Hacienda La Centenaria

We landed at Santa Cruz de la Palma to find the taxi, organised by Sonia and Alfred who own Hacienda La Centenaria, waiting for us. We arrived at our cottage and met Alfred who gave us the guided tour. Our cottage, La Despensa, was all that we hoped it would be and the kitchen stocked with the wine, milk, bread and cheese that Sonia had very kindly bought on our behalf as we were not arriving until after the local supermarket had closed. You can also order fresh bread and croissants, homemade jams and fresh eggs (from their own hens) each day which we can highly recommend. The cottage is beautifully furnished with lots of attention to detail and the beds are very comfortable. French doors lead onto a private terrace with table and chairs, sun loungers and a barbeque. The kitchen has everything you need, including a double hob and microwave.

Outside, the pool area and gardens are delightful with a 'secret garden' feel. There are a variety of seating areas tucked away as well as the main pool area with sun loungers and umbrellas. Sonia and Alfred's cats and chickens wander freely around the gardens but are certainly not a nuisance. There are also two beautiful dogs in residence but you would not know they were there (unless you ask to meet them, as we did!).

The setting is a peaceful one with a 15 minute walk into El Paso where you will find bars, restaurants and the supermarket as well as smaller shops where you can stock up on essentials. The walk back takes 20 minutes and is all up hill but taxis are very reasonably priced if you don't fancy the hike! The walk is a joy for dog lovers as many of the locals have pet dogs and, as the lanes are quiet, they are often able to wander over and say hello to passers by. We used the local bus service from El Paso to travel further afield. We visited the beach at Tazacorte and also the capital, Santa Cruz which worked out very well The service was excellent and cost very little. The Canaries are noted for their out-of-season temperatures and La Palma did not let us down - in the second week of October we were enjoying temperatures in the high 20s.

If you are looking for a peaceful and relaxing holiday we cannot recommend Hacienda La Centenaria highly enough. The accommodation, the town and the welcome from Alfred and Sonia were excellent and we would certainly have no hesitation in booking another holiday with them.