Guide of Santa Cruz De La Palma

Santa Cruz de La Palma is the capital city of the island of La Palma, in Spain's Canary Islands. The city is located on the eastern coast of the island and was founded by Spaniard Alonso Fernández de Lugo, on May 3, 1493, today it has a population of around 15,000. The city is one of the prettiest in the Canaries with its brightly coloured buildings stretching along the coastline and is well worth a visit.

A brief history of Santa Cruz de La Palma

The first human populations settled on the old Canton Tedote in the first half of the first millennium BC, they were mainly settlers from North Africa, and there are some rock carvings in the town from this period. The Spanish established the village of Santa Cruz de La Palma in 1493, and it was initially called Villa del Apurón, this moment marked the end of their conquest on the island. Gradually the city began to grow, but in 1553, 700 French soldiers invaded the town and took it for nine days, destroying it before being expelled. After this period the port connected Santa Cruz de La Palma to the Americas to export goods such as sugar cane from the island. Pirates also ransacked the city a fort was built to mitigate any future attacks.

In 1773 the residents democratically elected a municipality and Santa Cruz de La Palma was one of the first Spanish colonies to establish a democracy in the Empire, even before the Americans achieved their independence and created the first Constitution. In the second half of the nineteenth century, interest in the Enlightenment leads Santa Cruz de La Palma to become a hub for new religious teachings, Masonic lodges, publications, museums, new political ideas. The emphasis on developing the arts, music, theatre, film, put Cruz de La Palma ahead of the rest of the archipelago in terms of culture, but the island also improved their infrastructure more rapidly, through the installation of electricity and telephone.

Things to do in Santa Cruz de La Palma

There is a museum housed in a restored convent next to San Francisco church called the Insular Museum, where visitors can learn about the nature and culture of the island. There are also some works of art from the Museum of Modern Art in Madrid. The museum also features some aboriginal pottery, pre-Hispanic prints, and other Guanche artefacts such as agricultural tools. During the day you can do some shopping on the main street, Calle O'Daly and then for an evening stroll, check out the Balcones de la Avenida Maritima, a row of brightly painted houses, bars and restaurants that run along the seafront. For a place to take children, try Maroparque, a zoo situated on a hillside near the city. The zoo houses animals rescued from illegal captivity such as parrots, monkeys, snakes, chameleons and even an anaconda! Many of the more friendly animals are available for children to pet. If you have access to a car, then be sure to drive up to the Mirador de La Concepción, which is an observation point high in the hills, the views over the city a fabulous.

Beaches around Santa Cruz de La Palma

Playa de Bajamar is a black-sand beach protected by an embankment, with restaurants and cocktail bars in the surroundings for an evening drink. The water is clean, and the beach is not too busy; however, parking can be difficult. Playa de Santa Cruz de La Palma is closer to the centre of town, and there is a lifeguard present as well as showers and changing rooms. However, check the winds as there can be strong currents and waves, but there are some rock pools for children to play in.