SHidden gems and secret spots in La Palma - Porís de Candelaria village
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Check out these 7 unique swimming spots in La Palma!

If you are looking for some unique and secret swimming spots in La Palma island, definitely read this blog post! Here you will find all the places with photos, descriptions, how to get there, and exact locations where they can be found on Google Maps. Happy exploring!

Read also >>> 17 best Instagram spots for amazing photos of La Palma

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1. Porís de Candelaria and Cueva Bonita

Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Poris de Candelaria
Swimming spots in La Palma - Porís de Candelaria village

Can you imagine a tiny, tiny fishermen’s village inside a huge 50-meter coastal cave? Well, it is a reality for a couple of people who live in Porís de Candelaria village. This is probably the most unique and charming place in La Palma with crystal clear water.

How to get there?

Getting there is a challenging drive down a coastal cliff (just take your time!) and then a short hike till you reach the village (a bit steep but worth it!). Check the location of the parking lot below – there is an exact location where to park your car.

What to do in Porís de Candelaria?

There are no shops, restaurants or services in the village, so this is not the place to spend the whole day. However, you can join a unique sea kayaking tour from this village to see a secret sea cave nearby – Cueva Bonita – that is only accessible from the sea. This tour starts right from the village!

You can get to Porís de Candelaria village and Cueva Bonita sea cave also by boat. If you join this boat tour from Puerto de Tazarcorte, then you will not only see dolphins and whales in their natural habitat but also get to see Porís de Candelaria village and Cueva Bonita sea cave!

Furthermore, this boat tour will also take you to see the lava delta in the ocean that was formed by the volcanic eruption in 2021.

Location: Porís de Candelaria · Parking places · Sea kayaking to Cueva Bonita cave · Cueva Bonita cave · Boat tour from Puerto de Tazacorte

2. Charco Azul and Charco de las Damas

Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Charco Azul
Charco Azul
Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Charco de las Damas
Charco de las Damas

One of the most unique and beautiful swimming spots in La Palma is Charco Azul. It is a big swimming pool with crystal clear water on the East Coast. This is definitely one of the most popular swimming spots in this area of La Palma as the coastline is mostly very rugged and inaccessible.

Just some 50 meters further you will see a smaller natural swimming pool called ‘Charco de las Damas’. It is much smaller but beautiful nevertheless. There are stairs leading down to the water. Just make sure to avoid coming here during high tide.

Location: Charco Azul · Charco de las Damas · Parking lot

3. Piscinas de La Fajana

Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Piscinas de La Fajana
Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Piscinas de La Fajana

Piscinas de La Fajana or the natural swimming pools of La Fajana are probably the largest and longest natural pools you will see on La Palma island! They are located on the North, North East coast of La Palma in the town of La Fajana.

There are three open-air swimming pools built next to each other as well as benches for sitting and places to leave your belongings. There is a parking lot right next to the swimming pools as well.

This is definitely one of the best swimming spots in La Palma, especially for those who are hoping to do some actual swimming because the pools are super long!

Location: Piscinas de La Fajana · Parking lot

4. Puerto de Puntagorda

Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Puerto de Puntagorda
Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Puerto de Puntagorda

If I had to choose one swimming spot in La Palma to go to, I would definitely choose Puerto de Puntagorda! One of the reasons for that is that it is located on the West coast of the island which is usually the dry and warm side.

It gets the afternoon sun and sunset as well, so a great place for an afternoon chill. Another reason is that this spot is truly a little paradise. There are two swimming pools built around a huge volcanic rock.

They are not too big, but if you are looking for a bigger place then the port bay is perfect for that. The water is stunningly clear and blue and the bay protects the place from bigger waves. However, high tide is not a good time to come here anyway.

The area is very clean and has this southern chill vibe around it because there are tiny houses with blooming flowers along the stairs down to this beautiful swimming spot in La Palma. Plus everything is clean and well-maintained.

Location: Puerto de Puntagorda · Parking places

5. Charcos de Echentive

Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Charcos de Echentive

Charcos de Echentive is a hidden gem in La Palma located on the South coast of the island next to Playa de Echentive. The beach was formed by a volcanic eruption in 1971 and so were these two beautiful volcanic pools.

The beach itself is wonderful – a big, wide, grey-sand beach, but the volcanic pools are even more special. One of the biggest pros is that they are located more inland from the beach and are not affected by the tides of the ocean.

Another plus is that the water always stays warm as it doesn’t mix with the chilly seawater. These volcanic pools are easy to get to. Just drive to the parking lot of Playa de Echentive and then follow the stairways down to the beach. The volcanic pools are located on your right when you get down to the beach.

By the way, you will see the first volcanic pool right away, but there is a small path through the lava fields that will lead you to another absolutely beautiful volcanic pool. Definitely them both out. I think you might like the second one better!

Location: Charcos de Echentive · Parking lot

6. Puertito de Santo Domingo

Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Puertito de Santo Domingo

Puertito de Santo Domingo is a bit wild area – a rocky coast of natural volcanic rocks. It is again a steep walk down the cliff to the area where some people still live in tiny huts.

There are no bars or restaurants in this area. However, this is a great place for a remote picnic with incredible views.

There is a table with benches for a picnic as well as a natural volcanic pool to enjoy some swimming activities. There is also a huge rock formation just off the coast – Roque de Santo Domingo (pictured above).

This place can get quite windy at times. And it is definitely not a place to go for a swim if the tide is high or if there are big waves in the ocean. However, the place is truly spectacular.

I enjoyed the remoteness very much. It is truly beautiful! The rock formation near the coast makes the views even more dramatic.

Besides, there is a wild beach nearby – Playa Bujaren – with some more unique rock formations. However, I did not try to access it as the path there was clearly too dangerous. However, the views are great!

Location: Puertito de Santo Domingo · Swimming pool · Parking places

7. Charco de Puntallana

Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Charco de Puntallana
Best swimming spots in La Palma in Canary Islands - Charco de Puntallana

Charco de Puntallana is a beautiful (and quite big!) natural volcanic pool on the East coast of La Palma, in the municipality of Puntallana. This is one of those hidden gems in La Palma that only locals know about.

There are no signs leading to the volcanic pool and it doesn’t even appear on Google Maps, but it is a wonderful spot. Remember to come during low tide!

To get there you have to drive from the road LP-102 and turn off of it HERE to Calle el Sebinal in the direction of Puerto Paja. Then drive the road downhill to the ocean. Right before the ocean, the road turns left.

Then follow a bumpy dirt road along the coastline til you reach THIS SPOT which is the parking lot. Then walk the road downhill to the beach. There is a table and some benches under the roof if you want to organize a picnic.

Location: Charco de Puntallana · Parking places

Happy exploring!

La Palma surprised me in a good way as I didn’t know such a small island could accommodate so many different climates, landscapes, and unique places! I truly hope you get to enjoy this island! If you can, please, leave a comment below if there are any significant changes to anything that is written in this blog post! Many thanks!

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Best swimming spots in La Palma Canary Islands
Best swimming spots in La Palma Canary Islands

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