La Palma

La Palma, actually, San Miguel de la Palma, the most north-westerly of the seven major Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean that form one of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities. La Palma has a north-south length of 45.2 and an east-west width of 27.3 kilometers in an area of ​​708 square kilometers. It is equipped with an area ratio of 9.45 percent of the total area of all the Canary Islands, the fifth largest island in the archipelago. La Palma is part of the Spanish province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Capital is Santa Cruz de La Palma on the east side. On the west side of La Palma is the largest city on the island, Los Llanos. The national language is Spanish with Latin influences.

• 2.1 vegetation
• 2.2 Landscape
• 2.3 Nature Reserves
• 2.4 species

• 3.1 Stone Age, and ancient Guanches
• 3.2 Spanish conquest
• 3.3 trafficking, sugar boom
• 3.4 Viticulture
• 3.5 America trade, pirate attacks
• 3.6 silk, cochineal and bananas
• 3.7 poverty

• 4.1 Religion
• 4.2 Regional Festivals
• 4.3 Cultural institutions and artists
• 4.4 Generic palm Cuisine
• 4.5 Observatories
• 4.6 Historical Sports

• 5.1 Classification of the island
• 5.2 Population figures of La Palma and the communities

• 6.1 Agriculture
• 6.2 Small and micro-enterprises
• 6.3 trade
• 6.4 Tourism

• 7.1 Road Network
• 7.2 Public Transportation
• 7.3 waterway
• 7.4 Air Traffic

• 9.1 Contributions to Geology

Geography

La Palma is located 417 km off the southern Moroccan coast, 1371 kilometers from the Spanish mainland and 86.2 km west of the main Canary island of Tenerife on 28 ° 40 'north latitude and 17 ° 52 ' west longitude. It is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands and the only one on the year-round course there is flowing water.

To the west of the former prime meridian of Ferro, which was actually defined by 20 ° west of Paris runs. The name gave him the 67.3 km south area, this small island of El Hierro, which was the westernmost point of Europe known world to the discovery of America.

Geology

La Palma is - like all the Canary Islands - volcanic origin. With an age of about two million years, it is one of the youngest islands in the archipelago. From the seafloor in about 4,000 meters deep, it rises nearly 6,500 meters and is composed entirely of various volcanic rocks. The ratio of small footprint and high altitude makes La Palma to one of the steepest islands in the world with rugged coastline and only a few sandy beaches.

The northern part dominates the Taburiente. The huge crater was formed by collapse and erosion of a lava dome, which possibly arose in prehistoric times up to 3,500 meters above sea level. The diameter of the caldera today is nine kilometers, scope 28 km and the height difference from the crater rim to toe in Dos Aguas nearly two kilometers. The caldera forming thus the biggest caldera in the world. A ring of peaks with heights of 1700-2400 meters surrounding the crater rim.

Here is also the highest point on the island, the Roque de los Muchachos 2,423 meters. At the summit is the Roque- de-los Muchachos Observatory. To the west of the caldera drains through the Barranco de las Anguish, the narrow gorge of the fear of death, on the ground runs a hiking trail. The caldera itself is uninhabited and accessible only on foot. It was explained to the Parque Nacional de la Caldera de Taburiente 1954. The National Park Service maintains a campground here with information center. Just south of the caldera closes in a north-south direction extending ridge on which is divided into the Cumbre Nueva and the younger, made ​​of the Cumbre Vieja volcano craters. The ridge rises to nearly 2,000 meters above sea level and divides the island in two climatically different halves: while jamming the trade winds to the north and Ostabdachungen, the southwestern leeward side of the island is dry and often cloud-free.

Volcanism

In the southern part of the island volcanism is still active. The last eruption took place in 1971 with Fuencaliente, today's Los Canarios instead. This resulted in the volcano Teneguía, which is under scientific observation, because he has not gone out. South of the island, the Cumbre Vieja continues below sea level. Here there are active undersea volcanoes.

Volcanic eruptions on La Palma:

The traces of these outbreaks - crater, ash fields and miles of lava flows - shape, especially the southern part of the island.

Volcanic eruption, landslide - tsunami theory:

A study in the 1990s showed that the Cumbre waterlogged in its interior, has vertical layers of porous volcanic rock. There are theories that the western flank of the Cumbre Vieja is unstable when a new eruption and could slip into the sea. This huge landslide would trigger a series of huge tidal waves ( tsunamis) that cross the Atlantic at a speed of up to 700 km / h and could pile up to 25 feet high on the east coast of the American continent.

Some English geologists have this scenario used in a BBC documentary in 2000, triggering a media frenzy. A current, reliable calculation notes that there will likely be this evil within the next ten million years; most geological institutions consider the probability of such a disaster according to very low.

Climate

The mild climate throughout the year continued on La Palma is decisively determined by the northeast trade winds and the Canaries Current.

The ascending above the equator trade wind picks up over the Atlantic moisture and coolness and turns on the 30th Latitude its flow back toward the equator to. Here he meets in a northeasterly direction to the Canaries. La Palma is with its over 2000 meters high mountain absorb the moisture carried by the trade winds, which makes it the greenest island of the Canary Islands. Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the eastern islands of the Canary Islands, can not benefit due to lack of ridges of this water blessing and therefore remain barren and dry. The average rainfall per year of the islands therefore also differ significantly: Lanzarote 135 mm, 147 mm Fuerteventura, La Palma 586 mm.

The trade wind clouds - in a mean altitude 600-1700 meters - hit the northeast of the island and there effect maximum annual rainfall 1000-1100 mm. ( A graphic shows the distribution of annual rainfall in La Palma, in one stage of 100 mm. ) A characteristic picture of the flow of the trade winds generated at the central massif of the island, the Cumbre Nueva over at an altitude of 1450 meters, where the clouds the ridge roll ( Mar de nubes ), on the west side of the island, they dissolve then back on. The average rainfall per year between the east and west side of the islands differ due to the shielding of the trade winds by the mountain range significantly, with 507 mm in Santa Cruz on the east side and in Tazacorte on the west side of 284 mm.

Of particular importance for the water balance on La Palma in the Canary Islands have pines that comb out very efficiently with their up to 20 mm long needles the mist (fog condensation). The moisture drips to the forest floor, where it is absorbed only partly from the fine Saugwurzeln the pines, and forms an essential water resource for the island.

The second determining factor is the weather in the Canaries current, - branches off from the Gulf Stream near the Azores - cool ocean current that enhances summer with 22 ° C and in winter 18 ° C for a mild climate in the Canary Islands.

The climate of the Canary Islands, the with Levante, Harmattan, and sirocco - La Palma - denoted by Calima Sahara Wind is ( breath of the Sahara). The south of the islands of striking wind is formed at high pressure over the Sahara and performs very dry and hot air and Saharan dust with and usually lasts no longer than 3 to 5 days. In the summer he can be on the islands, temperatures up to 45 ° C rise. The fine Saharan dust discolors the air yellowish, continues as a layer of dust on all items, degrades the breath and impaired visibility, which can bring the traffic to a standstill in the worst case.

Another weather system arises in Atlantic Deep foothills, which can form at very stormy westerly winds and repeatedly to substantial damage to buildings ( houses, such as port facilities ), agriculture (especially banana plantations ) and led in nature.

The following values ​​of the air table refer to higher island locations ( probably around 500 meters above sea level, more reference location not known).

Nature

Vegetation

Due to its formation and situation La Palma offers a unique nature and landscape. La Palma is known as La Isla verde (the green island ) and as La Isla bonita (the beautiful island ) because it all year - is covered by green vegetation - at least in the north of the island. This opulence owes the island to the north-easterly trade winds that create reliable clouds on the windward side of the island, the rain out while crossing the island or form dense fog on the mountains. The moisture of these clouds is collected from various plants. The island is divided into different vegetation zones - from lava fields on Mediterranean vegetation to dry pine forests on the hills and on the northeast side and laurel forests that resemble rain forest. Among the plants of La Palma you will find about 170 endemic species of the Canary Islands, including the well known Canary dragon trees.

Landscape

The landscape forms an ensemble in black (basalt ), red ( tuff ) and green ( vegetation) in the blue of the Atlantic. It is characterized by the ravines in the north, deep gorges that lead the water from the mountains to the sea, the forests on the island's central mountains and the territories of younger volcanic activity in the south of ash fields, solidified lava flows and volcanic cones.

Nature Reserves

In 1983, the first time was in the Canary Islands of Los Tilos laurel forest on La Palma by the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve " El Canal y Los Tiles " - with an area of ​​500 ha - explained. In 1998, the biosphere reserve " Los Tiles " - to 27-fold - extends over an area of ​​13,420 ha, the parts of the municipalities of Barlovento, San Andrés y Sauces, Puntallana and Santa Cruz de La Palma covers. Today, the entire island has a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. In particular, the landscape protection areas, natural monuments ( Monumentos Naturales ) and objects of special scientific interest ( sitios of Interest Científico ) are reported:

National Parks and Reserves ( Parques Nacionales and Reserva Natural)

• La Caldera de Taburiente
• Pinar de Garafía ( mountain landscape of Barlovento and Garafía )
• Gülgün ( north coast of Barlovento and Garafía )
• Las Nieves ( with Los Tilos )
• Cumbre Vieja ( " Volcano Route " that runs through the communities of El Paso, Brena Alta Brena Baja, Mazo and Fuencaliente )

Under a protective standing landscape areas ( Paisajes Protegidos )

• El Tablado (North Coast Garafía )
• Barranco de Las Anguish (Canyon / output of Taburiente to the sea)
• Tamanca ( western slope of the ridge of the Cumbre Vieja )
• El Remo ( west coast of La Palma, Los Llanos municipality )

Furthermore, the whole island is since 1988 a light protected area (Ley del Cielo 31/1988 ). 2011, specifically the La Palma Starlight Reserve created the world's first UNESCO Starlight Reserve ( see section Observatories ).

Species

The following specialized species are native to La Palma:

• The Graja ( pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax barbarus ) is an endemic here (endemic ) subspecies of the Red-billed Chough ( pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax ).
• There are nocturnal geckos.
• On the beaches sometimes dive jellyfish and sea urchins on ( then a mark of beaches with colored flags ).
• There are reports of painful encounters with Skolopendern.
• At butterflies here is the great Wanderbläuling ( Lampides boeticus ) above, which occurs up to the top layers of the Taburiente Crater. This Bluebird is a common in southern Europe, and nearly the entire Paläotropis nature and is only very rarely as a migrant moth to Germany. Among the endemic species include the Canary White (Pieris cheiranthi ), the Canary Red Admiral ( Vanessa vulcania ), the Canary Speckled Wood ( Pararge xiphioides ) and the only Headquartered in La Palma Samtfalter Hipparchia tilosi.

Dragon tree in Las Tricia, Garafía

Endemic subspecies of chaffinch: Fringilla coelebs palmae

Big Wanderbläuling

History

Stone Age, and ancient Guanches

La Palma was inhabited in the Neolithic period by the people of the Guanches, whose origin is not clearly clarified conclusively. That they BC from North Africa immigrated from about 2000, is among scientists now no longer disputed. This is supported by the genetic analyzes of skeletal remains as well as North African language residues. The Guanches lived on a neolithic stage of culture and were organized into clans, which divided the island among themselves. The Canarian name of La Palma was Benahoare. The language of the Guanches, the Guanche, was suppressed after the Spanish conquest in the 16th century about by the conquerors. However, some words in today's Canarian dialect have received.

The culture of the Guanches is largely extinct today. There were no major battles on La Palma between the indigenous people and the Spanish conquistadors led by Alonso Fernández de Lugo. Therefore, the Guanches did not come here in masses around and were, of course not without resistance, Christianize. They were even after the Conquest in the island population in the majority. However, they had to submit to the new settlers. Later they mingled with them. Part of today's indigenous population of La Palma, therefore, still comes from the Guanches. The numerous remains of their stone-age culture still exist today: Residential caves, tombs, stone tools and the petroglyphs - rock carvings complex with an unknown destination. Noteworthy are the stone-paved paths king, which cover the entire island, connecting the different regions.

For more information on society, petroglyphs and religion of the Guanches one experiences in the island museum, the visitor center of the National Park Caldera de Taburiente as well as at La Zarza and La Zarcita (since 1998 first Archaeological Park of the Canary Islands). The local rock art are fascinating because of their meanders, labyrinths and figures. A second archaeological park at the cave of Belmaco With nearly 4,000 years, the oldest reference of La Palma.

The Canary Islands may have been known since ancient Phoenician navigators. First Europeans arrived in the 13th century to the Canary Islands, among them Lance Malocello.

Spanish conquest

In 1312 the Genoese Lance Malocello La Palma reached. After the Castilian Count Hernán Peraza had consolidated his power in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and El Hierro, in 1447, he sent a fleet of three ships with 500 men on the island, which was until now as invincible. But this campaign was for conquerors, like the previous ones, without success: at the bitter fighting with the islanders lost the Spaniards 200 men. On September 29, 1492 - Christopher Columbus discovered America this year - landed the Headquartered in Gran Canaria General Alonso Fernández de Lugo with a force of 900 men on La Palma, near the beach of Tazacorte; he was authorized by the Spanish rulers pair Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon to this campaign. He had formerly of La Palma abducted Gasmirla la Palmens there and made ​​false promises. The districts Aridane, Tihuya, Tamanca and Ahenguarem submitted to. The rulers of Tigalate however contributed strong resistance. Finally came all the princes of Benahoaritas, the original inhabitants of La Palma, to Christianity, to the District of Taburiente, the then Acero (strong place ) said. This area was under the famous Tanausú, who opposed and could be captured only by an ambush. De Lugo sent the Castilian crown several prisoners as proof of his conquest, including Tanausú, which came in the face of this shame on hunger strike and died during the crossing. On 3 May 1493 the "Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross," Lugo founded at the location at which the Canarian settlement Apunyon (also Auprón ) found that the city of Santa Cruz de La Palma. Then he went back to Gran Canaria in order to make preparations for the taking of Tenerife, the last of the seven major Canary Islands, which he eventually captured after a two-year campaign in 1496.

The Spaniards took advantage of the Canary Islands as a major stop for the crossing to the West Indies. The decisive factor was the geographical location in the northern trade winds, which already took advantage of Columbus in 1491, however, the La Palma never entered.

Trafficking, sugar boom

Quick riches offered La Palma is not due to lack of natural resources. Profit promised initially the locals - as slaves. Despite a papal decree of 1434, in which Eugene IV declared the Canary Islanders to free people and trafficking banned on the islands, much of the indigenous people of La Palma ended immediately after the conquest in slavery. It is estimated that only about 300 families ( 1,200 people ) were spared this fate. This palmeros could be gradually baptized and mingled, after they had been legally equivalent from the Spaniards in 1514, rapidly with the Conquistadors and with immigrant Portuguese and French. Even before the slave trade had exhausted on the island, Alonso Fernández de Lugo pursued a far more lucrative target appearing: the cultivation of sugar cane, at that time the most profitable agricultural product. European merchants, artisans, wine and arable farmers were called to the island to invest capital and labor in sugar processing plants. How safely you here dealt with the allocation of land, is illustrated by the following example: in 1508 sold Juan Fernández de Lugo its sugar processing and irrigation system of Tazacorte and Argual to the Andalusian Dinarte; these they sold a year later to the Welser of Augsburg; again a year later (1510 ) they came in possession of the Antwerp merchant Jakob Groenenberch ( Hispanicized: Jacomo Monteverde ), from which they eventually acquired the Brussels trading house Van de Valle.

Viniculture

From 1553 the cultivation of sugar cane on La Palma was worth less and less. In Central and South America was produced more cheaply. Many no longer profitable sugar plantations were converted to vineyards. The thriving on jungvulkanischem ground especially in the south of the island sweet Malvasia was the main export product of La Palma. The main customers Palmeran wine was England. By the middle of the 19th century took the triumph of palmerian Malvasia, then led a changing consumer tastes to the decline of viticulture. Today wine is cultivated again with increasing success.

America trade, pirate attacks

In the 16th century, La Palma got to Antwerp and Seville the privilege to trade with America. Quick to Santa Cruz de La Palma became one of the most important ports of the Spanish Empire. So Santa Cruz de La Palma attracted during the 16th century repeatedly pirates who tried to seize the riches of the city. Under the command of François Le Clerc plundered French in 1553, the port city. What they could not take, they burned down. After this disaster, churches, monasteries and houses were built bigger and grander again. New fortifications were built. So was the 1585 attack of the Englishman Francis Drake be successfully defended. The trade with America favored the rise of other branches of industry ( shipbuilding, manufacture of sail cloth, etc.). Many merchants from around the world came to Santa Cruz de La Palma and gave the place an international flavor, many foreign- sounding street names still bear witness to this era. The decline continued, however, already a middle of the 17th century. After a decree of 1657, all ships had to be registered in Tenerife and there pay their taxes on the way to America. The trade in the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma came so near standstill. While were King Carlos III. 1778 America trade for all Spanish ports free, but Santa Cruz de La Palma was never able to fully recover from the economic crisis.

Silk, cochineal and bananas

Apart from pirate attacks experienced La Palma largely quiet times. From any economic crisis, although bodenschatz loose, but very fertile island always recovered relatively quickly. After sugar and wine could be making good money with beeswax and honey, tobacco and silk. Already since the beginning of the 16th century were planted in La Palma mulberry trees, now La Palma was a leader in the production of silk in the Canaries. The silk industry of the island was considered the most advanced of the Canary archipelago. By 1830, the native of Mexico cochenille bug was introduced, a scale insect, which provides a coveted crimson dye. With the development of aniline color in 1880 this sector was, however, brought only a short gain. From this economic crisis helped the banana cultivation, the two companies Elder Dempster from England and Fyffes from Ireland brought in a big way from 1878 to the Canaries.

Poverty

The common people in the country benefited from the wealth generated on La Palma hardly. In the 19th century, most islanders lived in thatched wooden huts, even wealthy rural residents could afford only low Stone houses. Problems often prepared the food supply. Since you mainly cultivated monocultures on the island, gave the remaining arable land for the cultivation of grain and other agricultural products is not enough. Already in the 16th century had cereals - are imported - at high prices. As the cathedral chapter of La Palma once called his tithes in the form of wheat from the granary, the population refused unanimously and decided to settle in this way their taxes, and then the Inquisitor on the island imposed an excommunication and - as a result of crop failure - some years no one was buried christian. The rural poverty was so great that in many families the " poorly nourished and poorly dressed " men and women, as in 1758 the missionary Juan de Medinilla wrote in a confidential report to his bishop, Sundays and public holidays from lack of clothing each alternately had to go to the fair.

Culture, Science and Sport

Religion

The vast majority of the population is Roman Catholic. Periodically, the saints from certain churches will be honored with processions. These events extend over several days and be accompanied by a program and jubilant celebrations.

Local Festivals

Throughout the year there are several, some regionally limited festivals. With the almond blossom festival in February or March in Punta Gorda, where most of almond trees on the island are to be found, the dance of the parties begins on the island. On May 5, the conquest of the island and founded the capital Santa Cruz is celebrated in the "Fiesta de la Cruz ". To this end, crosses are on the whole island covered in precious cloths and paper and decorated with flowers and candles.

The " Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves " ( " birth of the Virgin of the Snows " ) is one of the outstanding Canary festivals. It goes back to the year 1676, reigned in the great drought on the island. To avert an impending crop failure, located on the Canary Bishop Jimenz to wear the revered around the island statue of the Virgin of the Snows in Las Nieves in a procession in the capital. The long awaited rain adjusts accordingly. The procession will be repeated every five years, the next time in 2015. Celebrations pull each summer for more than a month to go. A highlight of the fiesta is the Mask Dance of the Dwarfs ( " enanas " ) in Santa Cruz.

Another highlight of the celebrations in La Palma is the carnival, the carnival strongholds of Santa Cruz and Los Llanos do the removals comparison with the Rio not shy.

Cultural institutions and artists

The cultural offer in La Palma include the archaeological centers, Archaeological Park in La Zarza, community Garafia and Cueva Belmaco in Mazo, several libraries (both in the larger towns of the island), a cinema and the Teatro Chico, Santa Cruz and a movie theater lot Llanos and diverse music and arts events, which take place mainly in the Casas de Cultura of places. Among the museums of the island include Museo Insular and Museo Naval ( Naval Museum in the replica caravel Santa Maria of Christopher Columbus ) in Santa Cruz, Museo Arqueologico in Los Llanos, Museo del Platano ( Banana Museum ) in Tazacorte and Museo del Vino ( Wine Museum ) in the Plaza de La Glorieta Las Mancha.

Luis Morera is one of the most famous living on La Palma and creative artist. His works on the island include the Plaza de la Glorieta, the park El Jardín de las Delicias in Los Llanos, the fountain with a bronze figure of San Miguel de La Palma in front of the town hall of Tazacorte, the bronze figure of the dwarf ( Enana ) in Santa Cruz, as well as a variety of images from nature and population of the island.

Rare palm tree kitchen

The palm Generic kitchen is not very different from those of the other Canary Islands.

Until the 1960s, was for most palmerian families - especially in rural areas - the food from the products derived from them, such as potatoes, gofio (toasted corn or wheat ), pork and goat meat, goat cheese, mojo ( spicy sauce ), milk, fish, some vegetables and fruits. On festive occasions such as Carnival and Christmas special dishes were prepared, desserts from bread, honey and rice pudding, roasted chestnuts, biscuit. Goat cheese with mojo are today - even in tourist area - the specific palmerian dishes.

Observatories

For the site selection of the observatory on La Palma in 1972 were crucial, the altitude at the Roque de los Muchachos at 2400 meters above the clouds and a low light pollution of the night sky at La Palma, as well as a relatively small distance from Europe to other locations such as South America or Hawaii ( 4200 meters above sea level and 50 percent oxygen).

The founding members of Spain, England, Denmark, Germany and Sweden decided in 1974 as a first step for the construction of the observatory the development of an access road and the water and electricity supply to the Roque de los Muchachos and a training program for the Spanish scientists.

In 1984, the Roque- de-los Muchachos Observatory on its operation, which was officially opened a year later by the Spanish king and the royal heads of government of the member countries.

To improve the visibility of the astronomers in the night, 1988, the law Ley de Protección de la Calidad Astronomica de los Observatorios del IAC was for La Palma and Tenerife decided (the "Law for the Protection of Heaven" ), the neon sign prohibits and defines that outdoor lamps must emit only certain light downwards only.

On 24 July 2009, the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC or also GranTeCan ) was inaugurated by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia. It took doing the regular operation, and it is considered the largest reflecting telescope world.

Historic sports

Lucha Canaria is a Canarian wrestling, which has already been discharged under the Guanches. 1420 reported the chronicler Alvar Garcia de Santa Maria about this sport in the Canary Islands. It is believed that disputes in the native population were decided by this bloodless battles.

Lucha counts today - in addition to football - the most popular sports in the Canaries. It is a team sport that is played by twelve fighters. There are always two wrestle each other. Has lost one whose upper body hit the ground first. A fight goes 3 rounds of 2 minutes maximum duration.

Shepherd jump ( Spanish: Salto del pastor ) is a common in the Canary Islands a national sport that has its roots in the regional customs and probably goes back to the indigenous people of the Guanches. In order to overcome in the shortest possible time in the mountainous terrain elevation changes quickly and safely, the pastoralists used a several -meter-long wooden stick, the " Regatón " to reach a deeper located premises.

Management

La Palma is one like the other Canary Islands to Spain. Since 1982, this group of islands forms an autonomous region within the Spanish state. This La Palma belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The administration of the island of La Palma will take place by the Island Council ( Cabildo Insular ). Old and new president of the Island Council after the elections in May 2007, José Luis Rodríguez Perestelo the Party Coalition Canaria.

Outline of the island

The management of La Palma is divided into 14 municipal districts:

• Barlovento
• Brena Alta
• Brena Baja
• El Paso
• Fuencaliente
• Garafía
• Los Llanos

• Punta Gorda
• Puntallana
• San Andrés y Sauces
• Santa Cruz de la Palma
• Tazacorte
• Tijarafe
• Villa de Mazo

Number of inhabitants of La Palma and the communities

The inhabitants of La Palma recorded from 2000 to 2010 a moderate increase, but then reversed itself. In the communities of La Palma, the population development, however, presented quite differently is: In Santa Cruz took in this period, the population decreases steadily, while the number of inhabitants in the - rose communities Brena Alta Brena Baja - adjacent to Santa Cruz. Los Llanos recorded a corresponding increase in population by 2010, the number remained then but constant.

Population declines are also evident in the rural communities in the north of the island, Garafía, Barlovento and San Andrés y Sauces and Tazacorte in the West. In contrast, the remaining municipalities have made ​​only minor changes in the population figures.

Economy

Agriculture

2006 was operated on a total of 8,305 hectares of agriculture. Bananas and wine take this with more than 5,000 acres a central role. Increasingly, agriculture is diversified but with the cultivation of avocado, citrus fruits and vegetables.

The agriculture is made possible by a unique irrigation system of aqueducts and tunnels that lead the water from the mountains to the agriculturally used areas. These tunnels are partly driven hundreds of feet through rocks and bring the water over several kilometers towards the inhabited areas on the coast. However, the enormous water consumption of agriculture, especially banana cultivation to a constant shortage of water on the rainiest Canary Island leads.

Small and micro enterprises

Compared to agriculture trade and industry play only a minor role in La Palma. The island has only a few small establishments that process agricultural products or manufactured building materials or crafts, as well as some construction companies that had thanks to tourism in recent years experienced a boom. Only the cigarette factory in El Paso, working in about 300 Islander, produced by the end of 2000 substantially. The production was relocated to Germany.

Trade

The export of La Palma is limited to agricultural products. Overall, the island has a negative trade balance, that is, it is far more than a - run. Three quarters of the food must be imported, as well as citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons, as well as about 80 percent of the demand for animal products. Other important import goods delivered for the most part, the Spanish motherland, are crude oil, consumer goods, further mechanical and electrical goods and motor vehicles.

Tourism

In 1890 there were on La Palma first small hotels. Especially the relaxation -seeking Englishman frequented the late 19th century and early 20th century, like the westernmost Canary Island. Some decades later, it went with the tourism on La Palma downhill, in the 1960s, he came almost to a standstill. In the 1970s and early 1980s, La Palma benefited a little from the masses and charter tourism in the Canary Islands two main islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria. The then only large hotel was built ( Sol La Palma, Puerto Naos, 200 beds). During this time there were among the native population still reservations about the influx of foreigners who in graffiti on walls ( Alemanes fuera, German out) expressed. That on La Palma, tourism is an important source of income for the population, has silenced such hostility. La Palma has become a haven for dropouts middle class dropouts, where the proportion of Germans is the largest, followed by the Dutch, Swiss and British.

It was not until the late 1980s were recorded strong growth rates for international charter traffic in the tourism sector after enlargement Palmeran airport. In the 2000s, the resort La Palma Princess / Princess Teneguia with 400 beds was deposited at the southern tip of La Palma, below Fuencaliente. Despite steadily declining passenger numbers on La Palma by a maximum number of 1,207,572 in 2007 to 965 779 in 2012 ( a decline of 20 %), a new terminal building was inaugurated in 2011.

With a range of about 7500 beds one can not speak of mass tourism on La Palma. Besides the few larger hotels the tourists ( fincas ) are mainly housed in apartments and smaller homes. The holiday centers with most tourists are on the west side of the island in the area of ​​Puerto Naos and on the east side of Los Cancajos. The beaches of Puerto Naos and Los Cancajos bearing the EU's blue flag and thereby meet an upscale standard of quality.

La Palma is traditionally a walking island, that is how big the number of suppliers of hiking excursions in the different regions of the island.

Since the late 1990s, various sports services have been established. For example, guided mountain bike tours and horse riding excursions are offered, several dive centers on the east and west sides of the island have been established.

Rural Tourism:

Since 1992, the Asociación de Turismo Rural Isla Bonita insular has made the promotion of rural tourism on the island of La Palma to the task. These include in particular the promotion of rural accommodation and other tourist resources such as management training, management of museums and attractions. The association is an association of about a hundred houses landlords, small businesses and professional associations.

To promote rural accommodation ( with EU funding ) about 65 old houses ( villas ) have been restored in the typical landscape architecture ( until 2000 ). At this design include, for example ceiling in Tea - wood, wood balconies, meter-thick stone walls and the typical brick benches under the windows. The restoration work at the same time promote the indigenous crafts shaft. By obtaining and renting the houses of the rural exodus is counteracted with the effect that the traditional agrarian structure is preserved.

( Tea - wood is obtained from the hard core of the Canarian pine and is extremely resistant to moisture and can be easily worked with a chisel. )

To investigate the ideas of the tourists on the resort La Palma was carried out a survey of 316 tourists in 181 accommodation on La Palma on behalf of the Asociación de Turismo Rural Isla Bonita in 2007. The proportion of respondents aged under 45 years was 68 percent. The ideas about the resort La Palma they gave as follows: Preferably a resort that offers more secluded and not crowded, recreation and sports activities in a natural environment (hiking and to a lesser extent, swimming) and the holiday spending is also the population the place benefit. Special value estimates of the resort find the scenery, the peace, public security as the local cuisine. A the least valued aspects of the nightlife.

Traffic

Road network

Meanwhile, the road network on La Palma is over 1,200 kilometers long. All the main roads are paved, landscape due curvy and in good condition.

To economically better integrate the remote north of the island, in early 1992 a paved road connecting Garafia and Barlovento was created. Only a few remote villages in the north of the island are accessible only by earth or concrete runways.

An approximately 180 -kilometer ring road ( map designation LP-1 and LP-2 ) runs around the entire island (Santa Cruz - Los Cancajos - Mazo - Fuencaliente -Los Llanos - Tijarafe -Punta Gorda - Barlovento San Andrés Puntallana - Santa Cruz ), continue combines an approximately 35 kilometer long road ( map designation LP- 3) via two tunnels to the east with the west of the island (Los Llanos Los Cancajos ). A third road connects the east with the north-west of the island ( map designation LP -4) and leads over the highest mountain of La Palma, the Roque de los Muchachos.

Public transport

There are buses which do not operate on all lines in the (half) hour. Almost all major towns are reachable.

Shipping

The Bay of capital is used as a port since the conquest of the island by the Spaniards. From Santa Cruz de La Palma are several ferry services to the neighboring islands and (weekly) to the Spanish mainland, with stops in Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, offered. Since January 2008, the El Fortuny ferry company Trasmediterránea runs on the earlier served by Juan J. Sister route to Cadiz on the Spanish mainland.

Since 2008, reversed the Volcán de Tijarafe also a ferry of Naviera Armas, between Portimão, Portugal via Funchal, Madeira to Santa Cruz de Tenerife from where you can reach the port of La Palma. The generously expanded port on the west coast in Tazacorte was 2005/2006 a short-time ( weekly, not always reliable trains running ) connection to the island of Tenerife on Santa Cruz de La Palma joined the ferry.

Traffic

The first airport of La Palma was built in Brena Alta, 350 meters above sea level, with a length of one thousand meters and commissioned 1955. He was named Buena Vista. Because of the proximity of the mountains there was the problem of the changing winds from different directions, recurring patches of fog and rains that caused in the following years, more than 15 percent flight cancellations. These circumstances forced a redesign of the airport site. The Buena Vista airport was shut down in 1970 with the commissioning of the new airport, the runway still exists and is crossed by the main road from the east side to the west side of the island.

The new La Palma airport was built in the town of Mazo along the coast (IATA code: SPC ). Due to the increasing volume of traffic, the runway was extended in 1980 by reclaiming a dam in the adjoining sea. Since 1987 he is the sixth international airport in the Canary Islands, which is several times weekly flights from several European charter companies. There are scheduled flights to the neighboring islands and the Spanish capital Madrid, operated by Spanish airline Iberia and the local company Binter Canarias from the airport. The new airport terminal is in operation since 2011.