Museums on La Palma

So small La Palma may be; culture-hungry visitors can satisfy their appetite in numerous museums. We provide here an overview of the largest institutions without information about opening hours, because they do constantly change. Current opening times can be found online or at the tourist offices of the island.

The Museo Arqueológico Benahoarita in Los Llanos informs about the life of the indigenous people of La Palma. After the opening we have published a detailed article in our La Palma24 Journal - click here.

Theory and practice of life of the indigenous people from La Palma are provided in La Zarza. Because the mini-museum in the north of the island has not only an exhibition and film screening room, there is also a small park with rocks on which visitors can see the original spirals and patterns from the indigenous people. These rock carvings from the Benahoariten are called petroglyph.

They came from the northwest of Africa, they lived approximately 4.000 years on La Palma and were defeated in the 15th century by the Spanish colonialists: We are talking about the indigenous people, called Benahoariten, who left everywhere on the island their enigmatic carvings. The first of these so-called “Petroglyph” were discovered in 1752 in the Cueva Belmaco. Today the cave together with a museum constitutes the archaeological park Belmaco in the south of La Palma - a learning trail connects the Cueva with the buildings. For more information read this article in our La Palma24 Journal - click here.

That’s only on La Palma: replicas of pottery from the indigenous people! This high degree of pottery practice Ramón Barreto Leal and his wife Vina Cabrera Medina in the old Gofio-mill in Mazo. In cooperation with archaeologists, the two have developed 35 years ago a ceramic range after the original vessels of the Benahoariten. On this basis, the couple produces until today in their workshop El Molino - and island visitors can be looking both of them over their shoulder. Next to the workshop is a small museum. The bowls, pots and cups on the shelves show how the handicraft from the indigenous people got evolved and more and more refined. The old Gofio-mill is situated in the Carretera Hoyo de Mazo.

The Island Museum is located in the old Franciscan convent in Santa Cruz de La Palma. It is perfectly fitted in the beautifully restored facility in the Plaza de San Francisco and works from Flemish painters from the 16th century are exhibited, as well as images from the romanticism and realism through to Impressionism and Expressionism. In addition, visitors can see handicrafts as typical palmerian ceramic, embroidery or silk. Natural History exhibits as prepared fish and birds as well as mummies and reconstructions of the early history of La Palma complete the exhibition.

The “Museo Insular” was founded in 1915 and celebrates its 100th birthday in 2015. In addition to the previous hall of the fine arts a second room has been implemented. Visitors will find here 30 works from the collections of the Cabildo, which have never been shown publicly. We always inform about current exhibitions in the Art Section in our La Palma 24 Journal - click here.

Since the beginning of October 2014 the “Museo de Arte Contemporáneo” in Santa Cruz de La Palma is open for all art lovers. Under the roof of the in the 70th years by a fire destroyed and now restored old villa works of contemporary artists from the Canary Islands and with the archipelago affiliated authors are presented. The museum is situated in the Calle Virgen de la Luz 13 and offers on three floors exhibition rooms, an auditorium and a library. Currently exhibited are paintings and sculptures in example from Pedro González, César Manrique and Carmen Arozena. The “Museo de Arte Contemporáneo” is located in the old town of Santa Cruz in the district of San Telmo between the pedestrian zone Calle O'Daly and Calle San Telmo.

On the Plaza Alameda in Santa Cruz is the “Santa Maria” - although Columbus was never on La Palma. Colón - as the Spanish people call their famous explorer - made on his trip to India a stopover at the Canary Islands, but on La Gomera. This has not deterred the Palmeros to recreate his legendary ship from concrete in its capital and setting up inside a museum. Old parchments, boat tickets and navigation instruments provide information about the history of navigation and remember visitors that the Palmeros have been the 19th century respected shipbuilders.

The Silk Craft Museum in El Paso is more than a museum. Because this in 2014 as a cultural property declared facility not only shows works of Hilanderas - the silk spinners give in the ground floor an insight into their art. You’ll find more information about this handicraft that is operated only on La Palma in an article in our La Palma24 Journal - click here.

Cigar smokers are excited about the “Puros Palmeros”, as you can read in many expert commentaries in the internet. For all vacationers on La Palma, take a trip to the cigar museum in San Pedro – which is located in the municipality of Breña Alta, situated directly at the Plaza Los Almos at the entrance of the village. We have described smoke signals that are placed in the Museo del Puro in our La Palma24 Journal - click here.

It is the youngest of the La Palma museums and has opened in September 2015: The Rum- and Sugar Cane Museum in San Andrés y Sauces in the northeast of La Palma tells the story of the business family Quevedo and gives an insight about the production of their products. The distillery started in the late 19th century with the production of sugar and brandy and produces since 1938 the Ron Alda and liqueurs which are internationally acclaimed by connoisseurs. And of course the museum also has a tasting and sales room.

For those who want to by the Vinos de La Palma not only suspected in the supermarket, a visit of the Wine Museum in Las Manchas is recommended. In addition to the information about the palmerian regions and varieties you also can taste the fine wines. The “Casa del Vino” is easy to find: just next to the famous “Placeta de la Glorieta” in Las Manchas Abajo - this is a place that was designed with mosaic by Island artist Luis Morera.

Villa de Mazo Corpus awaits the visitors at the time of Corpus Christi with a special highlight: Ornate carpets are made by sand and flowers with religious motifs. The whole village is decorated with it during the feast of Corpus Christi. For the reason that all the work will not be forgotten, it is photographed and documented - and then immortalized in the Casa Roja. In the upper floor of the museum, the hardworking inhabitants of Mazo exhibit their embroidered costumes and vestments.

Everything is banana or what? You can say absolutely yes on La Palma. After the eras of sugar cane, wine, tobacco and silk, since the late 19th century bananas are for the Palmeros the main source of income. The best conditions to grow for the sun-starved yellow fruits are the west and southwest of the island - and so a museum was dedicated for them in Tazacorte. In the upper district of El Charco, situated in the Camino de San Antonio, the banana farmers give insights into their work, information about varieties, quality, farming and pests up to harvest and distribution.

In the old grain mill “El Regente” in San Andrés y Sauces in the northeast of La Palma, a small museum was established. Visitors will get information about Gofio - which is flour made from various grains, sometimes from maize or legumes and is the oldest recorded food of the Canary Islands.

Garafía: The Ethnological Museum in Garafía is situated in the Casa de la Cultura in the district of Santo Domingo. It tells from the social, cultural and economic history of the people in the predominantly agricultural northwest of La Palma.

Tijarafe: The Ethnological Museum in Tijarafe is located in the Casa del Maestro in the Calle Real 11. Illustrated is the traditional life of the area.

Puntallana: The Ethnological Museum in Puntallana is situated in the Casa Luján. A self-explanatory info-path around the lovingly decorated house in the ancient village was created in January 2015.