80,000.
Santa Cruz de la Palma.
Av Blas Pérez Glez s/n, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Tel: 922 41 21 06 .
Reaching an altitude of 2,426 m (7,959 ft) on a land base of less than 706 sq km (280 sq miles), La Palma is the world’s steepest island. It lies on the northwestern tip of the archipelago and has a cool, moist climate and lush vegetation. The mountainous interior is covered with forests of pine, laurel and giant fern.
The centre of the island is dominated by La Caldera de Taburiente , a volcano’s massive crater, more than 8 km (5 miles) wide. National park status is an indication of its botanical and geological importance. The International Astrophysics Observatory crowns the summit. A couple of roads traverse La Palma’s dizzy heights, offering spectacular views of the craters of La Cumbrecita and Roque de los Muchachos.
Santa Cruz de la Palma , the island’s main town and port, is an elegant place of old houses with balconies, some fine churches and several 16th-century buildings. In the cobbled street behind the seafront, Calle O’Daly (named after an Irish banana trader), are the Iglesia El Salvador, boasting a Mudéjar coffered ceiling, and the town hall (ayuntamiento) , which is housed in a cardinal’s palace. A full-sized cement replica of the Santa María, Columbus’s flagship, stands at the end of the Plaza Alameda.
The tortuous mountain road southwest of Santa Cruz winds over Las Cumbres mountains via Breña Alta to El Paso in the centre of the island. A relatively sizeable community, the village is known for its silk production and hand-rolled cigars. Among the almond terraces and vineyards of southern La Palma, solidified lava from the Teneguia volcano is a reminder of its recent activity.