What to see and do in Tazacorte in one day

Tazacorte sits on the west coast of La Palma, in the Aridane valley, and is one of the sunniest municipalities on the island. Many people drive straight through on their way to Puerto Naos or the volcano and miss precisely what makes this place special: it is the capital of the Canary banana.

This is the order we recommend to people who ask us at the farm.

Morning: the Banana Museum

The municipal Banana Museum explains the history of the crop on the island and its economic and social weight. It is the best first stop because it gives you the context: when you then see a real farm, you understand much better what you are looking at.

Mid-morning: a working banana farm

After the museum it makes complete sense to see the crop in action. At our farm, Amor Platánico, we run small-group guided tours: you walk among the banana plants, we explain how the plant grows and how long it takes to fruit, and we finish with a tasting of local produce.

The visit takes about as long as a relaxed morning and fits perfectly before lunch.

Midday: Puerto de Tazacorte

Down from the old town you reach Puerto de Tazacorte, with its black volcanic sand beach and a row of restaurants serving fresh fish. It is the natural place for lunch and a doze in the sun.

Afternoon: the Tajogaite volcano area

The 2021 eruption changed the landscape of the valley. Today you can drive up to see the Tajogaite area from the official viewpoints, and the scale of what happened comes across far better in person than in photographs.

It is worth checking in advance which access points are open, as they change.

Practical tips

• You need a car: local public transport will not cover this itinerary in a day.
• Wear comfortable closed shoes, especially for the farm and the viewpoints.
• In summer bring a hat and water: Tazacorte is one of the sunniest spots on the island.
• Book the farm visit in advance, because groups are small.

How to get to Tazacorte

Tazacorte is on the west coast of La Palma, in the Aridane valley. From Santa Cruz de La Palma it is about 40 minutes by car across the island; from the airport (SPC), about 45; and from Los Llanos de Aridane, about 10.

You need a car. Public transport in the area is not enough to do this itinerary in a day, and the hops between stops are short, so it works far better with your own or a hire vehicle.

How long to spend at each stop

This is the split that works well for a full day, allowing for an unhurried lunch at the port:

• ·Banana Museum: first thing in the morning, for context
• ·Working banana farm: 2 h 30 min mid-morning, tasting included
• ·Puerto de Tazacorte: midday and after lunch, with the black sand beach
• ·Tajogaite area: the afternoon, from the official viewpoints

If the day runs short, the stop most worth doing unhurried is the farm: two and a half hours is enough to walk, ask, taste and sit down, and it is the least like anything else on the island.

Why Tazacorte and the banana go together

Tazacorte is the capital of the Canary banana. The valley is covered in banana plants, and the crop is not tourist decoration: it is the activity that supports many families in the town and the one that has shaped the landscape you see from any viewpoint.

That is why the order of the itinerary matters. The museum tells the history, and the visit to a working farm shows how the work is done today: how long a banana plant takes to fruit, why the Canary banana tastes different, and the work behind every bunch. Afterwards, looking at the valley, you see something else.

What to eat and what to take home

At the Puerto de Tazacorte there is a row of restaurants serving fresh fish beside the beach. At the farm, the tasting includes Canary wrinkled potatoes with mojo, La Palma cheeses, traditional island sweets, Canary bananas and dried banana, avocado and honey, with island wine and a mojito made on the spot.

To take something home, we sell local produce at the farm: La Palma mojo, cheese with Protected Designation of Origin, La Palma wine, honey, handmade jams and banana liqueurs.

If you travel out of season

One advantage of this itinerary is that almost all of it works the same all year. The farm visit does not depend on the weather, because the crop follows its own rhythm whatever happens, and in winter the Aridane valley is still among the sunniest parts of the island.

What is worth checking before heading up to the Tajogaite area is which access roads and viewpoints are open, because they change.

With children

The itinerary works well with children: the museum is short, the beach at the port is black sand, and at the farm the little ones have their own space to make a handmade keepsake to take home. Up to age 3 the visit is free.