Volcanoes, laurel forests and Europe's clearest night skies
🌋La Palma
Spain
Updated 1 July 2026
La Palma is the green, quiet Canary, nicknamed la isla bonita, the beautiful island. It trades big resorts and mega water parks for volcanoes, laurel forests, banana valleys and some of the darkest, clearest night skies on Earth. Families come for calm black-sand beaches at Los Cancajos and Puerto Naos, gentle nature walks, and a stargazing experience kids never forget. It is a touch cooler and greener than the busy south of Tenerife, and most flights arrive via a connection into the small airport, but for families who want warm winter sun with real character rather than a crowded resort strip, few islands are as special.
20 to 24C
Typical winter day highs
2,426m
Roque de los Muchachos summit
1
UNESCO Biosphere and Starlight Reserve
SPC
Small airport, usually via a connection
Live prices & availability
Stays near La Palma, Spain
We compare Booking, Expedia, Hotels.com and more so you book at the best price. Prices update in real time.
Why it works with kids
- Some of the world's best stargazing, a Starlight Reserve where kids can spot the Milky Way with the naked eye
- Calm black-sand beaches at Los Cancajos and Puerto Naos, sheltered and gently shelving for young swimmers
- The huge Caldera de Taburiente crater and misty laurel forests for easy family walks and waterfalls
- Volcanoes, salt pans and a lighthouse in the south, a real-life geography lesson kids love
Best areas to stay
- 1Los Cancajos: the main family beach base, a sheltered black-sand cove near the airport and Santa Cruz, with most of the island's hotels
- 2Puerto Naos: the sunniest west-coast beach resort, a long Blue Flag black-sand beach, reopening steadily after the 2021 eruption
- 3Fuencaliente: the volcanic south for the biggest resort, salt pans, a lighthouse and the darkest stargazing skies
Our KidProof picks
Hand-picked and scored on the eight things that matter to families.
in La Palma
H10 Taburiente Playa
Comfortable, recently updated rooms in low-rise blocks set in gardens, most with a balcony or terrace and many facing the sea. Family rooms and connecting doubles sleep four, and the ground-floor garden rooms are the easy pick with a pram.
in La Palma
Hotel Hacienda San Jorge
Low bungalow-style buildings of studios and one-bedroom apartments scattered through big subtropical gardens, most with a kitchenette and a terrace. The one-bedroom units give parents a separate room and a sofa bed, so a family of four spreads out comfortably.
in La Palma
Hotel La Palma Princess
The island's biggest resort, with roomy doubles and family rooms terraced into the hillside, most with a balcony and sea or garden views. Family rooms sleep up to four, and there is a separate adults-only Esencia zone if grandparents want their own quiet corner.
in La Palma
Melia La Palma
The refreshed former Sol La Palma, now Melia La Palma, mixes hotel rooms with roomier apartments that have a kitchenette, most with a balcony and many facing the sea. The apartments are the family pick, giving four people space and the option to self-cater.
in La Palma
Parador de La Palma
Handsome Canarian-style rooms with wooden balconies, set in a grand traditional building surrounded by gardens above the sea. Rooms are generous and some connect, so a family of four can take two adjoining doubles rather than squeezing into one.
in La Palma
Hotel Las Olas
Simple, bright rooms in a friendly small hotel a couple of minutes from the Los Cancajos beach, most with a balcony and many with a sea view. Rooms are on the compact side, so a family of four is best in a triple plus a cot or two connecting rooms.
in La Palma
Apartamentos Playamont
Practical one and two-bedroom apartments with a full kitchen and a balcony, a short walk from the wide black-sand beach at Puerto Naos. The two-bedroom units give a family of four or five real room to spread out, with a sofa, dining table and often a sea or mountain view.
in La Palma
Hotel Eden
Small, tidy studios and apartments with a kitchenette in a friendly budget aparthotel in the heart of Los Cancajos, a few minutes from the beach. Studios suit a couple with a baby or toddler, and one-bedroom units give a young family a bit more room.
Compare our picks in La Palma
| Hotel | Score | Kids club | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| H10 Taburiente Playa | 84 | ✅ Free kids club | 140€ |
| Hotel Hacienda San Jorge | 83 | — | 120€ |
| Hotel La Palma Princess | 82 | ✅ Free kids club | 175€ |
| Melia La Palma | 79 | — | 105€ |
| Parador de La Palma | 78 | — | 130€ |
| Hotel Las Olas | 78 | — | 90€ |
| Apartamentos Playamont | 76 | — | 85€ |
| Hotel Eden | 73 | — | 75€ |
Browse La Palma by what matters
Family things to do in La Palma
Stargazing and the observatories
La Palma is a Starlight Reserve with some of the clearest skies on Earth. Kids can join a family star tour or just lie back and count shooting stars, and the mountaintop observatories run visits.
Caldera de Taburiente
The island's giant crater national park has short family walks to viewpoints and streams, with dramatic scenery and easy picnic spots.
Fuencaliente salt pans and lighthouse
Bright white salt pans meet black lava and blue sea at the island's southern tip, an otherworldly, easy stop with a lighthouse and a cafe.
Los Tilos laurel forest
A lush, misty ancient laurel forest with a gentle trail to a waterfall, cool and magical for a hot day with kids.
Parents also ask
Is La Palma good for a family beach holiday?
Yes, but set expectations: La Palma is greener and quieter than the big Canaries, with black volcanic sand rather than long golden strands. The sheltered coves at Los Cancajos and the wide beach at Puerto Naos are calm and family-friendly, and the island shines for nature and stargazing alongside beach days.
Is it safe to visit after the 2021 volcano eruption?
Yes. The 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption affected the west, and Puerto Naos was evacuated because of volcanic gas rather than lava. It has been reopening steadily since 2024, its beach has its Blue Flag back, and the rest of the island was unaffected. Some services in Puerto Naos are still returning, so check openings when you book that area.
Do we need a hire car?
For most families, yes. La Palma is mountainous and spread out, and a car is what unlocks the crater, forests, salt pans and stargazing. If you stay at Los Cancajos and mainly want the beach and pool, you can manage without, but a car makes the island sing.
When is the best time to visit with kids?
La Palma is a year-round winter-sun island, a little cooler and greener than the southern Canaries. Winter is mild and pleasant, spring and autumn are warm and quiet, and summer is the warmest for swimming without ever getting fierce.
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