Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Snows
5 km north of Santa Cruz de la Palma, in the depths of the beautiful Barranco de las Nieves rises the sanctuary of the island's patron – Our Lady of the Snow. Apart from the highest parts of the mountains, snow in La Palma is not natural, therefore it is believed, that it is thanks to the miraculous statue of Our Lady of St. 1646 r. fell on volcanoes in Fuencaliente, preventing an eruption. Our Lady of the Snow is the creator of one more miracle - when in 1676 r. there was a great drought, the inhabitants of Santa Cruz de la Palma decided to move the statue of the Virgin Mary in a solemn procession from the sanctuary to the capital. Because right after that, the longed-for rain fell, the bishop of the Canary Islands ordered, to repeat the solemn pilgrimage every five years, starting of 1680 r.
It is not known, where does the 14th-century figurine come from and how it got to the island, but it is suspected, that she had been brought to La Palma before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. The sanctuary itself is a nice building from the 17th century., in a modest colonial style. The lavish interior is all the more impressive.
To get to the sanctuary from the capital of La Palma, you have to go to the north end of town, cross the Barranco de las Nieves and head west on Cuesta de Encarnación.
Viewpoint of the Concepción and Maroparque
From the sanctuary take the LP-101 road to Mirador de La Concepción south of Santa Cruz de la Palma. In fact, the viewpoint is situated on the edge of the volcano, half sloped to the sea, inside which one of the capital's estates - La Caldereta - was situated. From the vantage point, you can admire the small capital of La Palma on one side, and on the other, a panorama of the southern part of the island. A bit closer to Santa Cruz, also on the edge of the volcano lies the exotic botanical and zoological garden of Maroparque. A visit here and face to face with such animals, like parrots, kangaroos and crocodiles, will definitely be a real attraction for the youngest.
The Cancajos
4 km south of Santa Cruz de la Palma, the resort of Los Cancajos was created especially for tourists. A small and quiet cluster of apartments and restaurants on two small volcanic beaches – that's pretty much it, what can you say about Los Cancajos.
There is little activity at the beach, but well-stocked tourist information office.
Casa Goyo restaurant right by the sea, just a few hundred meters south of the airport, it is undoubtedly one of the best places in La Palma and an absolute open secret – All residents and few tourists know about it. The third generation is already running an inconspicuous-looking diner. About skill, with which they do it, is evidenced by the fact, that regardless of the day of the week at mealtimes, Casa Goyo is simply bursting at the seams. However, it is enough to try excellent fresh fish (restaurant owners have their own boat), to understand the extraordinary popularity of the restaurant.