Tazacorte
Located in the west of La Palma, Tazacorte is a coastal municipality that is usually covered by the sun and that is an ideal place to enjoy the good weather, its port, the promenade and its plain. Also, to experience firsthand its LGTBIQ+ festival, a benchmark in the Canary Islands, and its Fuscos Horses festival, unique in the Palmerian territory.
A Sun and Coast Town
Considered the municipality with the most hours of sunshine in the entire Spanish territory, its climate and its coast make this beautiful municipality, with just 5,000 inhabitants, a must-see on Isla Bonita.
Tazacorte sits on a hillside in the southwest of the island and is divided between the Villa de Tazacorte and the Puerto Pesquero, facing the sea. Walking through its historic center is to delve into the culture of La Palma thanks to its colorful Canarian-style houses, its buildings, such as the 16th-century Hermitage of San Miguel Arcángel, or its particular banana museum, the only one in Europe dedicated to this fruit. One curious visit is to its old laundries, whose water only approached this corner every fortnight, a period known locally as "Dula", or getting lost in its streets contemplating its buildings that remind us of the rich past of this municipality.
For sea lovers, the Port of Tazacorte contains a unique marina, both for its location and the quality of its services.Opened in 2000, with a docking line of 167 meters, it is the second official port of La Palma, after the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma. In addition, it is one of the safest marinas in the archipelago thanks to its impressive dike, with 24-hour attention and high-definition live webcam service.
The port area is also ideal for sports, walking or to enjoy a spectacular sunset that will undoubtedly delight photography lovers.
Taste good fresh fish by the sea
On the other hand, for those looking for a good gastronomic offer, this municipality hosts a wide range that reaches its peak in fresh fish dishes.
Therefore, the visitor who wishes can enjoy a dish of peto, albacore, vieja or alfonsiño, in some of the restaurants located in Puerto de Tazacorte. The depths of La Palma conceal several species of the highest quality fish, some of them unique, which will delight any lover of good food.
And after a good meal, nothing like relaxing on the beach of Puerto de Tazacorte, the longest in the whole island with black sand (almost 2 kilometers). This beach, which has a blue flag, has several amenities such as hammock rentals, a promenade, a bus stop and parking areas. It is also ideal for the family audience as it has a breakwater that slows down sea currents and waves.
Within the water, it is highly recommended to sign up for some of the maritime excursions organized by local companies, which allow visitors to spot marine species such as whales, dolphins, turtles and fish, carried out from the deck or from the transparent hulls of the ships. In the water you can also see the new fajanas created after the eruption that hit the island in 2021.
A Place for Culture and Diversity
Tazacorte also has one of the renowned festivals in La Palma: the Caballos Fufos (Fuscos Horses). This tradition, which is more than 100 years old, is usually celebrated in the month of September. It is then that the streets of the town are filled with color and the Fuscos Horses, a group of horses made of reeds and wrapped in tissue paper, moved by a person. Starting from this, they dance through the streets of the municipality guided by a giraffe that marks their step and the course.
In addition to this particular festival, Tazacorte is a symbol of tolerance and the defense of LGBTQ+ rights, as demonstrated by the Love Festival, which for 6 years has become a symbol of respect for emotional and sexual diversity.
Every summer, music lovers can enjoy the performances of artists such as Alejandro Sanz, Vanessa Martín, Ana Torroja, Maná, Juan Luis Guerra and Nicki Nicole, among others, all of them stars of previous editions of the Love Festival.
Finally, the municipality hosts the first emblematic hotel in the Canary Islands: Hacienda de Abajo Hotel. Set in lush surroundings and a coastline dominated by pure waters, this accommodation is the result of the careful restoration of an old 17th-century sugar plantation.
Whether for its culture, its coast, its waters or its vegetation, Tazacorte is a place to get lost and enjoy the sun, the sea and traditions.
