Hotels in El Paso

El Paso

El Paso is a town in the centre of La Palma, spread over the upper Aridane Valley between the Caldera de Taburiente and the ridges of Cumbre Nueva and Cumbre Vieja. With almost 136 km² it is the largest municipality on the island and the only one of its fourteen without a stretch of coast, and it is home to about 8,300 people. Its name comes from the Paso del Capitán, the mountain pass through which Alonso Fernández de Lugo tried to enter the Caldera during the conquest of the island, and the town became a municipality of its own in 1837, separating from Los Llanos de Aridane. Part of the Caldera de Taburiente National Park lies within El Paso, and its visitor centre on the road into town has exhibitions and films about the giant crater, which is about eight kilometres wide. From the La Cumbrecita viewpoint the view opens over the inside of the Caldera, and the trail up Pico Bejenado, 1,854 metres high, starts nearby. In September 2021 the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted above the town, and guided walks to the new volcanic landscape start from the Llano del Jable. The same Llano del Jable is an astronomical viewpoint of the Starlight Reserve, while the El Pilar recreation area is the starting point of the Ruta de los Volcanes along the island's volcanic ridge. El Paso keeps alive the craft of silk, unique in Europe, from rearing silkworms to weaving, which can be seen at the Las Hilanderas workshop, and every three years the pilgrimage of the Virgen del Pino brings people from all over La Palma in traditional dress. The town suits hikers, trail runners and stargazers who want to stay inland among pine forests, almond trees and volcanoes rather than by the beach. Santa Cruz de La Palma and its port are about 28 kilometres away, roughly forty minutes by car across the Cumbre Nueva, and the airport is a little further south of the capital.