings and houses showing typical elements of traditional Canary architecture, such as the wooden balconies.

The Plaza de España houses some of the most important buildings on the island. Here you will find the Town Hall, built in the XVI century during the reign of Phillip II. The façade of the Town Hall is presided over by a relief image of the monarch and by the shield of the Austrian dynasty. Inside, there are excellent displays of the coffered ceilings typical of the island and some fresco paintings.

Another striking example of classic architecture is the Casa de Salazar, built during the first half of the XVII century. The building, which has recently been restored, is currently used to house various cultural events.

Around the city centre there are also exceptional religious buildings. On one side of the Plaza de España is the Church of El Salvador, construction on which began at the start of the XVI century. On the outside, its Renaissance style portico stands out as well as its attached tower built from blocks of volcanic stone. The building is divided into three naves covered with coffered ceilings in the Mudejar style. The outstanding fixture is the reredos of the main chapel, which is a Neoclassic painting of the Transfiguration by the Sevillian painter Antonio María Esquivel (XIX c).

The Church of Santo Domingo, built in the XVI century, belongs to the former convent of San Miguel de las Victorias. This place of worship, which was built on top of the former San Miguel Hermitage, has a Latin cross plan and Mudejar roofs. Its interior houses a rich collection of Flemish canvases, among which stands out the “Last Supper”, by A. Francken ( XVI-XVII c.).

Flemish images are also present in the Church of la Encarnación. Here you can see The Annunciation (XVI c.), a series of sculptures from Flanders made from polychrome wood.

It is worth visiting the Church of San Francisco, declared Historic-Artistic Heritage. The building is in the Renaissance style and it used to belong to the Royal Convent of the Immaculate Conception, which is currently the Island Museum. Some architectural elements inside it attract the attention of visitors, such as the coffered ceiling in the form of a dome which can be found in the chapel of the Señor de la Piedra fría. Among its artistic wealth, worthy of mention is the Flemish series of sculptures of Saint Anne, the Virgin and Child (XVI c.), or el Señor de la Caída, an eighteenth century Sevilian carving.

The Sanctuary of the Virgen de las Nieves, situated in the upper part of the city, is one of the most popular in the capital, since it houses the image of the patron saint of the island (XIV c.). Inside you can see the high altar, a work from the XVII c. made of silver, as well as several Flemish carvings, reredos and paintings.

Culture, gastronomy, and the outskirts

In Santa Cruz de La Palma you can discover the most representative dishes of the island`s gastronomy. The best options range from wrinkled potatoes with sauce (small potatoes boiled in their jackets and served with typical sauces), a Canary stew or a bienmesabe for dessert (a sweet made with egg yolks, ground almonds, sugar, etc.), all washed down with Designation of Origin wine from La Palma.

Both in the city and in the rest of the island there is a good choice of hotels. Near the capital, and on the shores of the Atlantic, is the Parador de La Palma, a new building built in the typical Canary style.

The inhabitants of La Palma, like the rest of the Canary Islanders, are pleasant people, as their culture demonstrates. The Descent of the Virgen de las Nieves takes place every five years and one of its main attractions lies in the famous Dance of the Dwarves.

There are various place of interest to visit on the island, such as Los Llanos, the second most important city on the island; El Paso, well known for its hand produced silk and cigars; Mazo, where you can visit the preHispanic cave of Belmaco, and Fuencaliente, a wine producing area.

La Palma is an authentic natural paradise which offers numerous oppportunities for practising hiking. A national park and two natural parks reflect the high ecological value of the island.

The Caldera de Taburiente National Park covers an extensive territory in the centre of the island in which a spectacular crater with a diameter of eight kilometres and mountains of over two thousand metres high can be seen. From the miradors or by walking along the numerous paths in the crater you can discover this unique volcanic landscape, covered with exuberant vegetation with numerous local species. In El Paso and Roque de los Muchachos there are visitor centres, which offer all kinds of information on the routes through the park, as well as showing the park and the island through exhibitions and audiovisual displays. There are information points at the main access roads to this area. Visitors who wish to stay in the park overnight have a campsite available (Los Llanos-Los Brecitos track) and a Campsite-Nature Study Area for organised groups.

The Parque Natural de Las Nieves is proud to house one of the largest concentrations of laurisilva in the Canary Islands (a group of local plant species which disappeared from Europe during the Tertiary Era). Meanwhile, in the southern area of the park there are mainly pine trees and various protected plant species. A curious note lies in the fact that within its boundaries is Los Tiles, which has been declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

In the south of La Palma is the Cumbre Vieja Natural Park, with a landscape which reveals the volcanic nature of the whole island. Within the park are abundant examples of Canary pine and laurisilva woodland.

Stänga