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Isla de La Palma (known in English as "La Palma", not to be confused with the city of "Palma" in the Balearic Islands), is a Spanish volcanic ocean island. It is one of the seven major Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off of the west coast of Africa. The name "Isla de La Palma" means "The Island of Palms," or "Palm Island."

La Palma has an area of 706 km2 making it the fifth largest of the seven main Canary Islands. The total population is about 85,000, of which 18,000 (2003 data) live in the capital, Santa Cruz de la Palma and about 20,000 (2004 data) in Los Llanos de Aridane.

La Palma, like the other islands of the Canary Island archipelago, is a volcanic ocean island. The volcano rises almost 7 km above the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Proportional to its size, it is alleged to be the steepest island in the world. There is road access from sea level to the very summit at 2423 metres, which is marked by an outcrop of rocks called Los Muchachos ("The Lads"). This is the site of the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, one of the world's premier astronomical observatories.

La Palma's geography is a result of the volcanic formation of the island. The highest peaks reach over 2400 m above sea level, and the base of the island is located almost 4000 m below sea level. The northern part of La Palma is dominated by the Caldera de Taburiente, with a width of 9 km and a depth of 1500 m. It is surrounded by a ring of mountains ranging from 1600 m to 2400 m in height. Only the deep Barranco de las Angustias ("Valley of Fear") canyon leads into the inner area of the caldera which is a national park. It can be reached only by hiking. The outer slopes are cut by numerous gorges which run from 2000 m down to the sea. Today, only few of these carry water due to the many water tunnels that have been cut into the islands structure.

This beuatiful island is perfect for the nature and hiking lovers. This picture was taken during a kiking around the place called "Marcos y Cordero", a place where several natural water springs come to the surface.
That day the sun, the shadows of the mountains and the fog helped to create a very special atmosphere.

I hope you like the picture
Best Regards
Víctor