Car Hire La Palma Santa Cruz

The sun and the good weather are part of the identity of the archipelago, its temperature is between 15º C and 26º C throughout the different seasons; that is to say that starting from its climate, any time is ideal to visit the island. But if you coincide with one of its festivals, you will also be able to experience the culture and folklore of the region first hand.

Fuencaliente (Corpus Christi) June:
In Mazo, June 10th is the celebration of the Corpus Christi, one of the most popular traditions of the whole island, which beauty and showiness, has been declared of tourist interest. For the occasion, the streets are covered with flower carpets and wooden arches decorated with material from the island. An art worth knowing.

Fuencaliente ( La Vendimia) August:
On the last Sunday in August, Fuencaliente is the setting for a very special celebration in the land of wine on La Palma, the Fiestas de La Vendimia. 

Santa Cruz de la Palma (La Virgen de las Nieves June-July-August)
Every five years, between the months of June and August, Santa Cruz de la Palma, the island’s capital, holds the traditional descent of the Virgen de las Nieves, which is undoubtedly the biggest festive event on the whole island. One of the characteristic stamps of this celebration is the Dance of the Dwarves. In a two-part event, the dancers and music band become the delight of the public. In the first part, the dancers represent various characters, from priests to astronauts. In the second part, the municipal band intensifies the rhythm of the polka, while the dancers become dwarfs.

Santa Cruz de La Palma, considered a historic-artistic site and a national heritage site, is among the most beautiful cities in the archipelago that still preserve their colonial aspect. 

During your tour, the Malecón is an excellent place to start your visit. When you arrive at the Avenida Marítima, you will find cafes, places of leisure, and the most striking thing, its colourful houses with the typical balconies of La Palma in an unbeatable state of conservation. 

Calle Real is the main shopping street in the city, as it links the port with the northern part of the city as far as Santa Catalina. It is a pleasant area for a walk with cobbled streets and squares with palm trees. In addition to the large houses that represent the aristocracy of La Palma. Among the most striking are the mansions of the Salazar, Arce y Rojas, Pereyra and García Aguiar families. 

The Plaza de España, the real heart of the city and one of the most beautiful places. Built in 1588, the Town Hall, one of the most important monuments of the architecture of the Canary Islands, is located here. Right in front of it is the church of El Salvador, the first parish church erected in the city. 

During your visit, you should not miss the boat-shaped building that houses the Naval Museum, in the Alameda area. As well as the Santa Catalina Castle, the Island Museum, the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Luz and the Church of San Sebastián.

Tour around the area with your car hire La Palma Santa Cruz:

• Nuestra Señora de las Nieves Island Sanctuary:
  The island sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves is located between the neighbourhoods of La Dehesa and Velhoco, about 5 km from the city. It is a unique reconstructed temple whose origin dates back to 1424. It guards the image of the patron saint of La Palma, the oldest in the whole archipelago.
• Las Nieves Natural Park:
  Leaving the capital, the Parque Natural de las Nieves, made up of the Quintero, El Río, La Madera and Dorador ravines, is a good option for excursion lovers. This area covers most of the central western part of the municipality, with heights ranging from 700 to 800 metres. It is advisable to take a good walk along its trails, where pine forests abound. If you get to Corralejo, the prize is one of the best views of much of the island of Palma.
• La Caldereta or La Concepción cliff:
  To the south of the city is La Caldereta. It is a huge volcanic formation that erupted from the sea. Continuing a little further up we will find a viewpoint from where we can see the beach of Los Cancajos, a large part of Santa Cruz, the airport, the forest of Botazo and the old volcano of La Caldereta in all its magnitude.
• Juan Mayor Site of Scientific Interest:
  Towards the north of the town it also presents great beauty, as well as numerous ravines that hide notable landscape, botanical and geomorphological values. The Juan Mayor Site of Scientific Interest stands out, which includes the Juan Mayor and Los Pájaros ravines, and where a notable sample of thermophiles survive on the eastern side of the island.

Los Llanos de Aridane, located in the west of the island and south of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, has become a thriving city thanks to banana cultivation and tourism. Puerto Naos, on the coast, is an area of lively nightlife.

The capital of the municipality is a dynamic and prosperous city, the second most important after Santa Cruz. And despite its growth, it has managed to preserve its traditional architecture. Here we recommend that you visit the church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, founded in 1517, located in the centre of the town.

Tour by car through the Llanos de Aridane:

• Las Angustias:
  In the municipality of Las Angustias, a few kilometres from Los Llanos, you will find the hermitage-sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de las Angustias.
• The Coast:
  The coastal area has its most important enclave in Puerto Naos. It is the largest beach on the island, with black volcanic sand and one of the busiest tourist centres. There are quieter beaches continuing south: Charco Verde, Las Monjas, La Lajita del Remo.
• Volcanic cones:
  There are several very old volcanic cones such as those of Triana and Argual, which form a very interesting natural area near the capital. Another protected area is Todoque, an area of lava flows of enormous geomorphological attraction.

Firmly in the heart of the island, El Paso is located at the top of a wide valley. Although it is the only region that does not reach the sea, it is the protector of the Caldera de Taburiente mountains. The Astrophysical Observatory, one of the most important in the world, is located here.

During your visit you should visit the Town Hall building, its Silk Museum, and the hermitage of Nuestra de la Concepción de la Bonanza, founded in the 17th century. Heading south from the village, about 15 minutes walking, you will reach La Fajana, a place where some benahoarite petroglyphs of great anthropological interest are preserved.

A tour of the natural environment of El Paso:
La Caldera de Taburiente is one of the most fascinating natural enclaves in the Canary Islands, declared a National Park in 1954. There are three ways to get there from El Paso: through La Cumbrecita, through Los Brecitos or through the Barranco de las Angustias.

It is a grandiose caldera with a diameter of 10 km and a perimeter of 28 km. It is an excellent example of volcanism on the island, as well as delighting geologists who can read the origin of its basal complex in the abundant remains of sea shells.

The Los Muchachos rock, due to its exceptional height and clear atmosphere, is home to the most important Astrophysical Observatory in the northern hemisphere, and in addition to being the second highest in the archipelago after Teide, it reaches the lowest temperatures in the Canary Islands in winter (up to -8º C), with snowfalls and ice accumulations that supply the entire island with water.

In the Taburiente Park you can also see the Idafe rock, a place of aboriginal rites, where you can find the La Cumbrecita viewpoint, at an altitude of over 1,800 metres.

Whenever your desire is to explore the island and make the most of your visit, it is advisable to do so in a rental car. Here you can book car hire La Palma from £9 per day at various points on the Isla Bonita.