Route: La Capellana
Area: La Palma
Date of walk: 23rd January 2017
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 3.8 miles
Weather: Some cloud but mostly sunny
On our first night in La Palma we stayed in a hotel near the airport on the east coast of the island, and on the next day we drove to our rented villa – La Capellana – on the west coast. By the time we arrived there was only time for a short walk, so we decided to get our bearings and explore the area near our villa
The map showed a walking route nearby – the PRLP 12.2 – and so we walked along the access road from the villa to join it and to see where it might take us
The route took us along quiet tracks and paths, with a couple of short road sections, gradually descending towards the Playa del Jorado but as we progressed further it became apparent that we’d be unable to reach the beach and return in daylight hours, as there still remained a very steep descent and re-ascent
We contented ourselves with the wonderful sea views we’d enjoyed and having done so retraced our steps back to the start
It’s unlikely that this walk will be followed by anyone else but this is my walking diary, not a guidebook, and it deserves an honourable mention. We enjoyed the short excursion and we look forward to some longer walks later this week…
Click on the icon below for the route map
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
Dawn from our hotel on the east of La Palma before we set off for the west coast of the island
Looking back to Santa Cruz de la Palma as we drive along the coast
Los Llanos from the Mirador de el Time
Looking along the coast from the Mirador - the white rectangles are banana plantations covered in protective plastic sheeting
Further along the coast we arrive at our rented villa La Capellana - a small ‘casa rurale’ with a big view out to sea
Bird of Paradise in the garden
Hillside behind the villa
The start of our exploratory stroll as we follow a dirt track from the villa
Houseleeks big and small thrive in the cracks between the rocks
It may be January, but everywhere is green
We head towards the sea…
We follow the sign towards the beach
The beach is only 3km away but there’s a huge descent and re-ascent involved, unseen from here, and we realise that we’ll run out of time
We carry on a little further
Looking across the Baranco del Jurado
The beach is somewhere down there, but it’s time to return to the villa and unpack
Sunset - one of the reasons we’d chosen to stay on the west coast of the island..
Later on, shooting stars seen from the villa
La Palma has exceptionally clear skies and is one of the best places in the world for stargazing, assisted by a restrictive lighting policy
Planet Venus, shining so brightly that it illuminates the Atlantic Ocean
A promising start to our week on ‘La Isla Bonita’ and we can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store…
