‘Villa y Puerto de Tazacorte’ (the town and port of Tazacorte) is the smallest town on the island of La Palma, with an extension of 14 square kilometres and a population of 4.617, that increases with the arrival of tourists and visitors throughout the year.
It is known for its fishing port and agriculture, having one of the main banana plantation areas on the Canary Islands. The pretty town centre is full ofoldlabourers’ houses, narrow alleys, wooden balconies, trees and flowers that grow all year round. It is also home to the San Miguel Church, built during the Spanish conquest, the old mansions in the neighbourhood of El Charco, the Banana Museum, the fishing district of Puerto de Tazacorte, sandy beaches and a large number of volcanic tubes such as Perdido Cave.
Puerto de Tazacorte is located at the mouth of the Las Angustias ravine. It is the oldest settlement on the island and the place where the conquest of the island by the Spanish began in 1492.
Nowadays, Puerto de Tazacorte is the most important fishing port of the island with a large dock for yachts and a pretty beach of fine black sand. Our town has the most tropical climate of the island, with an average year temperature between 20 and 30 ºC, and is known as one of the sunniest places in Europe.

The fisherman’s village of Puerto de Tazacorte is one of the best places on the island to enjoy a taste of local life. It´s typical houses with balconies painted in bright colours make it an ideal place to relax and enjoy your holidays.
Here, restaurants offer excellent fish of the day while their terraces on the beach front give a special appeal to this neighbourhood. At the same time, its beaches are suitable for swimming and sun bathingpractically all year round.
The history of Tazacorte was marked by the martyrdom of Father Ignacio Acevedo and his fellow Jesuits. In the year 1570 Father Ignacio and 39 Jesuit priests sailed from Portugal, on the galleon ‘Santiago’, heading for Brazil, by mandate of Jesuit general Francisco de Borja.
Due to bad weather conditions, their ship had to seek shelter in Tazacorte where the priests were invited to stay at Melchor Monteverde’s house, who had studied in Oporto with Father Acevedo. On their13th day in Tazacorte, Father Acevedo held a mass in the chapel of San Miguel and gave communion to his 39 companions and many others that attended the mass. After that, they embarked, heading for the port Santa Cruz in order to load goods .However, just off the coast of Fuencaliente, they were attacked by five ships belonging to the fleet of the French pirate Jacques de Sores. After capturing their ship, all the missionaries were tortured, killed and thrown into the sea. The relics of these martyrs were preserved and can be seen in the San Miguel church in Tazacorte.

Sunset

Tazacorte is considered the European municipality with the most hours of sunshine a year, due to its geographical situation and extraordinary climate that gives it the privilege of enjoying cloudless skies almost all year round. A typical postcard picture of Tazacorte contains its lush sunsets.