La Palma Surf Guide – The Unexpected Canary Island
La Palma is the arrowhead-shaped island that sits on the far western edges of the Canarian chain. Geo buffs out there will note that means it gets arguably the best exposure to the NW and W Atlantic swells of any rock in the region.
Sadly, while the swell is as consistent as the sunshine, the topography isn’t all that great for waves. The whole place is a symphony of steep volcanic ridges that tumble straight into the ocean; all chopped up and sheer-cut; too harsh and rugged to create many beaches of points worthy of note.
But there are spots hidden around the north, east, and western shores. Two stand out: Los Guirres, a rock-bottomed beach that’s also known as Playa Nueva, and Los Nogales, which is more sheltered from oncoming northwesterlies, so does better in the height of winter.
As with all the Canaries, localism is to be expected. There’s one surf shop. But, most of all, this island is downright stunning. Days off the surf can be filled with intrepid hikes up jagged mountains, walks in laurisilva forests, adventures to lava fields, and stays in quaint Spanish hill towns.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
>>This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in the Canary Islands
Where is La Palma?
La Palma is located in the northwestern part of the Canary Islands, an archipelago which itself sits off the northwest coast of Africa. It is situated to the west of Tenerife and north of El Hierro.
As one of the most westerly islands in the Canary Islands, La Palma certainly has the right location for surfing, most of which is done on the north and west shores, though some eastern beaches have protection for when it’s bigger.
La Palma surf spots
Los Guirres (Playa Nueva)
Los Guirres is the name for the northern end of Playa Nueva, a black-sand beach that unfolds below the cliffs north of Puerto Naos. It’s a pretty dramatic spot, with a shelf of dusky pebble that slopes softly into the ocean, apart from one little part that forms a sort of underwater canyon, and, thankfully, one nice little right hand wave.
It’s a sucky little thing that demands some good speed in the take off before offering a wedge and shoulder that peels quite close to the shore. Needs some size but will close out fast when the size creeps up (6 foot+). Often a good showing of bodyboarders.
Zamora
The second spot to know about on the west coast of La Palma is probably our favourite of the whole bunch. We’ve surfed this totally alone and it’s a nice one, though be wary of rips, especially near the rocks.
The walk down is on a staircase that’s sort of cut into the rocks and then you get two beaches, Grande and Chica. The first is the best, because an underground lava reef stops most sets from going around in to the small cove. FYI: This is one of the best snorkelling spots on the island when the water is still.
Los Nogales
You’ll be stunned by the beauty of Los Nogales beach. Set beneath soaring cliffs on the northeastern side of the island, it’s more Madeira than Canaries.
Most people will stick to the miradouro lookouts above – they are incredible. But there’s sometimes decent surf working in the bay below, though getting there requires a 500-meter walk on rocky terrain, so booties are a good idea.
The wave is generally best when there’s some size and a N element to the swell. Sets tend to peak on the headland at the southern end of the bay but you can also get some challenging frames up and down the beach. Rarely crowded, which is nice – and unusual – for the Canaries.
When to surf in La Palma?
There’s the potential for swell all year round in La Palma, though the winter months (November-March) generally bring the most consistency and biggest sets. Remember that when it’s really big in the winter, you can switch coastlines and get the shelter of the eastern shore.
Summers can be hit and miss, with long periods when it’s either super still – better for swimming and snorkelling – or windy AF, especially thanks to heat-generated easterlies coming in from Africa and the Sahara.
One thing we wouldn’t skip on is sunscreen.
I use Suntribe’s blocks because they’ve made a real effort to strip out any unneccessary chemicals.
Plus, they offer Surf Atlas readers 10% off orders with code Surfatlas10.
Where to stay when surfing in La Palma?
Top hotels in La Palma
- Hotel Hacienda de Abajo-Adults Only-Lujo – This is one seriously nice hotel. Placed perfectly in lush tropical gardens on the west coast, it’s within good striking distance of the main surf beaches of Los Guirres and Zamora. It’s also an audacious hotel with sheer opulence about it; a whiff of the old Spanish hacienda.
- Hotel Emblemático Holiday Time – More centrally located and great for those coming off a flight or ferry from another Canary, this city stay in Santa Cruz (the island’s main port) offers a good base for east coast explorations. Rooms are comfy, modern, and good value for money.
One thing: You will almost certainly need a car to get around here, espeically if you want to make it to those hard-to-access beaches. I’ve recently been using DiscoverCars for hires simply becuase they’ve proved to be the cheapest for me in the last year or so.
Get insured. [ad]
I use SafetyWing. They’ve got two plans: Essential and Complete. Surfing is included as standard in both.
Things I like:
- Buy while you’re abroad. No penalties if you’re already traveling.
- Flexible packages. You can either get it as a subscription, so it rolls on until you cancel, or pay for certain dates.
- Surfing is included as standard in the Essential plan. No add-ons needed.
Surf camps in La Palma (or not…)
There aren’t any surf camps in La Palma – the island simply doesnt have the beach breaks and accessibility to make it worthwhile. That’s the reason we wouldn’t reccommend it to anyone bar the highly adventurous, somewhat advanced surfer who wants to break away from the crowds.
That said, the Canary Islands generally remain a FANTASTIC place to go for a surf camp. We even rate them among the best beginnner destinations on the globe…
We have a complete guide to all the top surf camps in the Canaries if you’re thinking of doing a planned camp.
- Lanzasurf – Our top pick for beginners, this one offers 5x surf lessons with very, very good instructors on the amazing beaches of northern Lanzarote.
- Gracy’s Surf and Yoga – A small-group camp that has a twin focus on yoga and surf. It’s very chill, very rejuvinating, and takes you tot the white-sand beaches of Fuerteventura, which is A LOT better than La Palma when it comes to beginner spots.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
