Luxury Voyages to Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands

Cruise to the pretty island in the sun

The aptly nicknamed “pretty island”, La Palma is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Walk along the rim of the crater at Volcán San Antonio then set out to one of the viewpoints at the Caldera de Taburiente, an enormous crater-like depression at the center of Caldera del Taburiente National Park. At the highest point of La Palma sits El Roque de los Muchachos, an important observatory as the clear and cloudless skies above the island make it one of the best places in the world to see the stars.

Catch a glimpse of traditional silk weaving at the Hilanderas workshop in El Paso, or experience the island’s softer side in the colonial city of Santa Cruz, where celebrated shoe designer Manolo Blahnik grew up on a banana plantation. Sip café con leche (coffee with milk) at the Plaza Alameda or taste wines made from the island’s rich volcanic soil. From there, make your way to the striking Sanctuary of the Virgen de las Nieves.