La Palma blogger: Los Llanos

Los Llanos, correctly Los Llanos de Aridane, is the most colorful and fastest growing city La Palma’s and therefore secretly called the capital of the island. The much better climate on the west side are just one of the reasons the banana farmers of the Aridane-Valley have much more success than their neighbors on the east side and the bigger harvests too. Because of the shade of the volcano, the west side has about 2 hours more light at sun set than the “dark east” and provides a more southern lifestyle and a warmer flair as well. In the last 20 years the population was grown form 16.000 souls to more than double today.

Wide Avenidas, modern buildings, exclusive shops and boutiques and excellent restaurants found their way to Los Llanos in the last decades and were helping to shape the city’s style since, as well as made a great match to the historic part of the city where alleys are to small for cars.

Small alley in the historic part of Los Llanos

Los Llanos is the center of communication. Talking people everywhere, no matter what age, where you come from, if you are rich or poor, everybody is talking to everybody and at most beautiful places. Where ever you go, a shady bench or a couple of chairs just outside the house invite you to take a seat, relax and talk to your neighbor.

Old Palmero’s talking to punks with blue hair, always a puro cigar in their hand or in the corner of the mouth. Immigrants are talking to a policeman, tourists talking to mother and daughter, who were coming for shopping. It’s the communication between all generations, which makes Los Llanos everybody’s city and everybody’s fun, that’s why everybody is coming.

Siesta in the alley. Between 1pm to 4pm it's siesta, all shops closed

*Plaza de Espana is the undisputed center of the islands west, where you sit in the shade of enormous huge and old laurel trees, having a sumo de naranja fresh orange juice or a café cortado espresso with a shot very sweet condense milk from the kiosk or take a bocadillo Spanish sandwich for lunch and watch the crowd walking by.

Plaza Espana with huge laurel trees and some business in their shades

Just a couple of steps away is the old church *Nuestra Senora de los Remedios at the north side of the Plaza, build in the 17. century with magnificent and rich decorations at the inside, where a visit is a must. Behind the church the little park is called *Plaza Chica little plaza commonly, but was actually named after *Elias Santos Abreu, a locally known doctor and natural scientist, who was born right here in the old canary house.

Nuestra Senora de los Remedios, church on Plaza Espana built in 17. century

In opposite to the cathedral the old city hall, decorated with a wooden balcony at second floor, along the entire building and of course flagged al year round.

Los Llanos de Aridane - City Hall seen from church across the walkway

Going down from the Plaza just one block to the west, along *Avenida Tanausu, you hit the city’s market hall, where fresh, local products of all kind are offered. World famous *Jamon Serano old and salty fine ham, thin sliced, all sorts of fresh Atlantic seafood, local fruits, vegetables, wine, goat cheese, mojo and all the cookies and cakes, chocolates and candies are made here since ever. Do not go hungry into the market hall to shop, if you do, your first stop should be at the coffee shop on the south side, where you have a chicken- or beef-bocadillo (the best you ever get here) along with a cortado or a coffee con leche. Now you are ready to shop without overloading your refrigerator.

Great selection of island natural products in the market hall

Looking for nightlife, you have the choice to visit one of the dozen restaurants for a dinner with friends or an intimate one just for the two of you, enjoying a delicious meal in an always very relaxed atmosphere. No waiter will ever bather you to leave, because you already had the coffee. It's just the island's atmosphere.

There is one cinema in Los Lllanos, Spanish language for sure, if your are interested.........or visit *Utopia, a popular bar where tourists and locals meet for a cocktail or two at night.

Palmero’s also like to cook at home very nuch, making a big and special dinner out of it with a bottle of wine, dessert and a coffee with brandy after it, men of course, having a good cigar puro, old connections to Cuba make sure, it’s a good one.

There is one discotheque in Los Llanos, if your legs need to move, but I’m not sure about the music style and whom you will meet there. I believe it’s the local youth, you share the dance floor with, probably to trendy rhythms.