Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, capital of the Canary Islands together with Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is not exactly a small city.
So if we are going to visit an island town, where good weather reigns all year round, what better than to stay by the sea. The long promenade that runs along the whole beach is the lung of the town , a perfect place to walk, run or sit down to enjoy the good weather in one of the terraces of its bars and restaurants.At night the activity on the beach of Las Canteras does not stop, people continue walking or having a drink on the terraces.
A short distance away is the park of Santa Catalina , another area with many attractions of Las Palmas and where the bus station is located which will take us to the airport to other destinations in Gran Canaria.We can also reach on foot the Port and the Quay , the biggest shopping centre in the city.
In the map that shows the best area to stay in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are located the best hotels where you can stay.
In addition to recommending where to sleep in Las Palmas of Gran Canaria, in Best location Hotels we also recommend where to stay in Palma de Mallorca.
Where to sleep near Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
If we do not want to stay near Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in a more relaxed rural setting or on less crowded beaches, we have several options less than 20 minutes from the capital.
Arucas: Situated only 15 minutes from the centre of Las Palmas, Arucas is one of the most picturesque and visited villages in the north of Gran Canaria.
Santa Brígida:only 20 minutes from Las Palmas and on the way to Pico de las Nieves, Santa Brígida is another option for staying in a rural setting near the capital.
Telde:about 20 km from the capital is Telde, the second most populated municipality of Gran Canaria. In Telde we can stay along its more than 10 km of coast or in the city centre where we can find cheaper hotels than in Las Palmas
Are you going to visit the island of La Palma and don’t know where to book your accommodation? In this article we explain in detail which are the best areas to stay in La Palma and how is each of them.
The island of Palma (or La Palma) is a canarian island belonging to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the west of the archipelago.With just over 81,000 inhabitants, has its capital in Santa Cruz de la Palma and the highest point in the Roque de los Muchachos peak, with 2426 meters and second in altitude of the Canary Islands.
In addition to the capital Santa Cruz de la Palma, the island has other very tourist populations as the Llanos de Aridane, with good tourist resources to stay in La Palma.
The international airport is located about 10 km south of the capital, with a large port from which ferries depart to other islands in the archipelago and cruise ships call at
To move around the island there is a bus network that connects the entire territory, but the north is much more mountainous and the regular bus lines less frequent.However, there are many car hire agencies.
Currently, like other islands in the archipelago, La Palma is a Biosphere Reserve in its entirety and has the Caldera de Taburiente National Park.
The best areas to stay in La Palma
The options to sleep in La Palma are distributed almost all over the island, with greater intensity in the area of the capital, Los Llanos, Puerto Naos and Los Cancajos.
In the north of the island, however, the rural house prevails as it is a mountainous area with cliffs and practically no beaches.
In terms of prices, especially in the interior, the rates for accommodation on La Palma can be under 20 euros per night in hostels and hostels. The most expensive are in the capital and in the east with luxury hotels.
1.Santa Cruz de la Palma
After Los Llanos is the most populated municipality, although most of the inhabitants are concentrated in the capital.All of it is surrounded by hills, so leaving the city, except for the coastline, is done by winding roads.
The city is a mixture of residential areas and tourist developments, especially along the coast, with a marina and dock for ferries and cruise ships.
A visit to the city can be an opportunity to get to know the people of La Palma through the “Centro de Interpretación de La Bajada” or the Island Museum of La Palma.
It is also highly recommended to visit the cosy Plaza de España, the Teatro Chico or the Castillo de la Virgen, an old fortress.
Santa Cruz is also the city of La Palma with ‘the best shops’.A street with a good number of them is Anselmo Pérez de Brito.at the end of this one is the Market of Santa Cruz de La Palma, to buy fresh products.
And more to the south, at the end of the Calle Real, begins a pedestrian zone with varied clothes shops, theatres and restaurants.This central area has several bars such as Bahía, La Tapería or Atlántico where you can have a snack on its terraces and not far from the promenade.
Further north, near the Calle Anselmo Pérez Brito, there are others such as the Restaurant la Placeta or La Chalana.to enjoy the night, the same areas mentioned have bars and pubs such as Copacabana, with a youthful atmosphere or Calypso, restaurant and cocktail bar.
2.Breña Alta
The municipality of Breña Alta extends from the south of the capital of La Palma to the centre of the island, right on the edge of the southern mountain range of Caldera de Taburiente. Breña Alta has industrial areas where tobacco is grown, as well as tourist areas, especially along its two kilometres of coast, and residential areas.The latter are located around the capital as an extension of the capital itself, which has run out of space.
On the south-western edge of the municipality there is an area in a forest called El Pilar.There is a kiosk, tables and some other services.
A little further east is the Mirador Llano de la Venta, with beautiful views of the eastern coast of La Palma. In the northern area, in Buenavista de Arriba, there is also another place of interest: The Monastery of the Cistercian.They provide accommodation and prepare and sell sweets.a few hundred meters away, on a cliff, is also the Hermitage of Our Lady of the Conception, from the sixteenth century.south of the port, the coastal area of Breña Alta has a beach about two hundred meters long.
As for restaurants, in each village of the municipality there are some of interest.Near Buenavista de Arriba is Chipi-Chipi, a steak house with a garden and one of the most visited in the area.
Further south, under the Risco de la Concepción, is the Casa Osmunda, ideal for families.
As for hotels and hostels to stay on La Palma in this area, the accommodations are quite scattered and are based on fincas, villas and rural houses.
– Breña Alta
3.Breña Baja
This is the municipality in the south of Breña Alta and also extends from the coast to the centre of the island.
In the municipality is located the Airport of La Palma, so there are more roads than in other areas of the island. There are also more hotels to stay in La Palma, especially in the coastal area.
In the west of the municipality, a place of interest is the Mountain of La Breña, with very good views of the municipalities of Breña.In the town of La Breña Baja, on a cultural level, we can highlight the two churches of San José: the old and the new one, which date back to the 16th century and are closed for worship.
To taste the gastronomy of the area, the town of La Breña Baja itself has several places such as the San Pancracio Restaurant or the Pio Pio Grill.
– Breña Baja
4.Los Cancajos
After Puerto Naos, it is considered the best tourist resort on the island of Palma, it belongs to Breña Baja and is about four kilometres from the capital of the island.
Further south, in another tourist complex, there are other establishments such as the Tasca Alavasca, the Ristorante Sadi or Casa Pino, which specialises in local food.
Accommodation on La Palma in Los Cancajos is varied, with luxury hotels and apartments with all facilities.
– Accommodation in Los Cancajos
5.Los Llanos de Aridane
The entire municipality, with just over 20,000 inhabitants, is the most populated on the island.To the west, it is located in a flat area – hence its name – at the foot of the mountains. Los Llanos, the main town in the municipality, is located about five kilometres from the coast.
The entire municipality has two main sources of income: banana production and tourism, and the latter has some attractions such as the Argual Aqueduct, built in 1557; the Mirador Barranco Las Angustias, from where you can discover the volcanic nature of the island, and the Castillo de la Virgen, a typical local construction from the early 20th century.
For those who want to know the history of the island in pre-Hispanic times, then you have to visit the Archaeological Museum Benahorita.
The most interesting restaurants are located around these streets, with all types of cuisine in establishments such as the Italian Geco Libero, Los Argentinos or the restaurant El Hidalgo, with a variety of dishes, but all with a Canarian base.
The tourist offer is completed with pubs like the Bar Puerta 3 or the terrace Bar Utopia, among other bars.
– Accommodation in the Llanos de Aridane
6.Puerto Naos
belongs to the municipality of Los Llanos and is one of the most important tourist resorts on the island, with good communications to the north and south, it is well equipped with one of the best value for money accommodation on La Palma.The promoters accept visitors and show their work to the guests.in front of this ecofinca is the beach of Puerto Naos, about 500 meters long and with several restaurants and bars on its promenade.
Highlight Playa Chica, the Ocean Drive Kiosk or Beach Bar Puerto Naos.also other places to enjoy the evening as El Bucanero’s Bar, terrace with cocktails.
– Accommodation in Puerto Naos
7.Tazacorte
Just west of Los Llanos is this municipality that includes the village, beach and port.The area is very cosmopolitan with about 20% foreign population and regular bus connections to Los Llanos by road, several roads to various directions and a variety of accommodations, but with one of the highest accommodation costs on La Palma.
In the town of Tazacorte there are several places of interest such as the Banana Museum, the Casa Massieu (17th century) and the Plaza de España, where the parish church of San Miguel Arcángel is located.
To the north of the port, in a very touristic area, is the Tazacorte beach, with black volcanic sand, and another beach at the foot of the cliffs.
Despite being a small town, Tazacorte has several restaurants such as La Tasquita and Carpe Diem in the village and the Varadero Restaurant in the port.To the north of it, in the tourist area in front of the Plaza de Tazacorte, the Taberna del Puerto, with a terrace and on the beachfront, is a place to enjoy the evening.
– Accommodation in Tazacorte
8.Barlovento
As a municipality, it starts almost from the Roque de los Muchachos peak to the northeast cliffs of the island.Barlovento is also a small village surrounded by volcanic cones, more difficult to access than the southern area by regional roads, the village is more than 500 meters high, which increases the vegetation.
Visiting the volcanic cones or the laurel forests on the slopes of Roque de los Muchachos can be an interesting experience.
In the village itself it is advisable to visit the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, from the 16th century.
Precisely in La Fajana, there are a couple of restaurants at the foot of the cliffs with great views.
– Accommodation in Barlovento
9.El Paso
Also called “Ciudad del Paso”, it is a village and municipality, the biggest on the island and located in the centre of it.To the East of Los Llanos, it is crossed by the same highways.
The City of El Paso has pre-Hispanic origins and local shepherds settled in the area for a while, but its development has already taken place since the arrival of the Castilians, especially in the 19th century, when the Hermitage of Our Lord of Bonanza was built and later renovated in 1935.
Much later, in 2002, one of the most interesting places in the area was opened to the public: The Silk Museum of the El Paso Spinners. It is a live workshop where several women use the same looms and techniques of handling silk that have been used for centuries.
El Paso also has a good offer of restaurants, distributed all over the town, such as Tapas&Trekking, La Perla Negra or the Venezuelan restaurant Arepera Yaracuy El Paso.As far as nightlife is concerned, there are other places like El Paso Bar-Terraza where you can enjoy pleasant evenings.
Apart from Los Llanos, El Paso has the largest number of accommodations to stay in La Palma in its central area.
– Accommodation in El Paso
Apart from this article about the best areas to stay in La Palma we recommend you: Where to stay in Tenerife, where to stay in Gran Canaria, where to stay in Fuerteventura, where to stay in Lanzarote
10.Puntagorda
The city and municipality are in the northwest of the island.The part of the municipality with the coast does not have a beach but high cliffs.
Geologically, it is the oldest area of the island, three million years old, which can be crossed thanks to a regional road that borders it and stops at some viewpoints.
The town of Puntagorda is located about 8 kilometres from the coast and 600 metres above sea level, so you can also enjoy great views, and it is precisely in this town that you will find the best accommodation on La Palma.
In the central area of Puntagorda you will find the San Mauro Church, which is one of the oldest churches on the island, although it has been renovated.To buy them, we recommend the Cheese Shop Costa del Palito. And to taste them, visit the Bar la Barraca.Fuencaliente de la Palma
This is the municipality that occupies the southern area of La Palma.The main towns are Los Canarios and Las Indias. These and the others have no coast, except for the tourist complex La Palma & Teneguía Princess, the area of Fuencaliente with one of the best tourist resources to stay in La Palma.They are in the south and the most important are San Antonio and Teneguía, while the west coast is full of banana plantations, many of them in greenhouses.
In the towns that are distributed by the municipality, we recommend the hiking area of Montaña de Las Tablas in Los Canarios; Fuente Santa, an area to the south where you can find one of the few beaches, Echentive; the Fuencaliente lighthouse, with a nearby beach and salt mines.
In addition to small rural accommodation, the towns of Fuencaliente have good gastronomic services: To the south of Los Canarios is the Casa del Volcán, a restaurant specializing in Canarian food with its own wine cellar.
Also in Los Canarios, we recommend the Restaurant La Era y de las Indias, the Bar Tamaragua, in the Salinas of the south of the island there is another restaurant with a good reputation and beautiful views: El Jardín de la Sal.
– Accomodation in Fuencaliente de La Palma
12.Tijarafe
Between Los Llanos and Puntagorda you will find Tijarafe, the capital of the town of the same name.
In such a rugged environment and so close to the San Roque peak, an interesting activity is to enjoy the living nature of the area.
For those who prefer open spaces, the surroundings of the village of Tijarafe lend themselves to hiking through large pine forests.In the village itself you can buy semi-cured and artisan cheese at Tinizara Cheeses, or try the local gastronomy at El Diablo Tapas and Wine Kiosk or Bar Canarias. South of Tijarafe, near the Ermita del Buen Jesús, is the Cervecería Isla Verde, with artisan products.
