If you want to see La Palma with the volume turned up, come in summer. The evenings stretch out, every village seems to have a party, and the whole island spills out onto the streets and the plazas until the small hours. Here is what is actually happening right now, in the summer of 2026, from someone who lives here.

The big one: Puerto Naos comes back to life

This was the story of the summer for us. In mid-July the LOS40 Fiesta del Agua returned to Puerto Naos in full for the first time since the eruption, a proper street party with a real line-up of artists on the Avenida. If you have read our piece on the 2021 volcano, you will understand why this one hit differently. Puerto Naos was evacuated and closed for years because of volcanic gas, and seeing thousands of people back on that seafront, soaked and dancing, was genuinely emotional. It is the clearest sign yet that the west coast is coming back, and by all accounts it will return again next summer.

Summer fiestas worth planning around

The rest of the summer keeps the momentum going. A few highlights still to come:

• Día del Corsario / Corsair Day (around 1 August) – a wild costumed re-enactment of an old pirate raid that fills the streets. Great fun and very local.
• Summer festival, Fuencaliente (early August) – music and celebration in the sunny south.
• Mid-August patron festivals – around the 15th, several villages hold their big saint’s-day fiestas with processions, food and live bands.

On top of these, most towns run their own verbenas through the summer: free open-air parties with a live band, where the whole village turns out and nobody goes home early. Ask a local or check the town hall notices for what is on the week you visit. For more on the island’s nightlife and its famous carnival, see our nightlife guide.

One honest note: fiesta dates shift a little every year, so treat the dates above as a guide and double-check locally before you build a trip around one. We keep this page updated through the season.

It is not all parties

Summer is also prime time for the things La Palma does best. The nights are warm and clear, which makes it a wonderful season for stargazing, when the bright core of the Milky Way is overhead. The black-sand beaches around Tazacorte and Los Cancajos are at their best, and the sea is warm enough to linger in. Just remember that the exposed hikes, like the Ruta de los Volcanes, get seriously hot at midday in summer, so start early or, as the locals do, walk them by moonlight.

Getting here and around this summer

There are more ways to reach the island than ever. Jet2 already flies direct from Manchester, and from late October 2026 it adds a second UK route from London Stansted, alongside the usual connections through mainland Spain and the other Canaries. Summer is busy by La Palma standards, so book flights and, above all, a hire car well ahead, because the island’s small fleet does sell out. Popular tours like the stargazing trips also fill up, so book the big ones online before you come.

Come and join in

The best thing about a La Palma summer is that none of it is put on for tourists. The fiestas are real, the crowds are local, and you are simply welcome to join. Turn up, get a drink, follow the music, and let the island show you how it celebrates. For everything else to fill your days, start with our guide to the best things to do in La Palma.