Tazacorte & Puerto de Tazacorte (Fishing Port & Beach)
A charming municipality on La Palma's west coast, consisting of two distinct settlements: Tazacorte (inland, a traditional Canarian town at 100 metres elevation) and Puerto de Tazacorte (coastal, a working fishing harbour and marina). The Playa de Tazacorte is a 300-metre arc of black volcanic sand with calm, clear water and dramatic views of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge rising behind. The beach is popular with locals and has basic facilities including showers and a small promenade. Puerto de Tazacorte's harbour area features several excellent fish restaurants serving the catch of the day — dorada (sea bream), vieja (parrotfish), and cherne (wreckfish) are local specialities. Boat excursions for dolphin and whale watching depart from the marina — the waters off La Palma's west coast are home to several resident pods of pilot whales and multiple dolphin species. The marina also offers sport fishing charters. The Tazacorte Valley, stretching inland from the coast, is one of the island's most important banana-producing regions, with terraced plantations climbing the hillsides — the Canarian banana (Plátano de Canarias) holds DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) status and is smaller, sweeter, and more intensely flavoured than the common Cavendish variety.