La Isla Bonita
La Palma is known as The Beautiful Island for its diverse and impressive landscapes, ranging from lush forests to volcanic lava fields. In 2002 UNESCO declared it a Global Biospheric Reserve. Its skies are known world-wide for their clarity and has made the island a draw for astro-tourism. In 2012 La Palma was declared the first ever Starlight Reserve.
But La Palma isn’t just known for its peculiar landscapes; its culinary traditions are just as rich and unique.
The island offers a cornucopia of traditional farm products, grown using methods different from those found on the other islands of the archipelago. That’s due to the local climate (especially the temperature and yearly rainfall), the unique characteristics of its volcanic soil, water quality, geographic isolation, agricultural tradition, its wide-ranging changes in altitude, its micro-climates and the variety of its local species and breeds of animals.
La Palma ha sido puerto y puente entre Europa, España y América, por lo que buena parte de los productos llegaron a la isla de la mano de colonizadores europeos en su camino hacia o desde América. La afluencia de barcos que acudían al último punto de abastecimiento generaba importantes intercambios que han aportado riqueza y variedad, acrecentadas por las condiciones climáticas y geológicas de la isla. Así, la gastronomía palmera es fruto de tradiciones y recursos que, de una y otra orilla, se mezclaron con los aborígenes y los de origen africano.
La Palma has long been a port and a bridge between Europe, Spain and the Americas. As a result, many products were brought to the island by European colonizers sailing to and from the Americas. The sheer quantity of vessels stopping at this last port of call to resupply generated exchanges of goods that enriched the island, boosting its already vast variety of plants and animals. La Palma’s cuisine is the fruit of traditions and resources from distant shores, mixed with the customs of the native, aboriginal population and with those of African origin.
Today on La Palma there are many companies offering activities for tourists, not just in nature or nightlife but, increasingly, in gastronomy. The uniqueness of what La Palma produces has turned the island into an iconic culinary destination, with a wide offering of hotels and restaurants, many of which are unique in and of themselves for their ability to stock their menus almost exclusively with local products of the highest quality.
Today on La Palma there are many companies offering activities for tourists, not just in nature or nightlife but, increasingly, in gastronomy. The uniqueness of what La Palma produces has turned the island into an iconic culinary destination, with a wide offering of hotels and restaurants, many of which are unique in and of themselves for their ability to stock their menus almost exclusively with local products of the highest quality.