From Tenerife to La Palma - A. Young Island with Fire in its Veins

From Tenerife to La Palma — A Young Island with Fire in Its Veins 

We were up early this morning for a short inter-island flight from Tenerife to La Palma. I have to admit, I love the name of the airline — Canaryfly. It somehow feels perfectly suited to hopping between volcanic islands in the Atlantic.   

La Palma is geologically young — about three million years old — and very much alive. Its most recent eruption occurred in 2021, a dramatic reminder that this island is still being shaped by fire beneath the surface.

Our resort is located just outside the island’s capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma. After settling in, we visited a small cigar museum, which highlights an important chapter in the island’s economic history. For many families in the last century, cigar rolling provided valuable piecework income, often done from home — a quiet but meaningful contribution to the local economy.

We then explored parts of Santa Cruz, a charming city with colourful facades, wooden balconies, and a relaxed seaside atmosphere. The day ended in perfect fashion: cocktail hour (or perhaps two) at a delightful, tiny rooftop restaurant bar overlooking the town.

We’ll spend the next six days exploring this compact Canary Island, home to just 87,000 residents — small in population, but clearly rich in character.

New layout in our bus - circular couch in the back

Fran  hanging out with some celebrities 

Later that day we did a walking tour of Santa Cruz de La Palma. Founded on May 3, 1493 by Alonso Fernández de Lugo de Lugo, Santa Cruz de La Palma in the Canary Islands grew from a colonial outpost into a major 16th-century Atlantic trading hub, ranking as the third-largest port in the Spanish Empire. Renowned for its historic, colonial-style architecture, it overcame pirate raids, economic shifts from sugar to bananas and in 1773, established the first democratically elected municipality in the Spanish Empire. The architecture has been really well maintained and we will definitely return for further exploration. 

Deb, our Wheel and Anchor Host, took us to a rooftop bistro for drinks and tapas while the sun set. Great views from the rooftop and wonderful conversation made for a lively evening. 

Architecture pics of the old town section of Santa Cruz de La Palma

Love these balcony gardens!

Rooftop Bistro for cocktails and tapas in Santa Cruz de La Palma