Sights in Santa Cruz De La Palma
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
Santuario de la Virgen de las Nieves
For great views over Santa Cruz and the shore, take the relatively easy 2km hike north of town to La Palma's main object of pilgrimage, the 17th-century Santuario de la Virgen de las Nieves .
To walk from Plaza Alameda, follow the road, which becomes a signposted dirt track, westwards up the gorge of the Barranco de las Nieves. It will take nearly 45 minutes to walk up, but coming back is faster. By car, follow signs from the Avenida Marítima where it crosses the barranco (ravine), then turn right on the Carretera de las Nieves (LP-101) and continue winding up the hillside until you see signs for the sanctuary. The curve-filled 5km trip takes nearly 15 minutes. Bus 10 (a…
reviewed
-
A
Plaza Alameda
Gaze north across leafy Plaza Alameda a good place to sip a café cortado - an espresso with a splash of milk) and you'll think Christopher Columbus' ship, the Santa María, became stranded here. But no, it's actually the city's Museo Naval, known as El Barco de la Virgen (The Virgin's Boat) to the locals. It was closed for repairs at the time of research, but until it reopens it makes for a great photo opportunity.
reviewed
-
B
Plaza España
Wander north along Calle O'Daly and you'll come to the palm-shaded Plaza España, considered the most important example of Renaissance architecture in the Canary Islands. To one side sits the imposing town hall, and across the plaza is the ornate Iglesia del Salvador. Follow the steps heading up out of the Plaza de España to reach the upper town.
reviewed
-
C
Calle O'Daly
Chances are you'll be starting your visit of La Palma either from the Plaza Constitución or from the huge ocean-front parking lot. Either way, you're a short walk from Calle O'Daly, the city's main street. Named for an Irish trader who made La Palma his home, the street is full of shops, bars and some of the town's most impressive architecture.
reviewed
-
Old Houses
Wander down to the waterfront to stroll alongside a series of wonderful Old Houses with traditional Canarian balconies. Many of the houses date to the 16th century and have been converted into upscale restaurants. The islanders' penchant for balconies came with Andalusian migrants and was modified by Portuguese influences.
reviewed
-
D
Iglesia del Salvador
Though the church's exterior seems more fortress than house of worship, the interior boasts a glittering baroque pulpit dating to 1750, an ornate 16th-century wooden ceiling considered one of the best mudéjar (Islamic-style architecture) works in all the Canaries, and several fine sculptures.
reviewed
-
E
Iglesia de San Francisco
Crossing the wide Avenida del Puente, a major thoroughfare, Calle O'Daly becomes Calle Anselmo Pérez de Brito. Make your way northeast towards the Iglesia de San Francisco, another Renaissance church rich in works of art, the majority being unmistakably baroque.
reviewed
-
F
Iglesia de la Encarnación
North of the town, across the ravine, is the Castillo de la Virgen, and tucked away on the same hill is the 16th-century Iglesia de la Encarnación, the first church to be built in Santa Cruz after the Spanish conquest.
reviewed
-
G
Museo Insular
The restored convent next to the Iglesia de San Francisco houses the Museo Insular, the island's museum. Here you'll find everything from Guanche skulls to cupboards of sad stuffed birds and pickled reptiles.
reviewed
-
H
Plaza Santo Domingo
Follow the steps heading up out of the Plaza de España to reach the upper town, where the shady Plaza Santo Domingo, with its terrace café, makes an excellent resting point.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
I
Palacio de Salazar
The 17-th-century, late-Renaissance Palacio de Salazar is on the left of Calle O'Daly if you enter from Plaza Constitución. It's now home to a government-run cultural centre.
reviewed
-
J
Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Luz
Pay a quick visit to the modest chapel Ermita de Nuestra Señora de la Luz, one of several small 16th- and 17th-century chapels in town.
reviewed
-
K
Ayuntamiento
To one side of Plaza España sits the imposing Ayuntamiento, built in 1559 after the original was destroyed by French pirates.
reviewed
-
L
Castillo de Santa Catalina
On the seafront, the Castillo de Santa Catalina was one of several forts built in the 17th century to fend off pirate raids.
reviewed
-
M
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
The Iglesia de Santo Domingo, on the shady Plaza Santo Domingo, boasts an important collection of Flemish paintings.
reviewed
-
N
Ermita de San José
This chapel has given its name to the street on which it stands.
reviewed
-
O
