About Tazacorte

If the island of La Palma is one of Europe's best kept secrets, then Tazacorte is probably a secret even better kept. Although it is the smallest municipality on the island at only 12km², it still manages to include most of the elements that any holiday-maker could ever wish for - beaches, walks, shops, culture and last but far from least some mighty fine restaurants! Oh, and some great holiday apartments to rent too. 
The following is an abridged version of our own 6-page guide to Tazacorte which is included with all bookings for Tazacorte made with us. But we didn't want to leave you out so please do enjoy the read and photos!

 Beach and apartments at Tazacorte Traditional balcony Pueblo de Tazacorte  Banana plantations Pueblo de Tazacorte

How did Tazacorte get its name?
On the 29th September, 1492, Adelantado Fernandez de Lugo and his troops (the Spanish Conquistadors) arrived on the beach at Tazacorte to invade and conquer the island of La Palma. Tazo, the king of Tazacorte, died heroically trying to defend his people and his lands and ever since, the area has been called the Corte del Rey Tazo, the cutting down of King Tazo, in other words - Tazacorte.
Where and what is Tazacorte?
Tazacorte is one of only three beach resorts on La Palma which include Puerto Naos and Los Cancajos as the other two. Tazacorte lies by the coast in the west of La Palma and along with Puerto Naos is one of the sunniest places on La Palma - in fact, many say that it is the sunniest place in the whole of Europe. To the north of Tazacorte is the municipality of Tijarafe and to the east and south is Los Llanos. To the west is the mighty Atlantic - next stop America!
Puerto de Tazacorte self-catering apartments with sea-view Beach resort Puerto de Tazacorte La Palma Tazacorte beach resort La Palma

So how does this little place pack such a punch?  Well, it helps that it is divided into two very different (but close) parts, namely the town (El Pueblo de Tazacorte) and the port (El Puerto de Tazacorte). The Puerto de Tazacorte is further divided into two parts, the marina and a small beach resort. 
El Pueblo de Tazacorte
The town of Tazacorte lies approximately 1.5km inland from the marina and beach and is a small but bustling town with lots of atmosphere – it’s a place where locals live rather than tourists.  From the Puerto de Tazacorte, the town is reached by a gently meandering road surrounded by banana plantations or from Los Llanos, the largest city on the island, it is just a 5-minute drive away.
The town itself is a fabulous mix of old and new which really appear to seamlessly blend together. It seems to be no surprise at all that a tousled mass of narrow streets from the old quarter should descend to the historic church and Hiper Dino supermarket, Disney-esq Town Hall (although at the moment painted white again) and a central roundabout which, despite the relatively few cars, seems to divert an accident only by a minor miracle. 
The centre is built around a statue of St Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of Tazacorte, and this is where the new plaza with an outdoor café and columns decorated in mosaics is located. It’s the new ‘place to be!’ Just near the plaza are two large supermarkets, banks, an outdoor swimming pool, a few 'local' bars, a children’s playground, a chic restaurant and a banana museum. 
The Pueblo de Tazacorte is where you will find all the goodies in terms of both history and your weekly supermarket shop. And a trip into the old quarter is also an absolute must in my book. 
Town centre and Ayuntamiento de Tazacorte Town Hall Narrow streets of Pueblo de Tazacorte Swimming pool at Tazacorte
Children's playground Tazacorte  One of the several plazas in the town of Tazacorte  El Pueblo de Tazacorte 

The Puerto de Tazacorte - self-catering holiday apartments and beach resort
The beach resort of Tazacorte and the marina are approximately 500m from each other with a broad and flat esplanade linking the two which makes it perfect for a daytime or evening stroll.
The little beach resort itself is made up of a leafy boulevard with a few street cafes and where a selection of excellent self-catering holiday apartments are located. A few moments away is the sandy beach which is a real haven for swimming, snorkelling and relaxing on the black sand which retains it heat even on a cooler day. (Handy tip: if you have small children, make sure they stay near the breakwater end as there can sometimes be sudden large waves). Along the promenade and overlooking the beach are a group of excellent open-air restaurants which are popular with tourists enjoying a long and lazy lunch and with business-people alike. The speciality is of course fresh fish but the salads, goat's cheese, papas arrugados (wrinkly potatoes) are also something to write home about. Not forgetting the excellent La Palma wine.
Close by you will also find a small selection of shops which include a mini-market, chemist, beachwear shop, paper/sweet shop with internet, gift shop, ice-cream shop and a couple of café/bars. Although not a large resort by any means, it is possible to arrive at the beach resort and never leave for the entire week of your holiday! Check out the Tazacorte apartments here. 

Esplanade between Tazacorte Marina and apartments at Tazacorte Restaurants at Tazacorte Tazacorte Puerto
 Restaurants at Tazacrote  Tazacorte beach with straw umbrella Beach at Tazacorte

The Puerto de Tazacorte - marina
The harbour/marina of Tazacorte is to be found at the opposite end of the promenade to the self-catering holiday apartments. Near the marina is a pizza restaurant and two very pleasant bar/cafes within the marina space. Apart from shiny yachts and colourful fishing boats, there are various boats which offer daily dolphin spotting and whale watching trips including the Fancy II, Flipper Whale Watching, Fantasy and the Inia RIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable). The Fancy II catamaran is great for looking at the underwater marine life through the glass hull while the Flipper is all about enjoying the experience above board. The Inia is more about a bit of high speed thrill but of course a careful and slow approach when dolphins and whales are about. You can check out the Inia and Flipper and the Fancy II and Fantasy directly for more information on the dolphin and whale spotting boat trips from Tazacorte.  
Sea / sport fishing is available with La Palma Atlantic Experience.
Marina Tazacorte la Palma
Boat trips from Tazacorte to see the dolpins		 Fantasy boat tours, Tazacorte whale watching and dolphins, la palma
 Fancy II dolphin spotting tazacorte la palma

 If you are staying in Tazacorte, then you can wander along and pre-book your place. 

 Flipper boat trips Tazacorte whale watching and dolphins la Palma

Learning Spanish in the Canary Islands
Fancy learning a bit of Spanish while you are on holiday on La Palma? Lourdes offers you the exciting opportunity to learn Spanish with her unique 'Active Spanish' methods - yes, learn Spanish the easy and fun way! Classes are informal and held in a natural and normal environment, whether it be the Plaza in Los Lllanos or a walk on the trails of La Palma. It's a great way to learn, entirely stress free and at your own pace plus you can select your subject whether it be to learn holiday Spanish or a more specific topic. Spanish lessons also available in Santa Cruz.  Ask us for more details! 

Walking on La Palma
Tazacorte is a great base for walking too as this is where the GR131 El Baston begins/ends and the GR130 Camino Real trekking trail is just 1km away. It is a great location for the Caldera de Taburiente, La Cumbrecita and the Volcano Route. If you are booking on of our La Palma walking holidays, then we provide you with walking notes. 

Your booking of accommodation at Tazacorte includes our 6-page guide with information on walks, restaurants, museums, amenities and those must do's around Tazacorte and the surrounding area. Click here for self-catering apartments at Tazacorte to rent.

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