Puerto Naos Holidays 2024/2025
Holidays to La Palma conjure up images of a rugged volcanic landscape smothered in forests, black sand beaches, and bright stars scattered across a clear night sky. Its agreeable climate brings year-round sunshine and lots of holidaymakers. On the west coast, 30 minutes from Santa Cruz airport, is the small resort of Puerto Naos. This fishing village has one of the best beaches on the island and is a prime location for an outdoor holiday. Without the trappings of commercial tourism, this inviting location has a laid-back, peaceful vibe that will chill you out in no time.
Puerto Naos Holiday Deals
Volcanic wonder
From the volcanic sands of the beaches to the craggy landscape of the surrounding countryside, volcanoes dominate Puerto Naos holidays. Grab your hiking gear and head for the Volcano Route, 40 minutes away at Refugio El Pilar. A must for the active traveller, this 17.5km route will take you through pine forests, along black, volcanic hills and down craters. It’ll all be worth it when you get to the summit (which sits at 1,932m), where you’ll be awestruck at the cloud-filled views of the island.
Top tips for your trek include taking a windproof coat, as it can get chilly up there, and wearing walking boots rather than trainers, otherwise you’ll spend a lot of time shaking stones out of your shoes.
Kick back on the beach
The beach offers activities galore as well as a prime spot to relax and let the sun warm you through. If you fancy exploring the arches and lava formations under the sea, head to the diving school. You’ll soon be swimming around under the waves with eels, stingrays and the odd barracuda. The view from above is just as good, so how about seeing the volcanic landscape and incredible scenery while paragliding? It’s so popular in Puerto Naos that people come from far and wide to take part in international tournaments held on the beach.
As dusk approaches, take a stroll along the promenade and bag yourself a prime spot outside a café or bar to watch the beautiful sunset over the sea.
Santa Cruz culture
If you want to explore a little further afield on holidays to Puerto Naos, you can get your culture fix in the capital of La Palma, Santa Cruz. This charming colonial-style city lets you get up close and personal with traditional Canary Islands architecture. Set your sights on Calle Real, the main street in the historic quarter, lined with shops, bars and restaurants, with a bandstand at the end.
Head for the Plaza de España, a pretty square with a bronze statue of Manuel Diaz in the centre. Overlooking the plaza is the Church of El Salvador, with its Renaissance architecture and baroque pulpit. For the best views over the city, go to the Royal Shrine of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves in the north of the town.
Ecology and geology
If you’re looking for something different to do on holidays in Puerto Naos, visit the Ecofinca Platanológico, an organic banana plantation. On this working farm, you’ll learn all about bananas and how they’re grown on the island. You can sample the produce, too!
Only 10km away from Puerto Naos is Caldera de Taburiente National Park. It has a 10km-long wall of volcanic rock, massive craters and spectacular gorges to explore. It’s full of Canary Island pine trees and, if you follow the Barranco de las Angustias River from Los Brecitos, you’ll come to Cascada de Colores, a glorious yellow and burnt orange waterfall surrounded by green moss. Give yourself a full day to see this natural attraction and don’t forget your camera.
Fun times at the festival
Fiestas are a big part of life in the Canary Islands. If you’re taking a summer Puerto Naos holiday, join in the fun at the Fiesta del Agua (water festival). It’s like a big, town-wide water fight, where water pistols reign supreme and everyone gets soaked under the water jets along the beach. There’s plenty of dancing, drinking and celebrating to be done in the sun.
A more sedate festival takes place in July. During the Fiesta en Honor a la Virgen del Carmen, a statue of the Holy Carmen travels around La Palma by boat. The boat stops at several towns and, at each one, they hold a procession and the people celebrate for several days.
Despite its small size, Puerto Naos is big in stature and sunshine. You’ll find friendly locals, a Blue Flag beach and family-run restaurants serving authentic local food. If you want active days and gentle nights, this relaxing holiday destination is hard to beat. Whether you book your Puerto Naos holidays for summer or winter time, take your suntan lotion and swimming gear, and enjoy the subtropical climate.