Climatic conditions on La Palma

Beyond Africa is a small island with probably the finest climate condition in the world: the Canary Island La Palma. Trade winds and the Gulf Stream ensure that it is rarely really hot and even more rarely really cold. Information about the actual weather is available in the Internet. The ancient Romans already called La Palma called as 'the island of eternal spring'. The palmeros speak of their 'Isla Verde' or the 'Isla Bonita' because the island is so green and so beautiful.

However, be careful! Those who travel to La Palma need to know the intricacies of the weather, so that they book their accommodation in the right corner of the island.

There are two rules of thumb. Firstly, the temperature drops - measured from sea level - 1 degree per 100 meters. If Puerto Naos, which is at sea level, has 20 degrees, the temperature in 300 meters above sea level La Laguna will be 17 degrees and in the area of El Paso, which is on more than 600 meters above sea level, pretty cool with 14 degrees.

Rule number 2: The weather on the west side of the island is generally - and especially in the winter - sunnier and drier than on the eastern 'rheumatism site' how we say here on La Palma.

This means: extreme sun-seeking winter vacationers should book their accommodation on the west side, below 300 meters above sea level. The warmest zone here is the area between Puerto Naos and Tazacorte up to Las Norias.

From La Laguna and Los Llanos right up to El Paso it can be sometimes very fresh, especially in the winter months. This zone is ideal for people who do not like high temperatures. However, it does not matter if you have booked a house or apartment with heating system, to have it pleasant in the evenings.

The same applies for accommodations in the north or east of the island: Without heating in winter you can - and sometimes even in the summer - come into shivering especially at night.

The temperatures move on La Palma from November to March between pleasant 18 and 22 degrees Celsius. During the summer months, they rise up to 28 until 30 degrees Celsius.

Conclusion: You can bathe in summer and winter, because the sea on the west side has not less than 18 degrees, and has even in winter often 22 degrees. What a swimmer likes, applies also for divers: snorkeling and diving through the underwater world of La Palma is the whole year possible – if the water is to cold, pick up the neoprene.

A little tip: Even in the winter months, sunbathers should use the sun protection like in summer. Reason: La Palma is located between the 27th and 29th latitude near the equator, means the sunlight is much more intensive than in the rest of Europe.

One more tip for those people who like the water: Caution - you swim here in the Atlantic Ocean! This huge puddle is sometimes special. On days with high waves and currents, the Baywatch hoists at the official beaches yellow or red flags. Yellow means caution when bathing. Red is quite simply: 'Danger'. However this is rare - but when, please do not swim or snorkel.

The hikers under the La-Palma-visitors should pay attention on the 'all-100-altitude-1-degree-less' rule. Means: Never go without a warm jacket in the mountains! Even rain protection is important here. Because the mountain range running from north to south of the islands built a natural weather divide, where from the east trade wind blown clouds snagging. Then it is possible that it rains a bit. This is just fine for the evergreen Canarian pines, but the unprotected hikers do not like it.

Do not be fooled, especially if you start during sunshine in the valley! The 'Mar de Nubes' or the 'La Cascada', as the palmeros call their photogenic sea of clouds; can come very fast over the peaks.

You do not need to be scared about snow on La Palma. It can happen, but only in winter at an altitude with more than 2.000 meters. The 'Roque de los Muchachos' - with more than 2.400 meters, the highest mountain on the island - has in winter often a white beanie.

When people talk about La Palma as the 'island of eternal spring', this is true in view at the average annual temperatures. Please note: It may even rain during spring!

La Palma is so green and pleasant tempered, because of the constant trade wind blowing from the northeast. This forms over the equator, takes on its same old way across the Atlantic, and brings coolness and humidity. The results are big clouds. The clouds stick on to the 40-kilometer mountain ranges of La Palma in the north and east and start to leak.

That is why the southwest side of the island is much sunnier. Between October and April it may happen that wind coming from the west side of the Atlantic gives the trade winds coming from the northeast a counterpoint. Then it rains in the west side of the Island, down to Puerto Naos. However, do not panic: This happens usually just for a few days.

In summary, it is fact that the climate in La Palma is wonderful. Rain is a part of it, but only in some winter seasons, there is too much of it. Therefore another tip: Follow the sun when it should be cloudy at your holiday home in La Palma. Often there is only a few kilometres away the best weather. You get help from various stationed webcam points of the island.

Summary: Be cheerful if you see clouds, inform yourself on the internet, or just sit in the car and drive to the 'blue holes'. Regarding your clothing, you are during the winter months, no matter where, on the safe side with the 'onion skin principle': underneath a midsummer outfit, over it something with sleeves and on above of it a warm fleece or rain jacket.

Finally a last insider tip: The best months for holiday on La Palma are May/June and September/October. Not only because in the 'mid-season' is not many hustle and bustle. The probability of rain during these months is very, very small and it is warm until late night, but not as hot as during the summer. Especially during these months are great special offers for holiday accommodation. Of course, you can find them here on the La Palma 24 website.

When people talk about La Palma as the 'island of eternal spring', this is true in view at the average annual temperatures. Please note: It may even rain during spring!

The weather on La Palma during “Calima” is a bit special. Sometimes the hot east wind brings fine sand from the Sahara to the Canary Islands. As La Palma is the most western island of the Canary Islands, it has a blessing in disguise, because other islands intercept the most part of the Sahara dust, because they are closer to the mainland.

Nevertheless, 'Calima' is also not pleasant here. The humidity drops, a hot wind is blowing over the island, red sand obscures the view and passes through every crack. It can be more than 40 degrees - especially in the higher zones. The best zone during 'Kalima' is in the towns at sea level, because the ocean ensures slight cooling.

Just during the wintertime, people who are living on the upper layers of La Palma are lucky about "Calima", because it warms everything up. This does not happen during summer. The desert wind dries out the vegetation. Severe damage in agriculture and in the lovingly tended gardens is usual. The worst case during "Calima" is, if a fire occurs: The fire, almost constantly fueled almost, make it almost impossible to extinguish.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
day temperature	21	21	22	22	23	24	25	26	26	25	23	22
night temperature	14	14	15	15	16	17	18	20	20	18	16	15
sunshine hours	5	6	6	7	8	9	10	9	8	6	5	5
water temperature	19	18	18	19	20	21	22	23	23	22	21	20