El Charco on La Palma: Holiday Apartment in the Volcanic Landscape

El Charco on La Palma is a small district on a steeply sloping hillside in the northwest of the municipality of Fuencaliente; pine forest dominates the district. The eruption of El Charco lasted from 9 October to 3 December 1712 and is classified as a confirmed explosive/effusive eruption with VEI 2. The lava flows from this eruption cover the boundary area of El Charco at the municipal borders with El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane; within the district, they are considered particularly worth seeing.

Other destinations on La Palma include Playa Nueva and Puerto de Tazacorte.

Nature

At the El Charco geological site, easily accessible examples of various lava morphologies can be seen, including Aa and pāhoehoe lavas at medium elevations. There are volcanic tubes with partially collapsed roofs; as a result, holes and unstable ground areas may form. The paths should not be left.

The El Charco viewpoint is located on the southern road LP-2 behind the town center of Los Canarios, heading towards Los Llanos de Aridane; access by car is via this road. From the viewpoint, the downward panoramic view extends from the Canarian pine forest of the highlands, over the coastal tabaiba shrubland of the lower areas, to the coastal strip that belongs to the La Palma marine reserve.

History

The protected Tamanca landscape lies in the southwest of La Palma, extends across Fuencaliente, El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane, and crosses lava flows from several volcanic events – from the 1712 eruption of El Charco to the lavas of Volcán de San Juan from 1949. Tamanca is part of the Canary Islands network of protected natural areas and is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) within the Natura 2000 network.

Getting Around

The Ruta de los Volcanes is a developed and signposted route that runs through the municipalities of El Paso, Mazo and Fuencaliente in the Cumbre Vieja nature park. It passes the volcanoes Birigoyo, Hoyo Negro, El Duraznero, La Deseada, El Charco, Martín de Tigalate, San Antonio and Teneguía. On stage 6 of the GR 130 between Los Llanos de Aridane and Fuencaliente, bus services run in both directions for access to the route. The different sites help you distinguish between hiking, observing volcanoes, panoramic views and a scheduled cultural event.

Culture

Santa Cecilia Church is a circular building that José Miguel de Sotomayor had built on his estate in El Charco in honor of his wife, Cecilia Narváez Oliván. In the presbytery, it has a Neo-Gothic altarpiece with three niches. The church stands on a slope surrounded by the lava flows of Volcán del Charco from 1712, at the municipal borders with El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane.

Every 22 November, a sung Mass is celebrated there with the local choir, presided over by the parish priest. Following the Mass, a small concert by the Fuencaliente municipal band takes place at sunset outside Santa Cecilia Church.

For the higher-level travel overview: Tazacorte.