How to do La Palma on a budget

Cheap places to stay in La Palma

Direct flights to La Palma with TUI have helped put this rugged natural beauty on the map, and lowered prices too.

The airport is located just south of the capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma, making this one of the easiest and most affordable places to stay. You’ll find the largest selection of accommodation here, including hotels, B&Bs and apartments to rent. For example, the price for a one-bedroom apartment at El Lomo starts from around €80 (£67) per night.

The other way to bag the cheapest accommodation is to book a package holiday, with flights and transfers also included. Many of the package holiday accommodation on La Palma is found in the popular beach resort of Los Cancajos, which is also very close to the airport and has a beach suited to young families. A quick search on TravelSupermarket found a seven-night self-catering holiday deal with direct flights from London at the start of October from just £319pp.

Alternatively, look at the Fuencaliente area in the south of the island. With three main villages, Las Indias, Los Canarios, and Las Caletas, there’s plenty of choice for thrifty travellers. You can pick up a room at the four-star La Palma Princess hotel from £80 per night.

Cheap eats in La Palma

As you’d expect, many of the cheapest places to eat out in La Palma are in Santa Cruz de La Palma. From relaxed cafes such as El Cafe de Don Manuel to Mediterranean cooking and mojitos in Casa Tey, there’s plenty to sate hungry travellers here.

To keep things really cheap, look out for local, Canarian restaurants and set menú del día (menu of the day) options at lunchtime. That’s when you’ll find the best deals on the freshest fish or Canarian meat dishes, typically costing €10 - €15 a head. Tasty Spanish tapas is another budget-friendly way to eat out, as you only need to order one or two small dishes, which can start from as little as €3.

The seafood (and sea views) at Playa Mont and the Med-style dishes and tapas at La Tasquita are both good-value options if you’re staying in Puerto de Tazacorte.

To save money on eating out, consider a self-catering apartment and cook your own meals using ingredients from local markets and supermarkets. Fresh bread, cheese, cured meats, fruit and vegetables can all be picked up on the cheap.

Free and cheap things to do in La Palma

Black-sand beaches, towering volcanoes, lush hiking trails, and epic night skies – many of the best things to do in La Palma are absolutely free.

Beach lovers should make a beeline for the island’s biggest and most lively beach, Puerto Naos, or the more unspoilt Playa Nueva. Inland, the Caldera de Taburiente National Park is the place to be. As you hike along various trails here, you’ll find yourself inside a huge volcanic crater, some 8km (5 miles) wide and around 1,500m (4,921ft) deep.

No matter where you are in La Palma, but especially if you’re in a more remote area, make sure you spend a good hour every evening looking up. The clear view of the stars here is so spectacular that UNESCO has named the whole island an official ‘starlight reserve’.

If you’re more of a culture lover than back-to-nature traveller, Santa Cruz de La Palma is the place to stay entertained. As one of the Canaries’ prettiest and most colourful cities, you could spend hours simply wandering and admiring the architecture – especially along the Avenida Maritima, where you’ll find the city’s best preserved traditional balconies. There’s plenty to see in the Old Town too, including the 16th-century Church of El Salvador (free to enter) and the Museum of La Palma – home to impressive collections of historical and cultural artefacts. An entrance ticket costs just €4.

How to get around La Palma on a budget

The best way to get around in La Palma is with a hire car. In fact, given car hire costs can be very low, you won’t have to spend as much as you might think – you can hire a car from La Palma airport from as little as £4.83 per day. Plus, having a car means you can do as much exploring as you want to, whenever and wherever you’d like. Do bear in mind that as La Palma is a small and mountainous island, the roads are not big, wide or fast, so always give yourself more time than you need for your journeys.

If car hire isn’t an option, there are also some good bus services to help you get around the island. These will help you get from town to town, but not to the more remote villages or hiking areas. You’ll also need to plan carefully based on timetables, as buses aren't frequent. The prices are very cheap though, with distances under 10km (6 miles) costing €1.50 and even those over 20km (12 miles) just €2.60.

For shorter trips, perhaps into Santa Cruz and back to the beach or from your hotel to Caldera de Taburiente National Park, consider renting a bicycle or e-bike. Su Bici in Los Cancajos have options starting from €18 a day – the more days you hire for, the cheaper the price gets.

Insider tips

• The walking trails around Caldera de Taburiente National Park are all beautiful, but some are easier and more scenic than others. Invest in a good map and do your research before so you don’t need to pay to go with a guide.
• When you’re out and about in remote areas of La Palma it might be hard to find restaurants for lunch, so pack a picnic and that way you’ll also have more money to spend on dinner.
• Make the most of La Palma’s year-round sunshine and travel out of the peak summer season, when prices are at their highest.
• You’ll pay extra for imported alcohol brands in restaurants and bars, so opt for local staples like Cava, San Miguel and Estrella for better prices.

*All prices correct as of 18 September 2024.