What to see on La Palma? Poris de Candelaria

Can you imagine a village hidden in a cave? Stop imagining it and come and discover it in La Palma. We are talking about Porís de Candelaria, undoubtedly one of the thousand beautiful reasons to fall in love with our island. On the western coast of La Palma, approximately 4 kilometres from Tijarafe, is this “cave” or natural cavity located between cliffs bathed by the Atlantic, which hide a set of white and blue houses that are literally embedded in the rock.

A porís or proís is a jetty or natural port, common in La Palma due to the difficulty of communicating by land, which led to transport by sea from porís to porís.

Porís de Candelaria is located in an area of volcanic origin, hence the ravines, the cliffs up to 200 meters high and the rock formations, as well as the cave itself, up to 50 meters high, where this fairytale corner is located. Its name is a tribute to the Virgin of Candelaria, patron saint of Tijarafe.

History

For the first time, there is a documented historical reference to Porís de Candelaria in 1588 as an outstanding port that also has a nearby well that does not dry up in summer. It was almost a century ago when the locals began to create small houses, until it became a village of houses that, in most cases, are holiday residences of residents of Tijarafe.

How to get to Porís de Candelaria

To reach this unique enclave of La Palma you can access it by car, boat or on foot.

• By car. You’ll need to head to Tijarafe. Once there, you will have to take a detour down the road towards the two parking areas that Porís has. From the car park you will only have to walk along the path that leads to the coast for approximately 15 minutes to reach your destination.

• By boat. This can be one of the most attractive alternatives, and you may be able to spot whales and dolphins during the journey. You will depart from the port of Tazacorte, there are several companies that operate this route, passing through other charming corners such as La Veta beach, Cueva Colorada or Cueva Bonita.

•On foot. If you are a hiking lover, this will be the best option for you. La Palma has an infinite number of trails to travel, taking one of the routes to Porís de Candelaria. This is the PR LP 12.2 circular route. Tijarafe. It consists of a little more than 10 kilometers, including round trip, and lasts approximately 4 hours with medium difficulty.

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