Top 5 La Palma Cultural Tours: Explore the Isla Bonita

La Palma, so also known as “La Isla Bonita” which basically translates to “the beautiful island,” it’s a special spot among the Canary Islands. This island is very unlike some of its more crowded neighbors; La Palma offers a more, pretty understated, atmosphere, filled with landscapes and history that you, or like your average visitor, might find amazing. I mean, the place is kind of known for its dramatic volcanoes, dense forests, and those super clear skies, very great for seeing stars. But beyond that obvious natural appeal, La Palma very much has an interesting cultural background that you can almost only uncover by going on a proper tour. Let’s take a closer look at what cultural tours on the island look like.

1. The Historic Santa Cruz de la Palma Walking Tour

Alright, the first stop for a lot of travelers who arrive to the island is Santa Cruz de la Palma, its capital city. I mean, a Santa Cruz de la Palma walking tour actually offers you, the visitor, a detailed exploration of this historically deep city. It very much tends to be led by some local guides who totally have knowledge, and they typically highlight some very cool architectural spots that show the island’s past, dating as far back as the 15th century. That’s when the Spanish, for instance, actually founded the city. This tour very much isn’t just a walk; I mean, you will experience something new and educational. You actually get a closer view of this place, or this specific community, from a ground view, so to speak. A walking tour, is it the best? Read our full review: Santa Cruz de la Palma Walking Tour Full Review and Details

You, you get the opportunity to wonder about some of the fancy houses that just are along the Calle O’Daly. Very apparently, it’s like the town’s main street, filled with very ancient houses sporting very skillfully carved wooden balconies; very neat to look at, if I have to say so. Those structures are basically like a symbol of the island’s traditional building styles, offering you a real view into the aesthetic preferences of past locals. As you keep walking, the guide almost always talks about the local stories linked to certain structures. Very interesting! Very much at the center of the city, you very much can spot the Plaza de España, that has the main buildings like the El Salvador Church and the city hall. Now, for this place, in particular, the architecture probably will blow you away. You could find yourself with some images that do well on social media; anyway, it tends to be amazing, is that a big enough hook for you?

What You’ll Uncover

As a matter of fact, during the Santa Cruz tour, you, too can look into the Naval Museum. I mean, it is actually located inside a reproduction of Columbus’s ship, the Santa María. The museum displays La Palma’s relationship with naval history; not bad at all. This is very unique considering the role that the Canary Islands once held as basically a key stop for ships. Very much like many other visitors, you probably want to also visit the Insular Museum. I mean, that museum has tons of displays, that has to do with local art and history. So, that is also good for broadening insight in to what to expect from this cool little island. Very few people actually realize just how impressive La Palma is, very much thanks to displays such as that! See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Santa Cruz de la Palma Walking Tour)

2. Archaeological Tour to Belmaco

Okay, if you’re that, like your average, kind of interested visitor, curious as to how the original inhabitants of La Palma once behaved, you may want to add Belmaco to your list. I mean, this tour brings you very far back, beyond that Spanish colonial times I was saying, to view what the aboriginal people left. Very cool! The highlight just might be the cave paintings, the so-called petroglyphs. Read our full review: Belmaco Archaeological Tour Full Review and Details

Okay, what makes Belmaco quite exciting comes from the location of the cave in relation to this wide field. It is actually one of the most important archaeological sites there in the island, containing some super interesting stuff for tourists and researchers alike. I mean, the tour goes over this detailed insight to what the drawings represent as to what life once looked like, and the culture that revolved there in La Palma way before then.

Petroglyphs and Visitor Center

In the tour, a stop typically happens by the Belmaco Visitor Center, that shows displays that highlight insight, history, and relevance with cave art that exists. In particular, people see that display materials that often have the meanings of these symbols; those little details make insight for average visitors. I would agree with that! It also makes the drawings that, while very ancient, feel relevant. Very much knowing the importance that is added into a guide will mean a lot when appreciating rock art on that kind of tour. I mean, very specific insights offered can sometimes go with the archaeological context and interpretations that actually show a bigger cultural sense in understanding La Palma. Very interesting stuff, basically! See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Belmaco Archaeological Tour)

3. Wine Route Tour of La Palma

So, the Canary Islands are also, actually, like known for some nice wines as you will be pleased to see, stemming from some unusual growing environments. This basically means vineyards will grow within rich soils, which may be influenced by what came about with volcanoes. The La Palma wine route basically provides a delicious examination for this wine culture in the island. Very yum! Read our full review: La Palma Wine Route Tour Full Review and Details

Now, this tour just isn’t about those taste-tests alone, that they just let you be a part of with vineyard visits across La Palma. Tours help, as in like they will go over how stuff grows here and those traditions on what it once meant. This makes an actual insight to look for from local farming! Some vineyards will just go by old methods on caring and making stuff from there; this really has helped them get the wine to still taste good. Very dedicated bunch over in that island. That actually seems so cool that vineyards are still out there that are using old techniques to provide good quality wines.

Discovering Local Vineyards

Typically, the tour will include tasting sessions for the tourists to get to appreciate varied styles for what has came out of those spots. Like, tastes vary. They will almost always also inform tourists about distinctive characteristics on those tastes while teaching that to you and what kind of soil and climate can have those tastes on those sips for you. Most will appreciate, for example, Malvasía variety, well regarded for aromas plus crisp flavors for after. If they don’t, well maybe someone else will anyway. Along the journey with wine, there tends to be an exploration over some towns near each growing area, to look on local lifestyle on stuff beyond making wine. That’s good, too, for someone seeking a detailed exploration around island stuff as well. You can basically learn things about island culture there that would just be hard for that person to grab out from what someone has said from a wine farm tour all alone. You see? See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (La Palma Wine Route Tour)

4. Traditional Craft Workshop Tours

So, the island of La Palma is full of traditional handicrafts and to keep stuff going you may just spot the tours for workshops on that skill. A visitor here may find stuff on how they just do silk for this tour while also getting things as ceramics or even wood carvings. Basically all neat! Read our full review: La Palma Traditional Craft Workshop Tours Full Review and Details

With going to visit these spots you can do many stuff like actually get something from each skilled maker. These tours don’t help but just get people that knowledge on each trade but helps small makers or trades live too. And from La Palma to you, if that happens! They make for pretty gifts too if that’s why you are out there!

Experiencing Local Art

When out on that shop your tour should bring to a spot where a maker talks about the history plus skills in relation to their stuff. Plus in a neat touch for people is that they get a guide or try out making them while taking a class run by some local pros on a spot you go by for these shop runs, very cute and sweet for someone keen on what can happen for art here and also great insight here. Very unique activity here so most might enjoy this here; like really. Shop runs are a spot that they do their trade but where stories also start plus knowledge keeps strong over years since how great they’re doing is that people support locals there. In these times a person learns or finds themselves like connected strongly by how real shop owners share each story. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (La Palma Traditional Craft Workshop Tours)

5. The Banana Plantation Tour

Oh yeah! La Palma has an important aspect about being like a Canary Island; the island just makes some quality banana exports. Like pretty unique that I would add on that a lot of people never consider but actually bananas are a large industry. Banana farms out here or the travels over is actually super amazing or you could find what all this really goes through from growing to how each gets given for sale. Read our full review: La Palma Banana Plantation Tour Full Review and Details

Tours tend to go on site and go in detail what these systems here are by what each needs just to keep production out. They can talk what kind of things get solved by irrigating and other problems. Also those that run it will mention their things to keep their banana brands high.

A Taste of Local Agriculture

While at each banana site they show what it takes that each plant here needs such that some make top tier items for customers around the area or world! Almost everyone will grab from these locations what is a ripe item, good by how good those bananas come plus that knowledge to get it done makes a special trip. The travel plans are also told that talk a big thing what banana farming really tells how it affects culture over town. Banana has a part over what shapes economics too because its given by farm work with so many. And tours over is very sweet by its look over people plus planet so trips will bring it a view for those. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (La Palma Banana Plantation Tour)

Read our full review: La Palma Cultural Tours Full Review and Details