How to get to La Palma
Information about the trip
How to travel to La Palma
La Palma has an international airport, so travellers either decide to book a direct flight straight to Santa Cruz de la Palma (SPC), or aproach one of the airports on Tenerife, Tenerife-South (TFS) or -North (TFN). Often the flights to Tenerife are more favorable; visitors have to continue via ferry or to change to a smaller plane, though, in order to get to La Palma via island hopping.
La Palma is bigger than one might expect. If you do not want to wait for the bus takes a hire car to explore the island.
Travelling to La Palma…
…directly to Santa Cruz de la Palma (SPC)
The westernmost of the Canaries, La Palma, has an international airport. Most charter carriers approach the airport Santa Cruz de la Palma (SPC) several times a week, plus, in the summer season, the low-cost-carriers from mainland Spain, Barcelona and Madrid. The airport is situated on the east coast in the municipality of Villa de Mazo, about 8 km south of the capital Santa Cruz.
…via Tenerife-South (TFS)
In two minutes intervals planes from all over Europe and Central America are landing in the biggest airport of the Canaries, Tenerife-South/“Reina Sofia“ (TFS). According to this it is likely to get a flight to Tenerife-South at a good price. By taxi it is just a 15 minutes ride to the ferry port of Los Cristianos (ca. 23 Euros) where the ferries to La Palma (via La Gomera) depart several times a week.
…via Tenerife-North (TFN)
The ones who booked a particularly favourable flight to Tenerife often realize too late that the plane they are sitting in is heading towards Tenerife-North/”Los Rodeos” (TFN). But that’s not the end of the world. Two Canarian airlines, Binter Canarias and CanaryFly, fly from TFN to Santa Cruz de la Palma several times a day. The duration of the flight is about 30 minutes and includes spectacular views of Tenerife’s famous volcano “Pico del Teide” (3814 m).
…by ferry
For centuries Santa Cruz de la Palma was famous for its shipbuilders, who were said to be the best of the world – amongst others the “Amistad” was built here, one of the last Spanish slave ships. There’s no more shipbuilding today, life is laid-back in the harbour: The Canarian ferries of Fred. Olsen and Naviera Armas are landing several times a week, the Trasmediterranea (Acciona) is taking import goods to the island, and a small marina is welcoming sailors from time to time, who have a break on their route to the Caribean.
The Canarian-Norwegian company Fred. Olsen is running the passage Los Cristianos – San Sebastián de la Gomera – Santa Cruz de la Palma almost daily. With the modern “Benchijigua Express” the passage varies from 2.5 hours (direct ferry) up to almost 3.5 hours (via San Sebastián de la Gomera). Travelling with the trimaran can be quite bumpy. The passage (one-way) costs about 50 Euros per person.
Travelling with the “Volcan de Taburiente” (Compañia Naviera Armas) from Los Cristianos to Santa Cruz de la Palma costs about 45 Euros and takes abour four hours (via San Sebastián de la Gomera).
