»palma-individual »la palma
From almost every spot throughout the island, there is a view of the wide blue surface. The land, graduating from the Cumbres (a mountainous ridge of volcanic origin, that spreads from the North to the South) down to the sea, offers impressive sceneries for watching the spectacle of the clouds over the mirroring face of the ocean.
National Park "Caldera de Taburiente"
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| Favoured by hikers is the national park "Caldera de Taburiente" in the North of the island. Within the huge caldera, rising up to 2500 metres - which is, according to recent findings, not the remains of a single and big crater, but of several smaller craters - there are hiking trails of every degree of difficulty. |
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»La Cumbre Vieja |
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»Caldera de Taburiente |
Santa Cruz de la Palma
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»Santa Cruz de la Palma |
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»gargoyle |
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The capital Santa Cruz de la Palma still treasures the glamour and opulence of the past, where the inhabitants became rich through the trilateral trade between Africa, the Old and the New World. |
Though today the town hasn't got more than 20.000 inhabitants, these perceive themselves as citizens of a real metropolis. In the mornings one is strolling up and down the Calle O'Daly, is having a cortado in the "Café La Palma" while reading the latest news and is talking to the neighbours about business. And in the evenings one is going to the Avenida Marítima or to the "Placeta", where fine restaurants regale the guests with international specialities.
Island of Volcanic Origin
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The volcanic origin of the Canary Islands most obviously takes shape on the island La Palma: The more to the South, the younger the soil. The North of La Palma is, like La Gomera, several million years old, whereas on the southern headland an active volcano is erupting every 50 years, generating new soil. For the last time the Volcán de Teneguía was spitting fire in 1971.
The first plant to conquer the new soils is always the Canary Pine. Mighty trunks rise up to 30 metres. The roots are keeping the sediments and constitute the soil for following plants. |
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»Volcán de Teneguía |
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»Montes de Luna |
"Roque de los Muchachos"
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»Isaac Newton Telescope |
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»Roque de los Muchachos |
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The highest point of the island is, with its 2426 metres, the "Roque de los Muchachos" at the northern border of the Caldera de Taburiente. The Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes is situated here, and, for the joy of the Palmerian kids, the area is snow-covered from time to time in the winter. This place is notably beautiful during sunrise or sunset. |
Primeval Forest in Los Tilos
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| The older part of La Palma maintains a piece of a primeval forest. In "Los Tilos" gnarled laurel and mighty heather-trees are combing humidity out of the mist - a real fairy forest. (Only the neighbouring island, La Gomera, can provide a more impressive cloud forest.) |
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»laurel forest |
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»primeval forest |
Sunrise
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Early in the morning on the Roque de los Muchachos - a thousand metres further down the island is fading underneath a sea of clouds. The sunrays are already pricking the skin, but yet they are not strong enough to banish the clouds...
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