In a nutshell
- La Palma is a fantastic travel destination with kids. The island is warm year-round — but never uncomfortably hot.
- There’s so much to discover: black sand beaches and natural pools, hikes to waterfalls or along volcanic crater rims, and visits to an ecofinca with animals.
- The island is lush and diverse, the roads are well-maintained — but always winding. To explore properly, you’ll spend a lot of time in the car on curvy mountain roads. Make sure your kids can handle that.
- We stayed at the Anamcara Suites in the south and also recommend the family room at the Banana Garden in Santa Cruz, the Melia La Palma, and the H10 Taburiente Playa in Los Cancajos.
Sights and Activities with Kids on La Palma
Roque de Los Muchachos
- Perfect for: Children ages 6 and up
- How much time to allow: 4–5 hours
- Cost: Visitor center: free up to age 11, €7.50 for ages 12 and up, €15 for ages 18 and up. Observatory tour: ages 6–11: €15, ages 12 and up: €20 (the ticket includes a 50% discount for the visitor center)
- Online ticket: Visitor center: on-site. Observatory: List of providers.
The Roque de Los Muchachos is the highest point on La Palma, and on a clear day you can see all the way to the neighboring islands of Tenerife, La Gomera, and El Hierro.
The area is one of the best places in the world for astronomy — you’ll spot enormous telescopes everywhere you look. That alone is seriously impressive for kids.
You can visit the visitor center, Centro de Visitantes del Roque de los Muchachos; children under 12 get in free, adults pay €15, and teens pay half price.
The visitor center has several interactive exhibits, telescope models, and explanations of why La Palma is such an ideal location for astronomical observations. Information is available in Spanish and English.
And then there’s the observatory. You can only visit it as part of a guided tour. The tours are often booked out well in advance, and unfortunately children under 6 aren’t allowed to participate.
If you get the chance, though, we’d strongly recommend going.
For the drive up, budget around 1.5 hours depending on where on La Palma you’re staying. The road winds through countless curves on steep terrain up to 2,426 meters (7,959 feet).
Make sure to apply sunscreen on yourself and the kids, wear long clothing and a hat to protect against the intense sun. And pack jackets — it can get chilly up there.
Ecofinca Tacande Farm
- Perfect for: Everyone
- How much time to allow: 2 hours
- Cost: Children ages 3 and up €22.50, ages 12 and up €45
- Online ticket: Book here
The owner of the Ecofinca leads you personally around the property. She speaks Spanish and English. The two-hour tour feels genuinely personal — she made a real effort to involve the kids so it would be entertaining for them too.
She showed us her garden and told us about the individual plants, fruits, and herbs. The kids could run around freely and were accompanied by several dogs the whole time.
The dogs were the kids’ absolute favorite. We also visited the donkeys and horses. Our personal highlight was lunch.
The road to the finca is unpaved and feels a little adventurous, but it’s totally manageable.
The tour isn’t available every day. When we visited the Ecofinca, it ran Wed–Fri.
Maroparque: Animal Rescue Station
- Perfect for: Ages 3 and up
- How much time to allow: 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Cost: Ages 3 and up: €4.50, ages 12 and up €9, a feeding bag for €3
- Online ticket: on-site
The Maroparque is an animal rescue station where rescued animals find a new home. The facility is built into a hillside, so you walk along wooden walkways — meaning it’s not wheelchair accessible.
The living conditions here are simpler than you might hope for, but it’s clearly a step up for animals that weren’t doing well before. The highlight for our 3-year-old was feeding the animals.
You’ll encounter a wide variety of animals: lots of birds including colorful parrots and peacocks, two kangaroos, two monkeys, and a few meerkats. A crocodile and some snakes also live there.
Museo Naval: Barca de la Virgen
- Perfect for: Ages 6 and up
- How much time to allow: 15–30 minutes
- Cost: Free up to age 12, €4.50 after that
- Online ticket: on-site
Right in the middle of Santa Cruz de la Palma stands a replica of the Santa María, Christopher Columbus’s ship.
Inside is a small maritime museum with information about seafaring and the history of La Palma.
You can go up on deck, but you can’t touch the wheel or do much of anything else — which was a little disappointing for our kids, especially since they still remembered the truly fantastic maritime museum in Amsterdam. Worth setting expectations ahead of time.
There are lots of ship models to look at, but beyond that it’s not especially exciting. Admission is free for kids, though, and adults only pay €4.50.
Hikes with Kids on La Palma
Los Tilos with Cascada de Los Tilos Waterfall
- Perfect for: Ages 3 and up
- How much time to allow: 1–2 hours
- Cost: Free
- Google Maps: View
The hike to the Los Tilos waterfall is a really fun activity on La Palma even for young children. From the parking lot, it’s only a ten-minute walk to the waterfall. The path is not wheelchair accessible, though.
Right in front of the waterfall there are lots of large rocks where our kids could have played for hours. Bring swimwear and water shoes so you can get closer to the falls.
Behind the parking lot there’s an easy-to-miss little snack stand with a few tapas and drinks. There are also restrooms there, and they even had some toys for the kids.
The parking lot is fairly small, so you may have to wait for a spot.
Crater Hike at San Antonio Volcano + Museum
- Perfect for: Ages 6 and up
- How much time to allow: 1–2 hours
- Cost: Free for children under 12, €8 for adults
- Ticket: on-site
The two standout moments here were the crater hike and the earthquake simulator.
The hike along the crater rim starts at the back exit of the museum and takes a maximum of 30 minutes round trip.
At the end of the trail is a viewpoint with a fantastic panorama of the northeastern coast — an area that was actually created by the volcanic eruption.
We almost missed the earthquake simulator. We found it right behind the museum on the way to the crater hike. It’s quite inconspicuous — built right into the ground — but it was a genuine highlight for the kids.
The museum itself is really more suited for older kids. Several screens show footage of the volcanic eruption. Our 6-year-old found it fascinating and spent a good 30 minutes looking at everything, but our 3-year-old was bored pretty quickly.
Hiking to the New Volcano with Kids: Tajogaite Volcano Hike
- Perfect for: Ages 6 and up
- How much time to allow: 4 hours
- Cost: Ages 3–12: €20, adults €38
- Online ticket: To the tour
Our son really wanted to hike to the new volcano. You can only visit the crater rim of the Tajogaite with a guide.
There is one tour operator that also takes younger children starting from age 3. You can book the tour here. Even younger children are technically allowed, but they should be accustomed to hiking and carried in a child carrier with sun protection.
We split up because we didn’t want to bring our 3-year-old along, and that turned out to be the right call. According to the tour guide, though, younger kids do join fairly often.
We were out for a total of four hours, though about 40 minutes of that was the transfer from the tour operator’s office to the trailhead. On the way to the volcano, the trail goes almost entirely downhill — just under 8 kilometers through ash and lava sand.
The tour was fun and entertaining. We chose the morning slot so it wouldn’t be too hot yet. Even so, we wore long-sleeved shirts, applied sunscreen, and brought hats — definitely the right move.
There’s occasional shade along the way, but 90% of the hike is in full sun. Bring plenty of water and a few small snacks.
Throughout the hike, our guide stopped regularly to explain the volcano and used photos to convey the scale of the eruption. The tour is available in Spanish and English on weekdays, and on Fridays through Sundays you can also book it in German.
It ended up being one of the highlights of our La Palma family trip for our older son — at least in hindsight. During the hike there were moments of boredom, and the roughly 45-minute return leg with a slight uphill was genuinely tough for him.
Book the Tajogaite Volcano tour
Beaches and Natural Pools with Kids on La Palma
Puntalarga Beach
Our favorite cove on La Palma. A little off the beaten path in the south of the island, but only a ten-minute drive from our accommodation on La Palma.
A small cove with a pebbly beach and a little natural pool that’s perfect for young children. Above the cove is our favorite restaurant on La Palma, La Guildera — a simple but seriously tasty place with ocean views.
Right next to it there’s also an official grilling area and covered picnic tables if you’d like to bring your own food.
Fajana and Charco Azul Natural Pools
The natural pools on La Palma are genuinely beautiful spots for families with kids. The two nicest ones are in the northeast of the island.
The natural pools protect against the strong Atlantic waves. Both have showers and restrooms.
Charco Azul even has a café overlooking one of the pools.
At the Piscinas de La Fajana there’s also food available, though not directly poolside. The restaurant La Gaviota is situated just above.
Of course, kids — especially young ones — should never be left unsupervised in the pools regardless.
Admission to the pools is free.
Heads up: The black rocks get incredibly hot. Be sure to wear water shoes and don’t let your kids sit directly on the rock.
Playa de Cabras
If you’re exploring the south of the island and visiting the Faro de Fuencaliente lighthouse and the salt flats, just keep driving down the gravel road a little further until you can’t go any farther.
At the very end you’ll reach Playa de Cabras, which also has a small natural pool. Out there you’ll genuinely feel like you’re at the edge of the world.
Our kids loved watching the big waves, collecting shells, and hunting for pretty stones. Unfortunately it was too windy for swimming when we visited.
Playa de los Cancajos
A calm cove with a natural pool for kids in Los Cancajos, right south of Santa Cruz on the eastern side of the island.
This is also the area we’d highly recommend for families looking for a place to stay on La Palma. Read more in our article Where to stay on La Palma.
Playa de Tazacorte
Playa de Tazacorte is probably the most well-known beach on the island. From Los Llanos it’s about a 15-minute drive.
It’s also the sunniest and most reliably warm spot on La Palma. Especially in winter it stays bright, dry, and warm here, even when the rest of the island is socked in by clouds.
The beach is well protected by a breakwater, so even younger kids can play safely in the water.
There are showers, restrooms, sunbeds and umbrellas for rent, lifeguards on duty, and plenty of restaurants and cafés along the promenade.
Charco Verde
The Charco Verde beach is about a 20-minute drive from Los Llanos on the west coast and was closed for an extended period after the 2021 volcanic eruption. It’s now accessible again.
Here too you’ll find everything you need for a beach day with kids. Charco Verde sits in a small, tranquil cove surrounded by banana plantations.
There are restrooms, showers, a small snack stand, and a few fixed umbrellas for shade.
Playgrounds on La Palma
Playa de Santa Cruz Playground
A large playground right on the beach in Santa Cruz. Right next to it are restrooms and a small beach bar with shaded seating and cold drinks for the parents.
Parque Infantil Barbarroja
A really large playground in the northwest of the island. For us it made a great stop on the way to the pirate cove, the Cueva de Poris de la Candelaria, one of the must-sees on La Palma.
Right next to the playground is the little bakery Panaderia, where we stocked up for a picnic.
Plaza Llano de Alférez
Tucked away in the middle of Los Llanos, you’ll find a large playground at Plaza Llano de Alférez.
One street over is what might be the best ice cream shop on the island, La Gelateria.
Parque Gómez Felipe
Also in Los Llanos. A park with a variety of play and sports equipment, plus a charming little garden next to it with lots of plants, mosaics, fountains, and possibly the prettiest restroom buildings on the island.
And right next door is a small ice cream shop with homemade gelato, the Heladería El Drago.
Los Galguito Playground
A lovely little playground in the northeast of the island. We stopped here on our way to the Los Tilos waterfall and the Charco Azul natural pools.
Under the large trees there are picnic tables — perfect for a break.
The Best Accommodations and Hotels with Kids on La Palma
Our Hotel with Kids on La Palma
We stayed with our kids (ages 3 and 6) at the Anamcara Suites — a super stylish apartment hotel in the south of the island.
Our apartment had two bedrooms plus a living room with a kitchen. From the master bedroom we woke up to an incredible ocean view.
There’s a pool, a fitness room, and a washing machine. In the village there are several supermarkets, cafés, and restaurants.
It’s about a 30-minute drive to Santa Cruz on the east coast or Los Llanos on the west coast.
The Best Places to Stay with Kids on La Palma
Banana Garden La Palma: Our best value pick. Right in the heart of Santa Cruz, it offers a family room that sleeps four — one section with a double bed for the parents, one with two single beds for the kids. The location is great: no through traffic, and you’re within walking distance of the beach and plenty of cafés and restaurants. Santa Cruz is also our top recommendation for where to stay on La Palma — you can reach everywhere on the island quickly from here.
Melia La Palma: Located in Puerto Naos on the southwest coast, about a 15-minute drive to Los Llanos. Puerto Naos has a nice beach, the hotel has a heated pool and a children’s pool, multiple restaurants, and the option of half board. Children sleep on a sofa bed.
La Palma Princess: The largest hotel on the island with the most extensive offerings for kids and adults alike. There’s a kids’ club, a children’s playground, tennis courts, mini golf, seven pools including a children’s pool, multiple restaurants, spa, fitness, sports programs, and more. All-inclusive is available. The hotel is in the south of the island, not far from our hotel Anamcara Suites and our favorite cove, Puntalarga. Children sleep on a sofa bed.
H10 Taburiente Playa: Great location just a few minutes’ drive from Santa Cruz, 300 meters from Los Cancajos beach. Three outdoor pools, tennis courts. All-inclusive available.
The Best Restaurants with Kids on La Palma
El Samán Food Truck: Seriously great burgers. The spot is in Breña Baja on the east coast south of Santa Cruz. They also have a kids’ menu.
La Guildera: The ocean-view restaurant above Puntalarga Beach. Our absolute favorite!
Taller De Pasta Fresca: Homemade pasta and ravioli in Los Llanos. The portions are huge, half portions are available for kids, and there’s a small shelf with toys to keep little ones busy.
La Gelatería: Possibly the best ice cream on the island — delicious, with really exciting flavors. One street from the large playground in Los Llanos.
Zulay: A tasty bakery with excellent cinnamon rolls. Three locations across the island.
Heladería El Drago: Small ice cream shop with homemade gelato right next to the park and playground at Parque Gómez Felipe in Los Llanos.
Practical Tips and Final Thoughts on La Palma with Kids
La Palma family travel was a genuinely great experience. You can certainly do a classic beach vacation here (e.g., at the La Palma Princess), but in our opinion this island is far too beautiful for that. It deserves to be explored!
It’s a wonderful destination for families with kids who love being outdoors, in nature, and seeking adventure. The island is a world away from mass tourism, and the best things to do in La Palma with children are simply being outside and discovering things — whether that’s black lava beaches, waterfalls, or the crabs you can spot on the rocks around the natural pools.
If you ask our kids what they didn’t enjoy, it was all the driving. We really did spend a lot of time in the car, and especially our 3-year-old — who can’t see out the window because she’s too small — found that genuinely boring.
She also couldn’t have been much younger, because then the car rides would have been very stressful for everyone.
Since our only previous Canary Island experience had been Fuerteventura, we were surprised by just how green La Palma really is — and we now completely understand why it’s called “La Isla Bonita.”
We recommend spending at least 5–7 days on La Palma, and if you have more time, you can easily combine it with another Canary Island. The airline Binter operates multiple daily flights to every other island.
If you’re still not sure which island is the best fit for you, check out our article Which Canary Island is right for me?
