The Centre

Introducing The Centre

The bowl-shaped Caldera de Taburiente, and the national park named after it, dominate the centre of La Palma, with rocky peaks, deep ravines and lush pine forests blanketing the slopes. The LP-2 highway, which links Santa Cruz with Los Llanos, skirts the southern rim of the park, and from the road you can sometimes see the characteristic cloud blanket that fills the interior of the caldera and spills over its sides like a pot boiling over.

Two of the island’s important commercial centres, El Paso and Los Llanos (the island’s largest town), are here, making this region the economic engine of La Palma. It’s also a key banana-growing area and, as you near the west coast, banana plantations fill the valleys. The coast is home to some of the island’s longest and prettiest beaches.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009