The best beaches in La Palma
La Palma is better known for its hikes than its beaches. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty to explore on the small island. Most of the beaches in La Palma (if not all of them) are black, volcanic sand. It gives them a darker, moodier look than the golden sand beaches you can find in Tenerife, Fuerteventura, and Gran Canaria. But don’t let that put you off! The sand is still as soft and relaxing and the coves are still as beautiful.
The best beaches in La Palma
These were some of our favourite beaches in La Palma.
Playa de Nogales
From the car park at Playa de Nogales you’ll walk for about 10 minutes, following steps along the base of the cliff. It’s amazingly atmospheric as you hear the waves below you in surround sound as they echo off the towering rocks. The steps are shallow, well maintained, and easy to follow and you’ll be fine in sandals.
The walk isn’t long or hard and the beautiful black sand beach at the end is well worth it. The sea is fairly rough at Playa de Nogales making it popular with surfers. You can even rent a board from a shack there…. But that’s about the only thing you can get. Bring your own food and drinks as there’s no kiosk at this remote beach.
Playa Echentive
This black sand beach is rocky at the back, but there’s plenty of soft sand closer to the sea especially at low tide. The waves can be rough but the ocean is beautiful for swimming. You’ll park in a lay-by behind the beach and follow a fairly easy path down, which takes less than five minutes.
Nearby are Playa del Malpique and the catchily-named Playita cerca de malpais y las cabras. These are a bit more off-the-beaten-track but still fairly easy to access by car.
Playa de Bajamar
This small beach between La Palma airport and Santa Cruz de La Palma feels peaceful and secluded despite being surrounded by a harbour and a main road. The sea is calmer than in Santa Cruz and there’s a beach bar selling drinks, food, and ice cream all day. On a Friday in November is was quiet despite the warm weather and perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
Playa de Puerto Espíndola
This small beach is quiet and peaceful. It’s close to Charco Azul natural pools and the small village does have a restaurant and parking. It’s a great place to relax and watch the waves crash over the breakers.
Puntalarga
This small village beach is a cute place to stop for an afternoon. It’s lined with huts and a local restaurant. There’s a small natural pool at one end of the beach but even that was rough on the day we visited. Nearby you can also find El Aljibe, another wild beach with pools visible when it’s not high tide.
Playa de Santa Cruz de La Palma
The beach that stretches almost the full length of the city of Santa Cruz de La Palma is big, clean, quiet, and a perfect place to relax. Unlike a lot of city beaches, it manages to feel peaceful and secluded – you can almost forget that there’s a road running along the back of it. If you’re staying in town and have no access to a car, this is a perfectly nice beach to spend your days at. There were plenty of people swimming, windsurfing, and sunbathing during our visit in November. And if you’re there in high season there’s a beach bar that serves food and drink all day.
Other beaches
There were a few beaches on our list that we didn’t make it to, but if we’d had more time in La Palma I’d have gone to:
Playa Varadero
Playa de la Veta
Playa del Río
Playa y Bajas de la Zamora
Cala Martín Luis
Playa de Malpique
Playa de San Juan
More into mountains than beaches? Check out our favourite hikes in La Palma here: The best hikes in La Palma.