Barcelona is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. It is a thriving city with many attractions, luring visitors in from afar. It’s well connected, with a big airport, both national and international train lines, and a variety of motorways and roads. So, it also serves as a hub for anyone wishing to explore the rest of Spain.
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Spain has many areas which are popular for tourists, a lot of these being on the various islands. The country has two main groups of islands: the Balearic islands, in the Mediterranean, and, the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic. The Canary Islands sit much further south than the rest of the country, actually closer to south Morocco than Spain itself, so they have a much hotter climate. This factor makes them particularly popular with sun seekers. They are made up of 7 main islands, each with their own character and appeal.
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La Palma is the most north-westerly island of the 7. It is referred to as “the beautiful island”, due to its incredibly dramatic landscape. Like most of the Canary Islands, La Palma’s geography is due to its volcanic formation, with its highest peaks reaching over 2400 meters, and lower areas molded by lava from early eruptions. The island is dominated by the Caldera de Taburiente in the north, a huge crater-like cavity stretching 10 kilometers across. This area was designated a national park in 1954 and is the site of the Roque de los Muchachos observatory, one of the world’s top astronomical observatories. The rest of the island is surrounded by vast mountains and deep forests, with golden beaches stretching out to the sea.
Most people visit La Palma to hike since there is just so much beautiful terrain to explore. You can either grab yourself a map and do it alone or take part in a guided tour. Most tours cost about 30€. There are also different bus tours which will take you around various parts of the island, for those wanting a more leisurely experience.
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Stargazing is another popular activity on the island, due to its incredibly clear skies. A daring way to explore the sky is by paragliding, which is also becoming very popular, with tandem flights on offer for beginners for around 90€.
The easiest and most popular way to get to La Palma from Barcelona is by airplane. Flights start from around 150€, leaving from El prat airport, and arriving in Santa Cruz de la Palma in just under an hour.
There are also 2 ferry services which run to the island from Tenerife, providing 28 sailings per week.
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This is a great peice to read. In September, it will be my first travel in Europe and Spain is the lucky one! Good thing that I found this page so I can have a little know how when I go there. I have on my list is La Tosca Viewpoint which I read as well in https://www.canaryislandsinfo.co.uk/la-palma/places/, I'm so excited!
Thanks Thompson for this page! Love it! :)