Santa Cruz de la Palma - beach?

[Flotsam&Jetsam]

We're docking in August on P&O Azura at Santa Cruz de la Palma on the Canary Island of La Palma. Just wondering if there is a beach (black volcanic "sand" OK) within easy reach?

[LondonTowner]

I'm not sure if there is a beach close to where the ships dock, but as La Palma is one of the westerly Canary Islands it can often be cloudy or wet.

[Bobal]

Here are some notes I had for a visit we did a couple of years ago. We didn't actually go to the beach as the weather was too cool that day but just walked around the town, which is really nice........

 

You can walk from the cruise ship to the beach of 'Bajamar' which is at the south end of Santa Cruz de La Palma. Where the cruise ships dock, you will see the large town roundabout - head off with the sea on your left, away from the town, and you will arrive at Bajamar beach in 10 minutes. It's a nice flat walk along a broad pavement. The beach is good with safe swimming plus there are toilets, beach showers and a bar.

 

Alternatively, take the taxi to Los Cancajos which is less than a 10 minute drive away. Or you can take the bus which runs every 30 minutes and costs 1.30€. The beach is a little nicer - in fact there are three beaches there. There are also many bars and it's a good place to get a bit to eat if you wish.

[tring]

Jean - You can report posts by clicking on the red triangle to the top RHS of each post, but the system is really for posts which are a problem because of what they say (against guidelines). I have reported your post but it may not be considered for removal. No matter.

 

LOS CANCAJOS

 

We have had a holiday in Los Cancajos, (pronounced Los can ka hos). There are fairly regular buses to there, (half hourly in the winter), from almost opposite the port and a bit to the left. You need to cross the road and the buses are pointing to the left, looking at them from the port. I cannot remember the number of the bus, but look for Los Cancajos, or aeroport, as they are in the same direction. I have used the toilets at the beach which is near to the port and was mentioned earlier, (as I needed to), when walking between Santa Cruz and Los Cancajos, but it is not somewhere I would like to spend time on the beach as they were not too clean - but it is a beach.

 

As said, Los Cancajos is much nicer. It is walkable, but a long walk, (possibly 3/4 hour or poss longer), and you have to go uphill a bit and come down again to get around a small industrial area. There are lovely views though as you go down into Los Cancajos so we like to walk one direction if we are feeling fit enough.

 

Apart from the three small beaches at the beginning of the resort, (which is very small and low key), a little further on you will find a coastal path which goes to the coastal side of the hotel and other holiday accommodation and where there is a lovely rocky shoreline. To the far end of that fairly short path, there are a few bars/restaurants on the RHS of the main road.

 

We stayed there one February a few years ago and have only visited on cruises in the late autumn since, so I am not sure what Los Cancajos will be like in August. If the tide is in the beaches will be very small, but they are almost deserted in the winter, so I do not think the place will be totally over run. The sand is black and quite gritty so I would not choose to walk on it in bare feet - so take some sort of beach shoes or flip flops.

 

BUSES IN LA PALMA

 

You can also get buses to other places and there is a tourist info booth on an grassed area in the middle of the road just opposite the port gate, which we have found useful. We have never arrived on a ship as big as Azura though, so there may be a queue built up, so getting the bus info. from the net is worthwhile - we have found that easily on a couple of occasions.

 

Enjoy La Palma - we love the place, it is a beautiful island. It can be quite cloudy on that eastern side of the island in winter, but it should be fine and sunny in the summer. If there in the winter and it is cloudy, we head for the hills, (i.e. above the clouds), or the other side of the island, where the weather tends to always be sunny. The south is usually sunny as well. I have never known rain, but it must rain at times in the winter as it is a lovely green island.

Edited August 12, 2016 by tring