La Palma – the green Canary Island
Rural Tourism on La Palma – The main objectives of the project “Rural Tourism on La Palma”, funded by the European Union (EU), are the economic and social promotion of rural areas, the preservation of traditional architecture and original forms of rural life.
La Palma, the most northwestern of the Canary Islands, is also called “La Isla Bonita” (the beautiful island) because of its lush forests and extraordinary natural beauty. Being one of the steepest islands in the world, it rises to an altitude of 2,426 meters and has only about 89,000 inhabitants (January 2010).
From the green, watery mountains of the north with their botanical abundance to the volcanoes, lava fields and black beaches of the south, La Palma offers the diversity of an entire continent with 7 different climatic vegetation zones on only 708.32 km².
UNESCO has declared some of these landscapes as “Cultural Heritage of Humanity”. To name but a few, the laurel forest “Los Tilos” in the northeast, the national park “La Caldera de Taburiente” in the interior of the island and archaeological sites such as “La Zarza” or “Belmaco” invite you to extended hikes through nature.
Another sight is the observatory on the “Roque de los Muchachos”, one of the largest observatories in the world. It was built here because of the particularly clean air.
Apart from the capital and the beaches of the southwest, the island is largely untouched by tourism. The serenity of the population is proverbial.
Enjoying nature in an environment full of silence and in contact with the original country life, this is what rural tourism on La Palma offers with accommodation in traditional houses. The warmth and hospitality of the rural population invite the visitor to get to know a living reality full of natural treasures and cultural richness. The objectives of the EU-funded project “rural tourism” are the economic and social promotion of rural areas, the preservation of traditional architecture and original forms of rural life.
La Palma is an Eldorado for mountain bikers and paragliders.
Spain has been exemplary in the development of wind power in recent years. At the beginning of 2010, it was officially announced that 15 percent of Spain’s electricity needs are covered by Spanish wind power. Some Spanish islands are shooting far beyond this mark. Thus the island La Palma covers now already over 50 per cent of your need only with wind power.
La Palma is the first island to receive the “Sustainable Destination” award.
SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA / SPAIN (11.12.2010): The small Canary Island received a very special award from UNESCO last week. Long has the Isla Verde for it in the stuff to get this title.
La Palma is the first island that received from UNESCO the award: first sustainable vacation destination. The reason for the award is that agriculture, tourism, environmental protection and future prospects are in harmony. In addition, there is only a modest population growth. Here the vacationer experiences still vacation purely, Relaxen in absolute peace.
La Palma, actually San Miguel de la Palma, is the most northwestern of the seven large Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, which form one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. With an area of 708 square kilometers, La Palma has a length of about 42 kilometers and a width of about 28 kilometers. It is the fifth largest island in the archipelago, accounting for 9.51 percent of the total area of all the Canary Islands.
