La Palma Holidays: Resorts, Weather and Package Deals

This is an island for travellers who like to get out and see things. Walkers come for the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, history lovers for the Castle of Santa Catalina and the Castle of San Carlos in Santa Cruz de la Palma, and the curious for archaeological sites such as El Hoyo y Peña del Diablo near El Paso and Parque Cultural La Zarza in Garafía.

A family holiday on La Palma works well if your children enjoy animals and the outdoors: Maroparque, a rescue centre near Santa Cruz de la Palma, is an easy outing, and the beaches at Puerto Naos and Playa de Bajamar give you sand days in between. Couples looking for quiet will find small coastal towns such as Tijarafe, Puntallana and Puerto Naos, which has fewer than a thousand residents.

Santa Cruz de la Palma, on the east coast, is the most rewarding base for sightseeing: two castles, the Museo Naval del Barco de la Virgen, the Monasterio Cisterciense de la Santísima Trinidad, the Mirador Barranco de Los Gomeros and Playa de Bajamar are all here. Breña Baja and Breña Alta, just three minutes from the airport, are handy for short stays and early flights.

On the west side, Puerto Naos is the beach choice, with Puerto Naos beach, Playa Verde, the Punta Lava Lighthouse and the Cueva de Las Palomas lava tube nearby. Los Llanos de Aridane, the largest town with around 20,000 residents, has the Museo Arqueológico Benahoarita, and Tazacorte sits on the coast close by.

For something more rural, inland El Paso is eleven minutes from the airport, while Garafía in the far north suits those who want space and the La Zarza archaeological park on their doorstep.

The best months run from March to November. April is remarkably dry, with just 3mm of rain and a single wet day on average, while July and August are close to rainless, with highs of 24°C and 25°C and nights staying above 20°C. October still reaches 24°C, though a few more showers arrive.

December, January and February are the shoulder season: still mild at 19°C to 20°C, but with up to eight rain days a month, so pack a layer for walks. As everywhere, package prices tend to rise during UK school holidays, so families who need those dates should book early and compare several providers.

La Palma airport (SPC) has direct flights from the UK, and the transfer could hardly be shorter on the east side: Breña Baja and Breña Alta are three minutes away, Santa Cruz de la Palma six and El Paso eleven. West-coast towns such as Puerto Naos and Los Llanos de Aridane involve a longer drive, so check the transfer time shown with each deal.

If you want to combine islands, ferry ports on Tenerife are within reach: Los Cristianos is about 76 miles away and Santa Cruz de Tenerife about 92 miles. Many visitors also hire a car to reach the national park and the north; you can compare car hire on this page.

La Palma package holidays bundle your flight, hotel and airport transfers into one booking, and when sold as a package they are ATOL-protected, so you are covered if something goes wrong with the provider. You choose the board basis that suits you, from room only to half board or all inclusive where offered.

On this page you can compare live package holidays to La Palma, Canary Islands from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach side by side, then check hotel prices, browse tours and tickets for sights such as the Caldera de Taburiente, and compare car hire for the days you want to explore on your own.