Santa Cruz de La Palma

Santa Cruz de La Palma is the island's capital and one of the best-preserved colonial centers of the Canaries. The city (approx. 16,000 inhabitants) was one of the most important ports of the Spanish Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, thanks to the sugar cane and silk trade — at times the third-largest port after Seville and Antwerp. Pirate attacks (including by Francis Drake) forced the construction of powerful fortifications.

The Calle Real (Calle O'Daly) is the main axis of the old town: a pedestrian promenade with Canarian colonial houses, whose intricately carved wooden balconies adorn the facades. At the end of the street lies the Plaza de España with the Renaissance church El Salvador (16th century) and the town hall with its arcades.

Particularly noteworthy are the Casas de los Balcones on Avenida Marítima — the famous balconies with their Moorish-inspired wooden railings, which have become a symbol of La Palma. Behind them stretches the waterfront promenade, where locals stroll in the evenings and eat tapas in the bars.

The Museo Insular in the former Franciscan monastery displays a curious mix of natural history, Guanche artifacts, and Canarian art. Admission: 3€. Right next door, the Museo Naval is worth a visit — a walk-in replica of Columbus's Santa María (2€).