Wandering Around Santa Cruz de la Palma, Canary Islands

Santa Cruz de la Palma is the capital of the island of La Palma and is built along an old lava flow coming from the Caldereta (small caldera) volcano just south of the city.  The city has a population of around 13,000 people and is known for having the first democratically-elected town hall in Spain.

Our ship is docked near the ferries to Tenerife and La Gomera.

Ferries around the islands

We leave the port and wander through the town in a light rain, viewing the great balconies on the houses along the way, typical architecture of the Canary Islands built during the 16th and 17th centuries, reflecting a blend of Spanish, Portuguese, and Moorish influences.

Walking through the city

Views of the balconies

As we follow a street parallel to the sea, we get occasional glimpses of the sea on the far end of the pavement.

Glimpses of the sea

We emerge from the residential area to find a replica of the Santa Maria, one of Columbus' ships, now housing the Naval Museum.

Santa Maria

We wander into a park across from the Santa Maria and find cactus, statues, and murals overlooking the water.

City park

We start back toward the harbor and walk along the inviting beach, spotting more great balconies on houses facing the water, a symbol of the city's prosperity as a crucial colonial trading port and a legacy of its rich maritime history, including being a port authorized to trade with the Americas. 

Along the beach

View of the volcanic hills surrounding the city

More great balconies

We continue along the beach toward the harbor, watching the strong surf and finding a few more great sculptures.

Beach and surf

A few more sculpture

We reach the harbor and our ship and sit and watch the ferries arrive, unload, load, and depart for other destinations in the Canary Islands.

Back in the harbor

Soon, it is time for us to depart for the next island destination, leaving the Canary Islands and heading to Funchal, Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal (one of two, the other being the Azores), 463 km (288 miles) north.