La Isla Bonita
La Palma, rightfully known as La Isla Bonita, is one of Spain’s Canary Islands, is located off the north-western African coast. A pristine paradise set against a spectacular background, this gorgeous island is home to incredible landscapes of imposing volcanoes, dense forests, exceptional beaches, and star-sprinkled skies.
I have traveled a few times during the pandemic, but this was my first photographic trip to Europe post COVID restrictions. I was very intimidated by how to deal with life under the new norms of travel but decided to take the plunge and see how it goes. I was lucky to secure a place with @we_ shoot_ official (thanks to Instagram) for my first trip to the Gran Canarias. Three airports and 20 hours of flight later, I landed in Santa Palma de la Cruz airport. It was love at first sight. The unobstructed views of the Atlantic combined with the purest air hits you the minute you walk out of the airport; you literally feel the purity of the air rushing to your head. Under the guidance of Lorenzo (who is a geologist and an acclaimed Astrophotographer) and Alessandro (an acclaimed pano photographer), we started an unforgettable 6-day adventure where we drove, hiked, scouted, and shot photos of the Milky Way from every possible angle, most times until the early hours of dawn (making this trip the one with the least amount of sleep that I have ever taken!). In those six days, we made the most of our very short time in la Palma.
Our base during this trip was in El Paso, a beautiful town of cobbled stones, lined with a multitude of banana tree plantations. Our daily drive to our destination was a meandering route through beautiful forests of flora and foliage, unique palm trees, and the cutest avocado trees. The best way to experience the island’s rugged, forested terrain is to part hike and part drive.
Typically, our day would start at lunch (so we could catch up on some sleep!) where our guides would give us a rundown of the activities that they had pre-planned, giving us a quick description of the place where we were heading and what to expect. As we were dealing with temperamental weather even the best-laid plans tended to change last minute, but not once did the sudden weather change mean that we had to head home; there was ALWAYS a Plan B. Due credit must be given to our guides here, who took all these unexpected events in their stride and always made sure we made the most of our short time there.
So usually, our afternoons were spent scouting and working on the compositions we planned to shoot later in the evening, and our nights were mostly spent under the stars experiencing nature’s stunning night splendor at its best and getting the most beautiful photos of the night stars and the Milky Way. Some people might think that once you have a milky way shot on your portfolio it’s a been there, done that type of situation. It absolutely isn’t. It never gets old!! It is fascinating to look at the stars and the night sky every single time.
Whoever travels to La Palma, merges deeply into its natural beauties and characteristics. Like the other islands of the Canary Island archipelago, La Palma is a volcanic ocean island, its landscape combining views of natural rock parks, black ridges with well-watered slopes of densely wooded forests deeply dissected by ravines. There is no better place to see this fusion than Parque National de la Caldera Taburiente, (a caldera is a crater formed by a volcanic eruption). Measuring 10 km across, and in places the walls towering to 2000 m over the caldera floor, this natural park has unobstructed views of magnificent rock formations dotted with beautiful Tajinaste (a plant endemic to the Islands). The highest point is the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory on the northern wall, at 2426 m altitude. This is a perfect spot for sunset as you get to witness the sun setting above the clouds on one end and the beautiful Alpine glow on the other. A truly memorable experience. Tijarafe is a beautiful beach town located in the northwestern part of the island. We must have spent at least three hours hiking downhill towards the beach across a stunning natural environment of volcanic rocks embedded with flowers and vegetation. Finally, we walked across fields of solidified lava marbled into black rocks in Fuencaliente de la Palma is a must, ending the journey at La Salinas Marinas where you can observe firsthand the process of producing sea salt, a place of beautiful contrast; the white of the salt, the blue of the sea, and the black of the volcanic earth painting a picture of immense beauty.
A six-day trip sounds too short, but I have to say that hiking and scouting and lack of sleep eventually take their toll (no complaints though... I would do it all over again). At the end of the day, there is nothing as magical as sitting in the middle of darkness and witnessing the beautiful starlit skies
Camera gear: this is always tricky on trips like these. Keep in mind that there is a lot of hiking involved. So, he’s what I suggest you pack:
1-A very sturdy tripod it gets very windy at night.
2-DSLR camera + a wide-angle lens with a very wide aperture. I used xf10-24 f4 and 1655mm f2.8 but wished I had something wider. (I had to stitch almost all the photos)
3-Mid range zoom 55-200mm for compressed shots of the mountains.
4-A second tripod if you’re planning a time-lapse.
5-Neutral density filters for seascapes. Lucroit 6nd and 10nd.
6-Shoes: hiking boots with traction for gravelly landscape ( check Vibram soles).
7-Windbreaker, warm hat, hiking pants, quick-dry thermals, and gloves.
8-Nose cover. (I kept on my mask at night to avoid inhaling the dust)
9- Photo tip: Keep an open mind. Sometimes the photos you plan do not necessarily materialize. Be spontaneous. Try a new composition, they usually end up being great too. In the end, don’t become so engrossed in getting the perfect photo, if it doesn’t work it’s ok. Just remember, the main point is to enjoy yourself.
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