According to naturegnosis, La Palma is an island in the Atlantic Ocean (Africa) that is part of the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands are one of the autonomous regions of Spain. The capital of La Palma is Santa Cruz de la Palma. Another large town on La Palma is Los Llanos de Aridane.
La Palma is mountainous with the highest point at 2426 meters. The island has several volcanoes, some of which are still active. These active volcanoes are located in the south of the island. The last eruption was in 1971. The island is best known among hikers and nature lovers for its many nature conservation. Unlike other Canary Islands, La Palma is not yet well known among tourists. There are some beaches that consist of black lava sand. The water is known for its high waves and strong undertow. An international observatory is also located on La Palma. See allcitycodes for area codes of countries in Africa.
Where is Palma located?
Travel information of La Palma
Official name: La Palma
Continent: Europe (politics) and Africa (location)
Area: 729 km²
Capital: Santa Cruz de la Palma
Country code: ES, ESP
Population: 81,486 inhabitants (2016)
Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
Highest point: 2,426 m (Roque de los Muchachos)
Distance (Amsterdam – Santa Cruz de la Palma): 3,234 km
Flight time: approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place on La Palma that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of La Palma, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to La Palma. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about La Palma?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay on La Palma at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
La Palma has a subtropical climate. The temperatures are around 15 to 20 degrees in winter and around 20 to 25 degrees in summer.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for La Palma can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of La Palma can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June and September are the best months to travel to La Palma. This avoids mass tourism from the Spanish mainland and the chance of precipitation.
Language
Spanish is the official language on La Palma. In addition, English is spoken in a few hotels and among a small part of the population.
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a valid identity card or passport.
A visa is not necessary.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Spain: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate on Tenerife (also for La Palma):
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Spanish Embassy in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
Spanish consulates in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to La Palma.
Money and Currency
On La Palma you pay with the euro (EUR)
An overview of all ATMs on La Palma can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
The prices on La Palma are a lot lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -38% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (42% cheaper), food (35% cheaper), imported beer in catering (55% cheaper), cigarettes (51% cheaper) and public transport (59% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
It is customary to tip on La Palma. In most hotels and restaurants, a service charge is added to the bill. If this is not yet the case, the tip is approximately 10%.
Time difference
On La Palma it is 1 hour earlier than in the Netherlands.
Summer time on La Palma is the same as in the Netherlands.
The local time, date and time zone for La Palma can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
On La Palma you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle on La Palma.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within La Palma.
Electricity
On La Palma you may need a travel plug in some cases.
More information about common plugs and sockets on La Palma can be found on our electricity page (look under the Canary Islands).
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 112
– Fire: 112
– Ambulance: 112
Tap water
The water from the tap (especially in the big cities) is slightly chlorinated and can therefore cause stomach and intestinal complaints.
News and newspapers
The latest news regarding La Palma can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from La Palma can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from La Palma end in.es.
Official websites of La Palma: lapalmaturismo.com and hallocanarischeeilanden.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone on La Palma is 0034 or +34.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from La Palma? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If you use a country code, you must omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the La Palma telephone directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of La Palma.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of La Palma.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from La Palma.
Public holidays and school holidays
An overview of all public holidays on La Palma can be found on Lonely Planet.
You will find an overview of all school holidays on the Canary Islands (La Palma) in the Eurydice school guide.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations on La Palma, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report about La Palma?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited La Palma. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) on La Palma can be found on Protected Planet.
La Palma is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to La Palma? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business on or do business with La Palma, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about La palma, including: opportunities, import and export rules, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to La Palma.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5 (0.3 for novice drivers up to 2 years old).
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…There are cave dwellings and petroglyphs on La Palma?
…Tourists mainly come to La Palma for hiking and ecotourism?
…La Palma has the most active volcanism of the Canary Islands?
…There is an international observatory on La Palma?
