On 4 July 2023 we arrived on La Palma and tied up in the marina of Santa Cruz de La Palma. The location is actually perfect – right next to the old town. Unfortunately, there is so much swell in this marina that we can’t really recommend it to other sailors.
Exploring the island with Ralf and Karin
We spent a week exploring La Palma – with the best tour guides you could wish for: Ralf and Karin from the sailing yacht Marlin, whom we had met on Fuerteventura. Their boat was in the same marina, and they showed us an incredible amount of the island.
One of the highlights was the Roque de los Muchachos, the highest mountain on the island. Right at the top are the big observatories – and the view from up there is simply a dream.
A year and a half after the volcanic eruption
We were on La Palma about a year and a half after the volcanic eruption. Some of the photos show the huge lava fields – it really is impressive. Entire settlements and houses lie buried under the lava, and some places are still completely closed off. It’s amazing how quickly new roads have been built through the lava field. By some miracle, nobody was harmed in the eruption itself. But it’s terrible for the many people who lost their livelihoods.
Out and about on the green island
We felt incredibly at home on La Palma – and we quickly knew: this was not the last time we’d be here.
A visit from the helicopter
On the way back to Las Palmas, the Tenerife coast guard suddenly called us on the radio: would we mind taking part in a sea rescue exercise with their helicopter? All we had to do was hold our course. Shortly afterwards the helicopter arrived, hovered about 100 metres above our boat and then flew off again. An exciting experience – and a good feeling to know how well trained the rescuers are here.