Tourists in La Palma
Monthly tourist arrivals in La Palma according to ISTAC and the FRONTUR survey. Main tourists — inter-island movements excluded.
Monthly arrivals in La Palma
Source: ISTAC · Dataset E16028B_000011 · Main tourists (excludes inter-island)
Analysis: Tourism in La Palma
La Palma is the fifth island with its own breakdown in ISTAC data. Its volume is far smaller than that of the two capital islands. In August 2026, La Palma received 19,163 tourists, with no comparable 2025 figure. That figure represents 1.2% of the 1,566,954 arrivals recorded across the Canary Islands that month.
The best month in the available series is January 2026, with 45,800 arrivals. So far in 2026 (January–August), La Palma totals 209,261 tourists. ISTAC has not yet published a complete 2025 series for La Palma.
ISTAC's island-level breakdown for La Palma is available from January 2026. The series is updated every month with each FRONTUR release; the latest data point is August 2026.
High and low season in La Palma
Across the available ISTAC series, winter months (November–March) average 36,433 tourists per month in La Palma, against 20,154 in the summer months (June–September): 80.8% above. The strongest month in the series is January 2026 (45,800 arrivals) and the weakest is June 2026 (17,100).
| Period | Monthly average |
|---|---|
| Winter (Nov–Mar) | 36,433 |
| Summer (Jun–Sep) | 20,154 |
If you are looking for fewer crowds, the quieter months are those below that average; if you want the season with the widest choice and air connectivity, winter concentrates peak demand.
Airports, resort areas and source markets in La Palma
| Airport | Passengers 2025 | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|
| La Palma (SPC) | 1,533,355 | +2.5% |
Source: Aena, 2025 year-end. Counts total passengers (arrivals and departures, domestic and international) — a different metric from ISTAC's tourist arrivals.
La Palma does not follow the sun-and-beach model of the capital islands: its tourism is nature- and hiking-led, built around the Caldera de Taburiente, the Ruta de los Volcanes and its status as a Starlight Reserve for stargazing.
The German market, strongly hiking-oriented, carries notable weight alongside mainland Spanish visitors. The 2021 Tajogaite eruption was a turning point: the volcano halted tourism activity and has since become an attraction in its own right.
Note: annual per-island totals combine exact ISTAC figures with rounded estimates for the months where the source publishes only each island's percentage share.
Frequently asked questions
How many tourists visited La Palma in August 2026?
La Palma received 19,163 tourists in August 2026.
How many tourists has La Palma received in 2026?
Between January and August 2026, La Palma totals 209,261 tourist arrivals according to ISTAC.
How important is La Palma for Canary Islands tourism?
In August 2026, La Palma concentrated 1.2% of all tourist arrivals to the Canary Islands, making it the fifth-largest island by volume among those with their own breakdown.
Where does this data come from?
These are official statistics from ISTAC (Instituto Canario de Estadística), FRONTUR operation, dataset E16028B_000011. The metric counts main tourists and excludes inter-island trips. Updated monthly.
When is the high season in La Palma?
Winter. Between November and March, La Palma averages 36,433 tourists per month, 80.8% more than the June-to-September average (20,154). The busiest month in the series is January 2026 and the quietest is June 2026.
More on tourism in La Palma
Other islands
Data source
ISTAC — Instituto Canario de Estadística
FRONTUR — Estadística de Movimientos Turísticos en Fronteras