How to get to La Palma from Italy: flights and ferries
La Palma is "la Isla Bonita": the greenest and most mountainous of the Canaries, with the Caldera de Taburiente, some of the clearest skies in the world for astronomy, and laurel forests. It isn't a mass-tourism destination, and that shows in the connections: there are no direct flights from Italy. You get there in two stages. Here's how, without the hassle.
The basic rule: no direct flights from Italy
For La Palma from Italy you always go through a hub. Two routes:
- An air stopover (Madrid or Barcelona) and onward to La Palma.
- A flight to Tenerife or Gran Canaria + an inter-island flight with Binter or Canaryfly.
The destination airport is La Palma (SPC), on the east coast near Santa Cruz de La Palma.
The flight from Italy to the hub
The most convenient way is to fly first to an airport well connected with Italy and then do the last leg:
- Via Madrid or Barcelona: flights from Italy with Iberia, Vueling, Ryanair, then direct to La Palma (SPC) with Iberia/Binter. This is the single-change option.
- Via Tenerife North (TFN): direct flights from Italy to Tenerife (you usually land at Tenerife South, TFS), then an inter-island flight from Tenerife North to La Palma with Binter or Canaryfly (about 30 minutes, many flights a day). Note: inter-island flights leave from Tenerife North (TFN), not the South where you land from Italy — allow for the transfer between the two airports (about 1 hour).
Compare the two routes on the comparison tool: depending on the period and your city, sometimes the European stopover is better, sometimes the Canarian hub.
By ferry between the islands
La Palma is connected by sea to the other islands with Fred. Olsen and Naviera Armas/Trasmediterránea:
- From Tenerife (Los Cristianos) to Santa Cruz de La Palma: about 2 hours 30 – 3 hours.
- Useful if you prefer the sea to flying, or if you're travelling by car and want to bring it along.
The ferry is slower than the inter-island flight but saves you the rental at your destination if you bring your car from the neighbouring island.
When to go
- Cheaper and great weather: May, June, September, October.
- La Palma is green and rainier in the north: the climate is mild all year but less "beachy" than the eastern islands.
Getting around La Palma
The island is small but all mountains: winding, scenic roads. A rental car is almost essential for the Caldera de Taburiente, the southern volcanoes and the viewpoints. Public transport (guaguas) links the main villages but with limited timetables.
In short
To get to La Palma from Italy: no direct flights, so either a stopover in Madrid/Barcelona, or a flight to Tenerife/Gran Canaria + a Binter/Canaryfly inter-island flight. As an alternative, a ferry from Tenerife if you want to bring the car. Compare the combinations on the comparison tool: the price difference between the two routes can be significant.